three on the treetop - the illustrations of lillian mckinnon
It all started with a giraffe and a staircase. I remember thinking, “giraffes are so tall, they must be able to see for miles…..imagine how far one could see if it was standing at the top of a set of stairs!” That is the first drawing I created many, many, many years ago (OK maybe not THAT many years ago). Back then my vision was a little smaller - now I might wonder about the breadth of a giraffe’s view from the peak of Mt. Kilimanjaro or at the top of the CN Tower (I am a proud Torontonian). But I digress…
Suffice it to say that at the beginning of my life a giraffe climbed up an imaginary staircase and I haven’t been able to put a pencil down since. I scribbled my way through childhood, doodled my way through adolescence and painted my way through young adulthood. At Sheridan and University of Toronto, where I earned an Art and Art History degree, I focused mostly on photography and printmaking but my love of the brush conquered, and for quite some time I created mainly in oils. Soon after I entered motherhood my work took on a more illustrative aesthetic and I began a new love affair with pencil crayons. With my pencil sharpener always at the ready I began to create whimsical smaller scale pieces and started producing multiples of my pieces. Thus, Three on the Treetop - a collection of fun whimsical illustrations inspired by natural science, pop culture, fairy tales, nesting dolls and word play - was born. I offer prints of my pieces as well as greeting cards, mini card sets, gift tags, vinyl stickers and wearables (pins and buttons). I also recently completed a full deck of illustrated playing cards based on fairy tales, fables and iconic stories and I am in the process of expanding it to create my first tarot card deck. Stay tuned!
Get connected: Follow me on Instagram for sneak peeks of my new projects, daily inspirations, art challenges and creative projects with my little ones. Visit my Etsy shop to purchase prints, paper products, vinyl stickers and buttons. If you're interested in seeing my card deck, check out "the Happily Ever After Deck" section in the drop down menu. Decks can be purchased through this website or my Etsy shop. .Thanks for stopping by, and I hope you enjoy taking a stroll through my imagination!
Suffice it to say that at the beginning of my life a giraffe climbed up an imaginary staircase and I haven’t been able to put a pencil down since. I scribbled my way through childhood, doodled my way through adolescence and painted my way through young adulthood. At Sheridan and University of Toronto, where I earned an Art and Art History degree, I focused mostly on photography and printmaking but my love of the brush conquered, and for quite some time I created mainly in oils. Soon after I entered motherhood my work took on a more illustrative aesthetic and I began a new love affair with pencil crayons. With my pencil sharpener always at the ready I began to create whimsical smaller scale pieces and started producing multiples of my pieces. Thus, Three on the Treetop - a collection of fun whimsical illustrations inspired by natural science, pop culture, fairy tales, nesting dolls and word play - was born. I offer prints of my pieces as well as greeting cards, mini card sets, gift tags, vinyl stickers and wearables (pins and buttons). I also recently completed a full deck of illustrated playing cards based on fairy tales, fables and iconic stories and I am in the process of expanding it to create my first tarot card deck. Stay tuned!
Get connected: Follow me on Instagram for sneak peeks of my new projects, daily inspirations, art challenges and creative projects with my little ones. Visit my Etsy shop to purchase prints, paper products, vinyl stickers and buttons. If you're interested in seeing my card deck, check out "the Happily Ever After Deck" section in the drop down menu. Decks can be purchased through this website or my Etsy shop. .Thanks for stopping by, and I hope you enjoy taking a stroll through my imagination!
