Heidi Phelps

Heidi Phelps is a writer and illustrator from Washington, D.C., and the Founder/Creative Director of Black Violet Creative. From drawing and screen printing women-centered narratives from life and lore, to reading Goodnight Moon to her toddler for the millionth time, she firmly believes in the power of a good, compelling story to connect with audiences in meaningful ways.

Her diverse list of artistic influences include Aubrey Beardsley, Erté and Edward Gorey, Victorian-era mourning costumes and memento mori, vintage sewing patterns, stark and stylized illustrators and graphic designers from the 1950s and 1960s (Andy Warhol, Marimekko, M. Sasek, Paul Rand), Grimm’s fairy tales, Salvador Dali’s Alice in Wonderland sketches, Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec, Frida Kahlo and Marjane Satrapi.

Heidi’s work has been archived by the Smithsonian Institution in Washington D.C., and published worldwide by Rockpool Publishing, in partnership with Simon & Schuster. When she’s not drawing (and often when she is), Heidi is spending time with her husband, Erdem; their daughter, Leyla; and her two cats, Daisy and Eddie. Her favorite cities in the world are Paris and Istanbul.

Read more about Heidi on her personal site.