Jennifer Judd-McGee’s Bio

Where do you live?

northeast harbor, maine – acadia national park is practically in my backyard!

Where have you lived?

i grew up in bar harbor, maine, and have lived in both portlands – maine and oregon, and in seattle.

What medium do you use?

illustration, mixed media collage, papercutting, printmaking.

How do you stay inspired?

i put the macro lens on my camera, go outside, and study the patterns in nature. and i go through phases of enjoying a lot of design blogs, too.

Where do you buy your art supplies?

artist and craftsman

Do you work traditionally or digitally?

mostly traditionally, but i am slowly learning some digital tricks.

What color combination are you most excited about right now?

deep aqua and red is a perennial favorite.

What blog(s) do you read?

right now i am really excited about stitch and tickle and book by its cover. and i always love design sponge and poppytalk handmade for inspiration, and my friends’ blogs of course!

Why do you like being an illustrator in 10 words or less?

getting paid to doodle. seriously, how awesome is that?

If you weren’t an illustrator, what would you be?

a nurse practitioner. or maybe a librarian. a lot of my favorite people are librarians.

What illustration job would you love to get (your dream job)?

i’d love to do surface design work for textiles or stationary.

Name something you do in your spare time.

i love spending time with my kids, taking pictures, and being on or near the ocean. and lately i’ve been refining my fledgling sushi-making skills.

What are you reading now?

right now i am looking at way, way too many redesign-house-on-a-budget books from the library. we’re renovating an old house this year.

What recent book do you recommend for a good read?

the hunger games series by suzanne collins.

Where would you like to travel to next?

sweden! or a cozy inn with nice sheets and squishy pillows.

What’s your favorite TV show?

it’s a tie between 30 rock and parenthood.

What’s your favorite NPR show?

this american life.

What movie have you seen several times?

‘love actually.’ i never get sick of it! the music slays me.

What is your favorite cheese?

humboldt fog.

Do you wear shoes when you do art?

it kind of depends how miserly i am feeling about turning up the heat. this winter it’s been socks and slippers! in the summer, barefoot for sure.

What do you listen to while you work?

lately it’s been mostly podcasts of this american life, hiphop stations on pandora, or sometimes i will watch/listen to old episodes of veronica mars while i’m working. i used to love that show!

If you could eat only one food, what would it be?

sushi!!

What is your current favorite font?

I am smitten with hand-drawn type at the moment.

How do you take your coffee?

with a good splash of 1% milk.

Whom would you like to meet?

tina fey, maira kalman, michelle obama…i can think of lots.

What question would you most like to be asked?

can we put your patten on insert awesome product here?

What recent illustration job have you enjoyed doing?

a series of maps for Maine magazine.