Featured Artist Elana Royer

Artist Elana Royer designs a delightful collection of cards for her Lilybart brand, which has an enthusiastic audience. See more by visiting the website.

 

 

Lilybart greeting cards and stationery came to life from a very personal place—a desire to share my artwork and to tell my daughter’s story. Lily, who has always been my muse, inspired me to start this venture, especially after we relocated to a small ski town in Colorado fifteen years ago. The move allowed Lily to embrace a more active and adventurous lifestyle, which has been crucial for her health to mitigate the effects of living with cystic fibrosis.

 

 

Soon, I found myself sketching landscapes inspired by our new surroundings—majestic mountains, cozy cabins, and fun woodland creatures. What started as seasonal art projects for Valentine’s Day and Christmas turned into the foundation of Lilybart.

 

 

My artistic style is all about nature and animals, clean lines, bright colors, and a bit of whimsy. The process of paper collage art begins with a hand drawn sketch. Then the fun begins. I peruse bins of local magazines, catalogs, card stock and watercolor paper, from which I create fun piles of cut paper to create characters like moose, bears, dogs, gondolas, and mermaids.

 

 

The process is playful and messy. Our two cats love to sprawl across my materials as I work at the kitchen table with Mod Podge glue, cutting and pasting everything together. It’s this hands-on process that makes each design so unique. Once I’ve finished a piece, I scan it and send it off to our graphic designer, who adds text and the final touches—whimsical birthday hats, a winter scarf or falling snowflakes.

 

 

Lilybart cards resonate with our local ski town community and the many visitors to Aspen. People love the designs, which reflect their surroundings, activities and love for wildlife. Now, my cards are found in gift shops, boutiques, and ski lodges all over Colorado, Montana, Wyoming and in various other winter destinations.

 

 

The magic has also spread beyond the mountains. Our cards have made their way to the shores of Nantucket and Shelter Island, New York. They can also be found in urban centers, such as New York City, Brooklyn, Miami, Denver, Chicago and Summit, New Jersey.

 

 

For me, Lilybart is about making connections through art and storytelling. It’s about sharing a little bit of the magic that inspired this journey in the first place. Each card reflects our love of adventure, playing in the Rocky Mountains, animals and the lure of the sea.

 

 

Lilybart designs are created to share joy, whimsy, color and cheer. We hope to spark connections wherever our art lands.

 

Lilybart invites you to follow on Instagram and Facebook.

 

 

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