Meet the Artist: Sequoia Bostick

By Kelli Comer

A story is typically told orally or through the written word, but it takes an exceptional kind of talent to bring stories to life through illustration. Local illustrator, maker and designer Sequoia Bostick uses bright colors, dream-like figures and cute and playful characters to inhabit the stories she brings to life with both traditional and digital media. When her illustration is combined with the written word, one can really see a story come full circle right before their eyes.

“I draw a lot of inspiration from the Art Nouveau style, as well as work from the children’s book illustrator William Joyce,” Sequoia says.

“I love the traditional, yet modern quality of the clean lines, colors and textures, and I love to incorporate that into my own art.”

Sequoia studied visual art and music at the Nashville School of the Arts and graduated in 2010, then traveled to Cleveland to study illustration at the Cleveland Institute of Art, where she earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in illustration in 2014. Today, Sequoia works as a freelance artist, collaborating with a variety of clients. As a multidisciplinary working artist, she gets to flex her creative muscles in a little bit of everything. She is very passionate about collaboration and combining multiple artforms to create a single, cohesive piece.

Since Sequoia’s background is in illustration, her work is very narrative-driven.

“I wouldn’t consider myself a writer, but I do love jotting down quick narratives and translating them into art,” she explains. “Though it is fun to challenge myself by using a variety of materials, my go-to tools of trade are working with watercolors and colored pencils. The bright colors and textures play a big role in bringing my narrative pieces to life.”

Sequoia creates illustrations that are self-contained narratives with the purpose of capturing the essence of a single moment or emotion.

“I love creating stories with a variety of different visual mediums that sometimes incorporate animation, live performances, or just gallery pieces,” notes Sequoia. “As of late, I’ve been collaborating with organizations to create educational pieces about plant life, mindfulness and body positivity.”

To reach Sequoia, you can email her at sequoiabostick@gmail.com. To learn more about the artist and her work and to shop online, visit SequoiaBostickArt.com. You can follow her on Instagram @SequoiaBostickIllustration and Twitter @SequoiaBostick.