Welcome, Artovida – Nicola Gavigan

Welcome, Artovida.

I created this page just for you, but please feel free to browse the rest of my site. I just discovered Artovida and I love your mission and your artist partners! Below is some of my fine art that’s most relevant to your needs, either this art as is or to commission in the same style(s). I showcase two:

Digital illustrations in a cut-paper style, with flat areas of color, using Adobe illustrator and Adobe Photoshop, with added type. I often (but not always) base these on photos.
Digital illustrations that start with scrawled kids’-style drawings in heavy black crayon. I scan these and then add color and type, using Adobe illustrator and Adobe Photoshop.

I’d be thrilled to work with you! You can email me at nginzler@gmail.com, phone or text me at +1 415-637-2702, or use this website’s Contact form.

I look forward to hearing from you soon,

—Nicola

Hummingbird

This is a design for a greeting card, available here at my Redbubble store. Shop many more designs here.

WHAT I DID: This digital art is traced from a photo in Adobe Illustrator and further enhanced using found textures manipulated in Adobe Photoshop.

Lucy wonders

Cut paper-style digital illustration of a black cat lying down, looking directly at the viewer. The cat has a jagged red outline, yellow-green eyes, and red whiskers. Under her is red serif text: "Lucy wonders if you taste good."

Photograph of a black cat with yellow-green eyes lying down, facing to the left, looking directly ahead. She's lying on a patterned bedspread in front of dark-colored pillows.

Lucy was my first, best cat.

Lucy was actually very sweet (if a bit skittish) but in the photo this illustration is based on she looked truly malevolent, so I ran with it. An inkjet-printed, framed version of this artwork was displayed in the Pet Noir art show in San Francisco, CA in 2019.

WHAT I DID: Digital art created in Adobe Illustrator from the photo at left, text, typography.

Kiss

I created this illustration for a job application for the Emily the Strange* company, which uses a strong red, black and white palette throughout their website and merchandise.

I didn’t get the job, oh well.

WHAT I DID: I started with a photo of myself, painstakingly tracing the lines and contours of the image in Adobe Illustrator, simplifying and stylizing where desired (e.g. the eyelashes); text; typography.

*Emily the Strange sells comics, artwork, clothing and a Young Adult novel series based on the theme of a young girl (13) with four black cats: Mystery, Miles, NeeChee, and Sabbath. There’s also a robust fan base and wiki.

Warm

Cut paper style illustration of a faceless woman standing, holding a gas can in her right hand and a lit match in her left. The gas can says "GASOLINE" on it in gray. The background is red. The woman's skin is dead white. Her hair, dress, tights and shoes are black. To the right of the woman is black serif type: "Nicola likes to be warm."

I also created this illustration for the Emily the Strange job application. From years ago when I had long black hair.

WHAT I DID: I created this digital illustration by carefully tracing a photograph in Adobe Illustrator, simplifying and stylizing where desired; text; typography.

everything the bunnies say is true

A Valentine's Day greeting in six panels, in various shades of pink and white. Cut paper style illustrations with blocs of color and quirky sans serif type. Panel 1: 20% intensity magenta background with illustration of a 40% magenta bunny with a halo. Black type: “everything the bunnies say is true." Panel 2: 40% magenta background with a 20% magenta arrow pointing in from each of the four sides. Black type: "in all the world, the one I choose is you." Panel 3: 60% magenta background with 40% magenta star. Black type: "you’re the star I’ve hitched my wagon to." Panel 4: 100% magenta background with 60% magenta kitten heads peeking in from all sides. 20% magenta type: "and all my kittens are belong to you." Panel 5: White background with 20% magenta heart. 100% magenta type: "happy valentine’s day, sweetie!” Panel 6: 20% magenta background with illustrations of a large and small cat, holding paws and smiling.

This was a tiny 3″ x 2″ bound booklet, given as a Valentine’s Day card.

WHAT I DID: Design, text, typography, illustration, production.

33Arts

33Arts is an art collective “Run by Artists for Artists” in Building 33 on the historic Santa Rosa, CA Naval Air Station. The collective offers spaces for all creative uses: arts, crafts, performing arts, bodywork, and gallery exhibitions, as well as classrooms, meeting spaces, and nonprofit suites.

Recalling an artist’s palette, panes of stained glass, or textile patterns, this logo created a strong identity for 33Arts, helping the collective attract many kinds of artists in and around Santa Rosa.

WHAT I DID: Design, illustration in Adobe Illustrator, typography.

My Best Present

Child's drawing style crayon illustrations with color and black condensed sans-serif lowercase type added digitally, in four panels. Panel 1: "kitties are red" - with black crayon outline of a cat, filled in with solid red. Panel 2: "bunnies are blue" - with black crayon outlines of a small and large bunny, filled in with solid blue. Panel 3: "my best present" - with black crayon outline of a wrapped present with a bow, filled in with solid yellow. Panel 4: "is always you" - with black crayon outlines of three hearts, filled in with solid pink.

This was a 5″ x 7″ bound booklet, given as a holiday card.

WHAT I DID: design, text, crayon illustration, digital illustration, typography, production.