Previous FEAtured Artisans
MICHELLE LOCKAMY
Meet the official Illustrator for Artistacon 2019. If you like this years illustration please let her know by visiting her website.
Michelle Lockamy is an award-winning illustrator sailing between the realms of kidlit and fantasy illustration. Inspired by nature, fairy tales and art history, she aims to bring meaningful stories into the world that will help people remember how beautiful it is. She believes it is her duty as a visual storyteller to contribute to the dialogue of our human condition. Her work has shown in Philadelphia and New York, and has appeared in a variety of publications and games.
RYAN ONORATO
Ryan Onorato was born and raised in a small town in Southern New Jersey, where he spent a lot of time outdoors with his friends. At the age of 8, he found his passion for comics and cartoons, as well as telling a good story.
Ryan graduated from the Maryland Institute College of Art, (MICA) in Baltimore, where he received a BFA in illustration. His artwork has appeared in publications such as the B Free Daily (Baltimore Sun Media Group), Concrete Wave - 100% Skateboarding, and on signage for major retailers. He recently completed his first graphic novel "Pizza Tree"; published by Artistacomics in association with Arcana Studios. Ryan currently works as a Creative Manager for CID Entertainment in Philadelphia, PA. His artwork is heavily influenced by the skate and surf cultures, as he will swear he was born on the wrong coast.
In his spare time, he enjoys surfing, skateboarding, playing drums, and spending time with his wife Ashley and their cats.
SKYE BOLLUYT
Skye Bolluyt is a successful NYC based illustrator who is always ready for more freelance work.
By day, Skye Bolluyt is the Show Coordinator at 3x3 Magazine and by night, a freelance illustrator living and working out of NYC. In the twilight hours, Skye runs her own online shop, Midnight Skye selling daily manifestations of female empowerment and equality in the form of homewares and accessories.
Skye has had a broad focus accommodating many types of freelance clients. Because of this, her work has been published in a variety of magazines, advertising campaigns, and children’s books - the likes of Communication Arts, Juxtapoz, Portland Mercury, CASS Contemporary, Growing IQ LLC, among others. Any prompt that that hypes inner strength, female and youth empowerment, and equality, Skye is stoked to help out with photoshop brushes in digital hand.
KAREN KAPPE NUGENT
Karen has worked in commercial enterprises in graphic design, licensing, and illustration. On her personal road to discovery as an artist she advocates for artists through teaching and non-profit work while continuing her craft.
In 2017 she began the Tragus Media Project with the mission of capturing an artist’s technique and intention, then making this knowledge and experience available for practicing artists, students, art educators and art conservators through publishing. She believes in publishing artists’ experiences that help, entertain, and mentor other artists so they might forge their own unique path in the arts. As a practicing professional she also does this through teaching and mentorship.
More about Karen…
She has been awarded the gold medal from the Calendar Marketing Association, been honored for painting at the Art of the State Pennsylvania, won numerous prizes and honors for painting and has been recognized for her non-profit leadership.
In addition to maintaining a studio practice, in 2018 she was guest master-lecturer of Color Theory at her undergrad Alma Mater, The University of the Arts in Philadelphia. In 2017 as part of the Tragus Media Project she published "The Beginning Illustrator's guide to Career Success, from initial Client Meeting to Finished Art", authored by Judy Newhouse. Karen also co-edited and compiled "Artists Speak: The revelations of contemporary artists, their lives, dreams, problems, joys and craft" a publishing project focusing on 79 contemporary artists, their eloquent expressions of joys, struggles and the motivations behind their art. This title includes chapter introductions by Helen Mirkil, Dan Miller, Diana Moses Botkin, Burton Wasserman, Moe Brooker, Eric Maisel, Dan Gotlieb and Lisa Hanover. The publication was produced in partnership with Friends of Artists Equity and funded partially by the Lenfest Foundation, both printings have sold out.
In Karen's current practice she helps leading faculty at the University of Pennsylvania teach mid-career clinicians and administrators innovation strategies (design thinking, leadership, economics, and driving value) to advance health care. This entrepreneurial program aligns nicely with her content experience in health publishing and design and she is excited to be able to help others improve health care.
