Utne Reader Illustrated: Gwenda Kaczor

1 / 2
2 / 2

In this continuing series, Utne Reader Art Director Stephanie Glaros explains the
process behind an
Utne Reader
illustration.

The article “An A for Environmental Effort” talks about
efforts by various schools to teach environmental literacy. When choosing an
artist to illustrate it, I wanted someone who could take a serious topic and infuse
it with child-like optimism. Not many illustrators have quite the versatility
in their artwork as Gwenda Kaczor does. Her whimsical style lends itself well
to both conceptual and decorative illustration (while most illustrators tend to
lean one way than the other). She’s also one of the few illustrators I’ve
worked with who provide color sketches, which is an added bonus. I thought all of
her ideas were great, but couldn’t resist the unique shape and vibrant colors
of the stacked blocks idea.

Since its inception in 1984, Utne Reader has relied on talented artists to create original
images for stories that express powerful emotions, brilliant new ideas, and
humorous storytelling. Browsing through back issues of
Utne Reader is like a tour of “Who’s Who”
in the illustration world. Artists like Gary Baseman, Brad Holland, Anita Kunz,
Bill Plympton, and Seymour Chwast have graced our pages over the years, to name
just a few.

UTNE
UTNE
In-depth coverage of eye-opening issues that affect your life.