Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

Diandra Mae @diandramae.bsky.social · 3d

This week’s #drawtober prompt was #toadastrologer. I went old school-a caftan and turban were a must. 😉

A bright green toad with spots, wearing a caftan and turban holds her webby hands over a trio of cards on a table with a star spangled tablecloth.

Diandra Mae @diandramae.bsky.social · 5d

I told myself that I would only do #drawtober this year if I kept it fun. We’ll see how that goes. 😅 Here’s my #candelitmessenger.

#kidlitart #drawtober2025 #kidlit #digitalillustration #art #skeleton #spooky #spookycuties

Digital drawing with thick black outlines and a white, yellow-green, and purple blue palette. A little skeleton wearing a mail outfit with a messenger bag is carrying a lantern in a graveyard. A ghost waits at a tombstone for the delivery.

3 9

Diandra Mae @diandramae.bsky.social · 7d

Happy #KidLitArtPostcard Day!

I’m an author-illustrator who loves little spookies! You can see more of my work at diandramae.com.

I am actively seeking representation.
#kidlitart #kidlit #halloween #illustration

trio of spooky pals walk with their treat buckets while kicking leaves on their way. Skeleton, black cat, and a pumpkin Jack.

1 7 46

Diandra Mae @diandramae.bsky.social · Sep 4

Happy #KidLitArtPostcard Day! 🎨

I’m an author-illustrator who loves capturing little ones being wholly themselves. You can see more of my work at diandramae.com I am actively seeking representation.

#picturebookart #kidlit #childrensillustration

Illustration done in bold, chunky lines depicting an anthropomorphic tiger cub in shorts and a T shirt, kneeling on a stool to reach a giant cake set on the counter. His fist is full of cake and a chunk is missing from the top layers.

3 45

Reposted by Diandra Mae

False Knees @falseknees.bsky.social · Jul 7

Improbably Compatible #oldknees

Two crows are flying in front of a gray-blue sky. One says to the other "Do you think we're best friends in other universes too?" The second panel splits into a three by three grid of different reactions of "Um"s and "Well"s from the second crow, in a multiverse sort of way. The third panel is further split again by three, so there are nine by nine squares of the same two crows flying together, the only distinction between the squares is a different sky colour. In the fourth panel, the square are again divided by three so there are now 27 by 27 filling the panel. We can see now that there is a greater pattern emerging from the colours of each square, a pixelated form is starting to emerge. In the fifth panel, the many many squares of different universes is reminiscent of a painting using pointillism, which each dot of colour represent one of many thousands of realities. We can see now very clearly that the pixelated forms are the two crows, flying in front of a gray-blue sky. We return to the visual resolution as we saw in the first panel, as if no time has passed at all. The second crow responds "It doesn't seem likely".

21 1.6K 6.3K

Reposted by Diandra Mae

False Knees @falseknees.bsky.social · Jun 13

Fledgling (3/14)

Fledgling is emerging from the top of her nest, squinting, asking out loud to no one "where do the interesting birds hang out?". She then looks up, gasps and says "what an interesting bird!". In the final frame we see a nasty white and black long-haired cat perched on the branch above the nest looking down at her.

35 290 2.9K

Diandra Mae @diandramae.bsky.social · Jun 5

Happy Fourth Birthday to #KidLitArtPostcard Day! (Thx @ginaperry.bsky.social 🎂)

I’m an author- #illustrator, who loves drawing the humor of life with little ones. (Anyone else practically live at the pool when their kids were toddlers?)

You can see more of my work at diandramae.com 🎨

A digital illustration in a simple, bold style of of a young purple hippo standing with a green and yellow polka-dotted swimming tube around his hips. A whiter, teal, and orange-colored beach ball, orange and white water bottle, yellow and orange sunscreen bottle, and pink and white striped towel set around him on the ground.

1 16

Diandra Mae @diandramae.bsky.social · May 13

For this week’s #printmaking class we had to make a reduction print. It was a little bit of a mind-bender planning out the process of working back to front and light to dark, but I figured it out in the end, chatter and all. 😅
#traditional #linocut #illustration #punprint #linoprint #linoleum

Photo of a gray linoleum block carved with the reverse image of a jam jar outline. The text reads “You’re My Jam.” The red, pink, dark purple, and light yellow/cream print lies next to the block.
The squatty and round jam jar is red. The lid is red and pink and cream checkered. There is a cream label on the front of the jar in the shape of a slice of toast with red jam as the background for the dark text.

5

Diandra Mae @diandramae.bsky.social · May 1

Thank you, Tracy! 🥰 I think the fun I’m having is definitely showing up in my work.

1

Diandra Mae @diandramae.bsky.social · May 1

Happy #KidLitArtPostcard Day! I’m an author-illustrator who loves drawing young kids exploring the world around them, especially in nature. I am seeking representation. You can see more of my work at diandramae.com 🎨

#kidlit #kidlitart #illustration

Digital illustration done in a chalky style of a young girl in pigtails planting a small tree, while her spotted dog helps her dig in the dirt.

2 7 57

Reposted by Diandra Mae

Juliana Salcedo @jusabar.bsky.social · May 1

Hello! It's #KidLitArtPostcard day!

I'm Juliana Salcedo, I'm a Picture Book illustrator based in Spain. I like to develop characters, working with a limited palette, and clean lines.

⍞: jusabar.net/main/
Repped by:
@agenthawk.bsky.social

6 75

Diandra Mae @diandramae.bsky.social · Apr 30

Thank you so much! I had a lot of fun making it.