You can connect or learn more about Karen at
Karen Kappe Creative – creative excursions in blogging (https://karenkappe.wordpress.com/about/)
LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/in/karenkappe/)
Tragus Media (https://www.tragusmedia.com/)
KIT KAZMIER
Designer by day, witchy crafter by night; Kit Kazmier runs her online shop Sticks and Spells from her home studio in Central Jersey. She graduated valedictorian from Moore College of Art & Design with a degree in illustration in 2016. Kit’s style is all about magic, cats, and everything cute. Her pastel and sweet illustrations are featured on an array of items in her shop- including stickers, charms, apparel, and more. Kit and her work can be found on Etsy as well as all major social media platforms as ‘SticksAndSpells’.
Tegan Bellitta
An artist with an extreme eye for detail, Tegan translates her visual observations of color, light, shadow and transparency into highly rendered images on canvas and paper. Her work breaks the boundaries of color perception, forcing the viewer to see the possibilities of color comprehension and interpretation.
She has taken courses at the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts, and holds a BFA in Illustration from Moore College of Art and Design. She has held Adjunct Professor positions at both Moore and at Pennsylvania College of Art and Design. In addition to teaching, Tegan has worked as a staff graphic artist for Whole Foods Market, where she has had the pleasure of training and mentoring many young artists throughout her tenure there.
Possessing the ability to create in many mediums, Tegan prefers oil and watercolor, and outshines in portraiture. Her busy schedule is split between her personal art, commissions and raising her two young children.
COREY BRICKLEY
Corey Brickley is a freelance illustrator and designer living and working in Philadelphia, PA. He specializes in editorial illustration. His clients include The New Yorker, The New York Times, Pacific Standard, The Huffington Post, Vice Magazine, Grid Magazine, Apiary Magazine, WXPN and more!
For all commissioning enquiries, please contact my appointed agency Début Art below. They will assist swiftly and expertly.
Enquiries to: info@debutart.com
LAUREN WALSH
Lauren is a designer, illustrator, visual development artist, and all-around awesome lady. She is passionate about fine art, typography, comics, design and giving back to young artists.
She is incredibly hard-working and is currently seeking creative work, both full-time and/or freelance. If interested, please feel free to email her at LaurenWalshArt@gmail.com. Thanks for visiting!
joe KULKA
Joe is an award winning children's book illustrator and author.
His clients include Sony, MTV Animation, Scholastic, the USDA, Alpo, Lerner, Highlights for Children, and many others.
Joe has B.F.A in Illustration from the University of the Arts and an M.F.A. in Illustration from the University of Hartford.
Along with illustrating children’s books he also teaches at Moore College of Art and Design, Pennsylvania College of Art and Design, Rosemont College (Graduate Publishing Program) and DeSales University (Digital Art Program).
Glenn ZIMMER
Glenn grew up, pencil in hand, in Philadelphia and spent his formative years drawing and making his own humor magazines and comic books.
Raised on the work of Jack Davis, Mort Drucker, John Buscema and Jack Kirby, Glenn’s ambition was to create and illustrate comics. However financial concerns won out (as they always seem to do) and after graduating from The Art Institute of Philadelphia he accepted a position at Gimbels Department Store as a layout artist. He exhibited enough skill to the Art Directors there to have the opportunity to fill in on illustration assignments for merchandising men’s fashions, television sets, refrigerators and lawn mowers to name a few.
Glenn became a partner in the ownership of a small promotional advertising agency called AdPeople and left Gimbels behind to work with his partners. The partnership proved to be successful but eventually dissolved amicably. He then became Art Director at Mitchell & Company advertising where he cut his teeth on national accounts such as Beech Nut baby food and The Army National Guard.
