Meet giselle potter | Illustrator

We had the good fortune of connecting with giselle potter and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi giselle, how has your perspective on work-life balance evolved over time?
I feel so lucky to have a studio on our property so my work commute is a walk across the yard. That allowed me to fit work in whenever I can,between raising a family, keeping a garden and taking dog walks.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
My illustration career began in the mid 90s when I got commissioned to do paintings for the New Yorker. They had a system of reviewing portfolios one day and you pick it up the next. To my surprise, an art director there bought art from my portfolio and hired me to do illustrations for the Goings On About Town section. Other magazines saw my work there as well as children’s book editors and so I quickly managed to make a living as an illustrator. As time went by, I realized I was very lucky and it’s not actually that easy to be a full time illustrator. There have been slow years and busy years all along and the biggest challenge is the inconsistency of this kind of work.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
I live in the Hudson Valley , NY which is a beautiful area that people that want to get away from the city. Minnewaska State park is near by with all kinds of hiking with amazing views and lakes and steams for swimming. There are many delicious food options in the High Falls Accord area including West Wind Orchard or Ollie’s for pizza and Black Dot cafe for coffee.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
I am grateful to my grandmother. She supported my parents when they decided to live an unconventional life of traveling puppeteers. That allowed me to have an exciting childhood and travel through Europe with my family. My grandmother also helped pay for me to go to RISD and start my path toward becoming an illustrator.

Website: https://www.gisellepotter.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/gisellepotter/