Blog posts from an illustrator who isn't adored by millions, but who has an uproarious time anyway, creating playful paper goods inspired by Victorian culture.
Melissa Kojima, the woman behind Artist in LA LA Land Illustration, would like to be smart, beautiful, talented, rich and adored by millions. Instead, she has been blessed with an abundance of energy, a playful spirit and uproarious laughter. They have helped her when things haven’t worked out which has happened more times than she cares to recall.
She tried to become a French teacher, finding out she’d rather learn it than try to force it upon uninterested students. She tried traveling around the world in search of adventure, but found instead that she’d rather have a small space in which to draw, paint and build sculptures. When she got her heart broken, she discovered love came from the inside of her, not from outside in someone else. When she contracted a chronic illness, she learned food could cure her of its debilitations. In short, when life gave her lemons, she turned them into lemonade, meringue pies, and candies.
She tried creating artwork that was serious and intellectual, but found instead that her forte was in making whimsical and playful designs. She discovered that Victorian culture, the circus and exotic animals are her greatest muses. As Artist in LA LA Land, she is still a little bit lost in the big city, Los Angles, but a little bit more found spending most of her time making delicious dishes, biking along the beach, and creating art. Some of her favorite art projects have been creating fantastical opera masks for Loyola Marymount University’s music department, illustrating the children’s section of the Los Angeles Times Newspaper, and contributing illustrations to Los Angeles’s Department of Culture and Art’s Asian Pacific Islander Calendar.
She hopes to build an audience of enthusiasts for fun paper goods and playful design inspired by vintage popular culture, especially the Victorian Era. She looks forward to collaborating with individuals and companies who present her with fun and challenging projects. Her whimsical art is available to purchase at her online shop. She is free to take commissions, customize orders, and fulfill wholesale orders. Send her a message to let her know what you want (artistinlalaland@gmail.com). Join her newsletter to be the first to have a chance to win contests and giveaways of her art and to stay abreast of her latest projects and news.
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