Still with the desire to work in publishing Glenn left the agency and accepted a graphic design position with the Advertising Specialty Institute where he would spend the next 32 years. Over time Glenn would climb to the position of Corporate Art Director and manage the Corporate Design Department directing the design and production of a group of monthly trade magazines and periodicals as well as the company’s promotional graphics. He would receive recognition with awards in art direction and graphic design from The Art Directors Club of Philadelphia, Folio Magazine’s “Face to Face” competition for Publication Design and the Apex Awards for Publication Excellence. ( Glenn has also received awards for illustration from The Philadelphia Sketch Club, The Art Directors Club of Philadelphia and The Artists Guild of Delaware Valley. )
Glenn is now illustrating (and writing) children’s books as well as working as an illustrator for clients such as Major League Baseball, Merck Pharmaceuticals, Great Lakes Publishing, Rich Brands, Inc., The Wall Street Journal and Thomson/West Publishing. His children’s work has been published by Compass Publishing and Hachai Publishing. He has also taught at Cabrini College and The Pennsylvania College of Art and Design and currently serves as senior portfolio advisor for Moore College of Art’s Illustration Department. He is member of the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators and the Bucks County Illustrators Society.
ENRICO BOTTA
Cofounder of Artistacon 2016 (the first iteration) and the designer for the Artistacon logo.
A creator who wears many hats, artist, writer, designer, illustrator, sculptor.
Sculpted and designed for McFarlane Toys, Beatrice Designs, Disney, Henson, and more.
Enrico currently takes commissions for Traditional and Digital Character Sculpture
as well as Pen & Ink and Mixed Media Illustration. He is currently finishing his graphic novel the Black Demon.
Lisa Papp
Favorite thing to draw when I was a kid: my stuffed animals, especially my beloved koala bears. I never thought I would grow up to be an artist, but that’s exactly what happened.
These days I am lucky enough to make my living writing and painting art for picture books. . . and occasional greeting cards. Oh yeah, and I once had to draw pants that expanded at the waist so you can eat as much as you want. I have also been included in the NJ watercolor society annual show and have won numerous awards...but not for the stretch pants.
Some clients I’ve had the pleasure of illustrating picture books for include Grosset & Dunlap, Scholastic, Sleeping Bear Press, and American Girl. P is for Princess, A Royal Alphabet, is the first book my husband, Robert, and I co-illustrated. The Town that Fooled the British, A War of 1812 Story, is the first book I wrote and Robert illustrated.
I love telling stories . . . whether in words or pictures. You knew, didn’t you, that paintings tell stories? As an illustrator, my job is to tell a story with pictures. I do that with all kinds of tricks . . . color moods, the way a character holds her head (or paws for that matter), and perspective – that can mean up close and personal or far away and lonely. You can think of picture book illustration like a ballet - a beautiful dance that tells a story.
Lauren Nelson
Lauren O Nelson is a recent graduate of The Joe Kubert School for Cartooning and Graphic Arts in Dover, NJ. New to the industry, having spent the last two years trying to navigate the arduous waters. In an effort to stay a float, Lauren has found herself in many walks of the art world. From teaching, to portraits, to comic pitches you can find Lauren throwing her hat in the ring.
Lauren has had the pleasure of being an instructor and representative at my alma mater since my graduation in 2017. Conducting workshops and career fairs all across the state along with teaching their night Figure Drawing and Saturday courses. She spends most of the week teaching elementary school children in the Hoboken and Montclair area about Fine Art and Comics through the Enrichment programs there. When she’s not teaching you can find her in the studio, cat in lap, writing a new story, or painting a landscape I wish could be seen from the urban jungle of Jersey City.
MIKE CAPPROTTI
Mike Capprotti has created artwork in the comic book industry ,fantasy art , gaming industry his work can be found on the covers of Deadpool and Deadpool Corps as well as covers for Zenescope Entertainment. He has also worked in the collectible card game industry For Fantasy Flight Games, Game of Thrones , Star Wars and many more.Mike Capprotti has been working as a professional illustrator since 2005 specializing in the Comic book and Gaming industry. He applies his traditional background in oil paints to his work in the digital medium in hopes of creating illustrations that are more than just cleverly arranged pixels. Mike has illustrated covers for such comic books as Marvel's Deadpool & Deadpool Corps & Dynamite Entertainment's Pathfinder as well as other titles from various publishers. He has a long history in the collectible card and table-top gaming industry and has worked for Game Companies like Fantasy Flight Games, Privateer Press and Paizo Publishing. Currently Mike is working as a freelance illustrator for Ubisoft Entertainment and has produced key art and finished illustrations for games like The Division, Far Cry 5, Ghost Recon and South Park. .