This week’s Etsy Adore is from kilsook. I think it’s been awhile since I’ve had a giveaway for a shop that does adorable illustrations. When I posted Kim’s Corgi print, I knew I wanted to have kilsook for a feature!

Tell us a little about yourself.
hello, i’m kim haller. i was born kil sook in seoul, korea and adopted by the best people in the world. i was raised in wisconsin and live in hartland wisconsin, close to milwaukee. my wonderful husband and i just celebrated our 10th anniversary not too far back and we have two great kids. i’m a high school art teacher who eats way too many stale gummy products, drinks too many diet cokes a day, loves a good seventies/eighties font, loves a great neon, am a gelly roll pen addict, creates piles of “must keep” stuff and loves, LOVES the television (dvr of course). my family means the world to me. the best of times are those relaxing at home, sharing giggles, songs, and sillies.

How did kilsook come to be?
i’ve been lucky enough to be encouraged to do art all my life. my incredibly supportive and ruggedly handsome : ) husband is also an artist. we have a close network of friends and artists in the area, including my best friend and her husband, who constantly inspire and motivate us. i realized after i started teaching high school art that i needed to give just as much to my own ideas and creativity as i did to my students. to be a good teacher i needed to be actively involved. when i started working on my own stuff again, it made my role as an artist and a teacher whole. now i had something to give. with each new illustration and new idea i get motivation and inspiration for other creations. working on my pieces helps to make me a better wife, a better mama, a better teacher, and a better person.

as i continued to work and get binders full of drawings, i realized after mush encouragement and help from my husband, that i needed to find a venue to sell and critique them. having an etsy shop really forces me to look at my work, to finish pieces and to “check myself” every now and again to make sure that i’m continuing to progress and add to my portfolio. it’s an excellent source to “get your work out there”, to get inspired by many many artists, meet really good people, get connected, and lose many an afternoon.

Where do you find the inspiration for your work?
i spend a lot of time making notes of things that my husband, daughter and son say and do. we have post-its everywhere in our house. i also have a collection of them in my head. most of my work is inspired by these floating phrases and pictures. i like to build them into the characters and patterns that i create, mixed with little bits and pieces of my own various collections, obsessions, quirks, and childhood stories. i hope when people look at my work they can find a sort of familiarity, whether it be in a particular character illustration itself, a pattern, texture or color that i used or a relatable environment that i created. maybe it can take them to a “post-it” happening of their own.

lately, i have been fortunate enough to get inspired by people, (fellow etsy browsers and beyond), who have reached out to me as a korean adoptee. i cannot begin to express how meaningful an experience this has been to me. to be able to share in some of their journeys and know that we are connected in such a special way really is the best part of having a shop and the most surprising part. i want to thank all who have reached out to me. i have really enjoyed all of the emails and convos that i have received from many parents who have found a connection to one piece or another. it really makes having my etsy shop that much more meaningful and personal. knowing that my illustrations can affect people the way they have inspires me more with each day. i also want to thank those who have commissioned me to do a custom portrait of their kids. i love being able to get to know bits of some of their personalities and illustrating them. it’s been incredibly inspirational and challenging in the best of ways, and it really has nurtured me as an artist. if anyone has any questions about custom pieces, please don’t hesitate.

What is your favorite item in your shop?
geez, you know honestly if you asked me what piece I liked the best after each piece was made, it would be that piece. known for not easily deciding anything, that would be my answer. i will say, that there are pieces like “flight holt”, and “a frog and a slug went walking” , that I love because of the meaning behind the creations, but really they all hold a special intention. i guess i really fancy titles. to me, a great title speaks volumes. it sets the mood of a piece and it opens the piece up to questions and answers.

Name three favorite Etsy shops!
1. courtneycourtney.etsy.com – her work and philosophy are incredible. she is a genius creator. my daughter absolutely loves her dresses, as do i. her designs are original, creative, and very converse friendly. she is the best of sellers. ☺
2. Juliapott.etsy.com- such a great illustrator. each work has such a story. love her work. also does incredible animation.
3. Betsywalton.etsy.com- her work is so mysterious. i will look at it sometimes, get lost in the layers and colors and patterns and people in uni-wear and sigh.

as my DDD kicks in again, (decision deficit disorder) please note my etsy shop favorites, as it is IMPOSSIBLE to pick only three.

You can win any print of your choice from Kilsook (a $20 value)!

To enter:

• Go to kilsook and take a look around the shop.
• Pick out your favorite print.
• Come back here and comment with the name or link to your favorite item.
• To get extra entries: blog or twitter about this contest and leave a link to it in a separate comment.
• Anyone with a valid email address can enter. You don’t have to have a blog.
• The winners will be chosen using the integer generator on random.org and notified via email.
• Get your entries in by Sunday, July 5th at 11:59PM and you’re in!

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