Through the Print Project, Píccolo has had the opportunity to work with 4 talented illustrators. But, who are the people behind the images? We interviewed them in our series, Píccolo Portraits!

If you love Yelena’s work, be sure to support our Kickstarter and purchase one of her prints!

Piccolo: Can you tell us a little bit about your background?

Yelena Bryksenkova: I was born in Saint Petersburg, Russia and moved to the United States when I was eight years old. I studied illustration at the Maryland Institute College of Art in Baltimore and the Academy of Applied and Decorative Arts in Prague, Czech Republic, receiving my BFA in 2010. Now I live in New Haven where I work as a full time freelance illustrator.

P: What was the inspiration behind your piece for the Píccolo Print Project?

YB: My little elephant is my imaginary friend and a reflection of my inner state; he symbolizes everything about the world I strive to create for myself and I consider him a harbinger of inspiration and happy coincidences that keep me moving forward. He’s the little thing I would be most afraid to lose.

P: What are your favorite techniques/mediums to use when you create your work?

YB: I work entirely be hand, using pencil, .005 Pigma Micron pens, a box of “Leningrad” watercolor cakes, very tiny brushes and and a little bit of Holbein Acryla gouache. I occasionally use Photoshop for some delicate digital assembly, but prefer not to rely on it too much because I like having finished original paintings.

P: Do you think the field of illustration is changing? And if so, how?

YB: There has been a shift in recent years toward a delicate, handmade aesthetic and so much of my favorite peers’ work is at once beautiful and emotionally powerful in a quiet and simple way. I’m aware of trends but I follow closely and try to learn from the work that I consider to be timeless. It seems like illustration is becoming more widely used, and I hope I’m right.

P: What are your favorite small things in life?

YB: A vintage satin elephant pin cushion that was a gift from my best friend, a beautifully round stone that I found in the Dead Sea, my “collection” of two found butterflies which I keep in a tiny bell jar on my desk and a whole slew of other treasures with which I like to surround myself. 

P: What’s on the horizon for you - any exciting projects you’re working on?

YB: I’ve had the chance to work with a couple of dream editorial clients and I look forward to more pleasant surprises. While I like where freelancing is taking me, I am still thinking “what’s next?” and the answer is that I would like to either continue education or complete a residency in the near future. Or both! There’s a lot I want to accomplish in my life and most of it has to do with living in different places and finding new adventures to fuel my work.

Thanks, Yelena!