Diandra Mae @diandramae.bsky.social · Apr 29

My latest #printmaking class assmt was to design a #bookplate. I was going traditional w/ “Ex Libris,” but the owl pun could not be denied.
Here’s my key block, a stamp test(checking for chatter), and one of the two-color prints. Registration is challenging.😅
#illustration #traditional #linoprint

Photo showing a gray block of linoleum carved with the reverse image of an owl standing atop two books with the phrase “Whose Book?”. The name of the creator, Diandra Mae, is in the spine of one of the books. A black stamp image on white paper is also shown, as well as the red and yellow handled carving tool.

A black, yellow, and white illustration of an owl with its head tilted to the side. The phrase “Whose Book?” Floats next to the owl as it sits atop two books. A full yellow moon floats behind the scene, framing the owl.

1 3 11

Diandra Mae @diandramae.bsky.social · Apr 16

Artists are showing how much more interesting the world is when human hearts & minds make things instead of putting stolen work into a blender. Here’s my contribution to the #starterpacknoai trend. #art #illustrator #kidlitart

A digital illustration done in a simplified cartoon style showing a white-presenting female artist with curly auburn hair wearing denim shirt and striped lounge pants. Various art accessories, tools, and a pet cat are presented in a style similar to that of toy packaging with little compartments with clear plastic windows.

2 19

Reposted by Diandra Mae

Present & Correct @presentcorrect.bsky.social · Apr 16

From 1968 a beautiful book of Ukrainian pysanky designs - the technique for egg decorating using wax & dye. www.presentandcorrect.com/blogs/blog/p...

Four pages, each with 9 egg shapes, that illustrate a variety of geometric and more organic designs. The designs are linear, some build up into hatching whilst others are outlines.
Flowers, triangles, zig zags and dots.

9 180 580

Diandra Mae @diandramae.bsky.social · Apr 3

Thanks, Lisa! ☺️

Diandra Mae @diandramae.bsky.social · Apr 3

Happy #KidLitArtPostcard Day! The Rodeo just left Houston. I love seeing the culmination of all the hard work done by the livestock kids.

I'm a multimedia illustrator focused on board books, and seeking representation.

#kidlitart #kidlit #art #illustration

A digital illustration of a young girl with long brown hair in a braid, wearing brown boots, a blue denim skirt with a white ruffle, a red shirt, and a blue bandana around her neck. She is hugging a white lamb wearing a blue ribbon with "1" on it. The illustration is framed as if it is a polaroid photo, in a white frame. At the bottom of the "photo" is "Rodeo 2025" and then "Diandra Mae Illustrator" with "diandramae.com" at the very bottom.

1 1 28

Reposted by Diandra Mae

Li Chen @exocomics.com · Mar 18

the shower

10 240 1.5K

Diandra Mae @diandramae.bsky.social · Mar 24

Figured I’d share a few of the #printmaking designs I made for class. For these I tried using up my easy-carve. A few of the prints were rushed, but I really enjoyed the reintroduction to printmaking & I’m looking forward to exploring further. ☺️ #illustration #beginnerprintmaking #linoprint

Three linoleum carves and their matching prints laid on a wooden table top. The top design is a black and white illustration of an armadillo curled around flowers. The second is a Chinese zodiac styled red horse with white flowers crawling inside its body, with 1978 placed in the tail and mane. The third is an illustration done in Polaroid style of a black cat chewing on a green fern leaf with “NOM NOM NOM” written in the photo caption area.

1 8

Reposted by Diandra Mae

Present & Correct @presentcorrect.bsky.social · Mar 19

A new brand for the Finnish archipelago uses actual island outlines to form the wordmark.
visuelle.co.uk/saaristo/
Simple & clever.

1 16 110

Diandra Mae @diandramae.bsky.social · Mar 18

Hurray for creative process breakthroughs! 🎉🎉

1

Diandra Mae @diandramae.bsky.social · Mar 18

For #printmaking class, we’re supposed to use watercolors on our print. I hate water colors 😅 but I did it anyway. I’m actually really happy with the results so far!
The last three months of not being instantly good at an art skill has been good for me. I’m constantly #battlingperfectionism.

A photo of a linoleum print of block letters in black ink, with botanical illustrations inside each letter. D has Blackfoot daisies and are white, green and yellow. Y has coneflower blooms and leaves in fuchsia pink, yellow-green, and yellow. The edge of a W is visible and shows parts of a deep wine-pink color and blue-green leaves.

1 9

Reposted by Diandra Mae

Taylor Price @taylornprice.bsky.social · Mar 16

Lily of the valley vase!

4 150 630

Reposted by Diandra Mae

Angela Matteson @angelamatteson.bsky.social · Mar 16

The crocuses bloomed this past warm week where we enjoyed a 79F day before plunging down to 27F today with possible snow later. *sigh*…spring 🌱🌸

#crocus #flowers #bloomscrolling #GardeningBluesky #garden

A photo of a blooming white crocus with purple stripes amongst blooming purple crocuses.

A photo of a bee collecting pollen from crocuses.

A photo of a bunch of light purple crocuses.

A photo of a bee with pollen on its leg collecting pollen from crocuses.

3 10 110

Reposted by Diandra Mae

Diandra Mae @diandramae.bsky.social · Mar 13

I know it’s not #Caturday yet, but setting up here without including my studio manager, feels wrong. Meet Willow.

Photo of a black, short-haired, domestic cat sitting on top of a work table, covered in art supplies, with full bookcases in the background.

1 18