Local illustrator named to worldwide top 200 list
Written by Staff Reports | | news@toledofreepress.com
By Chase Will
After 20 years of honing her skills, local illustrator Penny Collins has
been recognized as one of the Top 200 Illustrators Worldwide by Lüerzer’s Archive.
Lüerzer’s Archive is a bi-monthly magazine for the advertising industry, based in Europe with a global circulation of over 38,000 subscribers.
“I’m still on the ceiling with this,” Collins said. “I could not
believe it when I got notification.Out of the billions and billions of
talented people out there, and even in Toledo alone,to be picked for
something like this is really great.”
“I love that she’s from Toledo. Out of everyone who enters, only
about 20 percent areeven from the U.S.,” said Claudia Coffman, chief
executive of ad sales at Lüerzer’s Archive.
“We sent out a
call for submissions for the illustrators and they submitted their
work.
It was free to submit and they could upload as much work as they
wanted. We got over
5,000 submissions, which were judged by a
five-person jury and had to receive at
least three markings to be
considered.”
The painting submitted by Collins, titled “Save the Bunnies,” featured a
bunny wearing
a gas mask, sitting in front of a skull. It was created
for a company in California who
specialize in rabbit rescues. “It’s rather dark,” Collins said. “I ended up being inspired
to do it
for them because ofthe horror stories they would tell me about these
animals.”
Collins runs Studio 566, where she sells her artwork and does
commissioned pieces
when requested. Her primary artistic focus is
rabbits.
“What they tell you when you get into the business is find something
you’re
passionate about, because that’s basically what you’ll focus on
for all your
projects,” said Collins. “My next big project is doing a
little cartoon strip
with rabbits. I found a niche with these rabbit
people, so I’m working on this
book of cartoons I’m planning for next
year.”
Collins credits much of her success to the Internet, which allows her
to find
opportunities to submit her work and communicate with peers in
her field.
“Everything’s at our fingertips now. Everything you’ve ever wanted to
do, you can do,
” Collins said. “The Internet helps yet it doesn’t,
because everyone and their mother is
out there doing it. You’ve got to
hit it hard. You basically make your own opportunities
as opposed to
waiting for them to come along.”
With several years of passion recognized in a prestigious magazine,
Collins said
she’d like to encourage other aspiring artists to pursue
their dreams.
“That would be a piece of advice I’d give any artist struggling to
make it;
you’ve got to get online, and you’ve got to take advantage of
what’s out there,” Collins said.
“Toledo’s just one town. We’ve got the
world at our fingertips.”
Studio 566 is located at 425 Jefferson St. For more information on Collins’ work, visit:
www.be.net/studio566
Toledo Free Press
http://www.toledofreepress.com/2014/05/08/local-illustrator-named-to-worldwide-top-200-list

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