Leira Cenizal-Palma is a freelance artist and a Children’s Book Illustrator with more than 40 published illustrated books around the world!
Tell us a little about yourself?
They say that every child is an artist, and I see myself as a child who doesn’t want to grow up, I want to stay young forever without complexity and I am able to apply that through my artworks, simple and direct to the point, just enjoying it without pressure. As a freelance artist and a Children’s Book Illustrator I am using digital and watercolour as my medium with more than 40 published illustrated books around the world that can be seen in my website including the complete details and some personal artwork in watercolour as well.
What inspires you to create your work?
My inspiration is from the memories of my happy childhood mixed with my travel or my current environment.
How did you get into becoming a children’s book illustrator?
I am very infatuated with rhymes and has loved to draw since I was young, I am a huge fan of literature too. I decided to blend it and became a Children’s Book Illustrator.
What are the reoccurring themes in your art work and is there a reason for this?
Childhood days because I believe that it is one of the best days of our lives.
What are you trying to communicate with your art?
I want to remind the viewer on how to have fun with their surroundings, to give them nostalgia with their past. How simplicity gives happiness and to forget the complications and pressure of being an adult.
What advice would you give to someone interested in illustration, design or children book design?
To create whatever comes from their heart because art depends on individual’s perception. Do not get discourage by some people’s judgement but consider it as a way for improvement.
Connect us with a few of your favourite Artists at the moment.
I admire the works/books of Marjane Satrapi, an Iranian-born French citizen graphic novelist and illustrator. I love how she effortlessly illustrate her book and still give a clear understanding of the story.
Lastly how do you connect to your culture and/or Identity?
Reconnecting to my surroundings are my daily venture. Exploring Doha by riding a bike, a car or by walking and gathering all the amusing details it possess, slicing the scenes and putting it together in an imaginary collage from the memories of my past to people to places, laying it in the paper with the help of my ink and brush until I am able to transform it into a painting.
We will be picking an Artist a week and featuring them on our site! Want to be featured? Contact us, we’d love to see your work.
Reconnecting Arts 