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 studied 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. 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
