Agent: Lori Nowicki

Craig Davison’s path towards becoming one of the UK’s best selling fine artists was anything but a straight one. A successful role as a cartoonist began the journey in the late 1980’s, before moving into animation and games design with a major British video game company. Craig then had the platform to sculpt reference character figures for 3D
animation, which developed him artistically enough to become a freelance sculptor working alongside international brands including Harry Potter and Doctor Who. Turning from clay to brush, Craig Davison began seriously painting in 2007.

“My head is always filled with new ideas all scrambling to get onto canvas first. Once they’re there I like my paintings to have a slightly naïve, grubby look with lots of energy – which, when I think about it, sums up my childhood.”

Agent: Gabry Crivilare

Elena Carmichael grew up outside Boston with her parents, older brother, younger sister, and three cats, all of whom were subjected to years of her homemade picture books. She went on to study animal behavior at Rice University, where she earned a BS in Biology and continued making art in between training parrots, analyzing dog behavior, and staring at fruit flies for longer than anyone should have to stare at fruit flies.

Now based in Brooklyn, Elena still stares at animals all day, only now they’re her illustrations of winged kittens, mischievous dragons, or loyal hippocampi. She loves dreaming up fantastical settings and uses color, light, and shadow to create depth and mystery, tucking in hidden details so there’s always more to see. She blends the organic texture of watercolor with digital techniques and is always exploring new mediums and textures she can bring into her work. When she’s not hunched over her desk, Elena can be found exploring the city, rock climbing, or waiting in rush lines to snag discounted Broadway tickets.

Click here to learn more about Elena’s process

Agent: Shadra Strickland

Jeanette Twu is an author-illustrator based on Vashon Island, Washington. She was born and raised in Germany and has Polish roots. Growing up, she loved songwriting and singing. Her love for picture books began after her children were born. Before becoming an illustrator, she worked as a labor lawyer in Germany and later as a translator in the US. Jeanette  loves creating whimsical and funny stories. Her illustrations, painted with gouache and colored pencil, capture a playful, heartfelt spirit. Painting traditionally is essential for her in order to convey strong emotions and create a lively and emotive style. When she’s not making art, Jeanette loves spending time with her husband, her two boys, and her Husky, Stevie. She’s an avid reader of picture books, a longtime member of a weekly sketchbook club, and a Suzuki parent, helping her kids practice violin and piano.

Agent: Shadra Strickland

Nikita Akula is a first-gen Indian-American illustrator, designer and storyteller. Raised in Exton, Pennsylvania, Nikita grew up collecting crayons, leaving no mercy for blank walls and maxing out her library card.  As a once-shy but endlessly curious kid herself, Nikita strives to tell stories that empower all ages to be brave in the face of fear, using whimsy and humor as guiding threads. Featuring dynamic energy through vibrant color choices, and dry-media + painterly textures, her artwork highlights the magic in the ordinary. She often explores themes of discovering identity, building found family, and the power of community. Nikita holds a BFA in Illustration and a minor in book arts from the Maryland Institute College of Art. She was a winner of MICA’s Ezra Jack Keats Bookmaking Competition in 2025. When Nikita decides to take a break from creating, you can find her reading a good book, dancing her heart out, being silly with her friends or photosynthesizing in a sunbeam.

Raised in North Carolina, Dwayne “Dubelyoo” Wright honed his craft at East Carolina University, earning a BFA before making his mark in Atlanta, where he became a defining force in the city’s art scene. His background in illustration informs his storytelling, capturing the raw energy, rhythm, and resilience of African American life and other often-overlooked communities.

As co-founder and curator of Jack Daniel’s Tennessee Honey Art, Beats + Lyrics, he has spent over two decades producing one of the nation’s most influential art and music exhibitions. His work extends into television, film, and professional sports, collaborating with global brands like Red Bull, Coca-Cola, Sony, Adobe, and Microsoft. He also served as executive producer on his first documentary, which premiered on Hulu and was featured in film festivals across the U.S. Recognizing his impact on the arts, the mayor of Atlanta honored Dubelyoo and his business partner with an official day in their name—a rare tribute to their lasting contributions.

Dubelyoo’s influence goes beyond his own work. His curatorial projects have transformed NBA, NFL, and MLB venues into immersive, electrifying art spaces. Whether through his own art, curation, or mentorship, his mission remains clear: to create, to connect, and to redefine the way people experience and engage with art.

Agent: Claire Morance

Eva Lou Phillips is an illustrator, designer, and author based in Atlanta, GA. Growing up with an artist as a mother, Eva spent her childhood constantly jumping between new creative pursuits, making up stories, and building toy robots out of toilet paper tubes and plastic scraps. She discovered her passion for picture books while studying Illustration at the Maryland Institute College of Art, and was chosen as the winner of MICA’s Ezra Jack Keats Bookmaking Competition in 2025.

In her practice, Eva often combines traditional media like watercolor, gouache, and colored pencil with digital drawing programs. Her work is marked by vibrant color palettes, rich textures, and a visual style heavily inspired by mid-century modern and Scandinavian design. Her favorite stories impart meaningful lessons with a sense of humor, and highlight unique characters with strong personalities. When Eva isn’t working, you can find her crocheting, embroidering, or doodling weird animals in human clothing.

Agent: Gabry Crivilare

Enni Heikura grew up in Finland, spending most of her childhood on the ice as a figure skater, which sparked her love for movement and the interpretation of emotion. When she wasn’t training, she enjoyed drawing tiny, detailed images, just like today. After graduating in sport science and beginning further studies in psychology, she rediscovered her passion for drawing. Her goal is to bring stories to life that children find relatable and inspiring, with a touch of humor. Inspired by music and everyday little things, she enjoys solving creative challenges and developing new ideas through working with pencil and digital color. In her free time, she loves hiking in the mountains as well as running and cross-country skiing in the nearby forest, where many of her ideas are born. 

Learn more about Enni’s process here.

Agent: Shadra Strickland

Solomon Hughes is an artist/writer from Brooklyn, New York City, who studied Graphic Design and Illustration at the High School of Art and Design and Pratt Institute.
He had been writing and drawing his own comics since he was 8, starting with Looney Tunes characters and then moving onto his own creations. His favorite period of art is 20th century commercial illustration, and if time permitted, he would work exclusively in the tactile world of traditional media. He is intrigued by works that are original and meaningful, and speak from a unique perspective, be it subtle and symbolic, or explicit and hard-hitting. The power of children’s literature is insurmountable, the potential influence and inspiration they can project into a young child’s mind contained within its every page. Eager to learn and grow creatively, he enjoys connecting with others who share a similar passion for art and design. Solomon spends his spare time working on a Graphic Novel about…y’know…stuff.