LOYAL. LOCAL. COMPLETE.
PARIS—Brit Cardarelli is a celebrated children’s book illustrator, the founder of Sticks and Stripes Studio as well as a textile and watercolor artist. She’s enjoyed an illustrious career as a costume designer and wardrobe stylist for film, television and theater. Next week, the accomplished artist will return to her childhood stomping grounds to showcase watercolor artwork she describes as “a collection of emotions and seasons of my life.”
The exhibit, ‘Eternal Seasons: A Life in Color,’ begins its rotation at The Link Art Gallery with an open house at 5 p.m. on Jan. 10; the artwork will remain on display until Valentine's Day 2025.
“When I’m not working on projects for other people, these pieces (in the exhibit) are my own personal projects that I do for myself. I’m inspired by the four seasons, but also, spiritually, I am inspired by where I am in motherhood and life,” Cardarelli said. “It is a random collection, but I think when you look at each piece, you can see where I was at that given moment, spiritually, emotionally, psychologically and where I was as an actual physical season.”
The images the Paris, Ill. native creates contain multiple layers of hand-painted watercolor art, pieced together and stacked on top of one another.
“I do everything in watercolor and then I scan them in,” the artist explained. “Each element within the watercolor is a larger painting. Flowers in the background could be a separate painting that I add in or take out later. There could be maybe 100 layers in a single piece.”
A single watercolor piece can take several weeks or several months, depending on the layers in the final design. Nearly all of Cardarelli's pieces are rooted in natural seasons, especially fall; the habitual change of weather and the natural world has been the artist's primary inspiration for her work for many years.
“I love being in nature,” Cardarelli said. “Places like Allerton Park have always been special to me; it opens up your mind spiritually when you’re in nature, and I always get inspired when I am surrounded by it.”
She describes nature as “God’s living room,” a place where she always finds answers and a sense of peace.
As a child, Cardarelli said she loved Blackhawk Park, a “special place” where she and her sisters would go on hikes and explore the natural world.
“One of my favorite childhood memories is spending Sundays at my Grandma’s house. She prepared a homemade feast every week, bringing together the entire family—a tradition she still carries at 92. These gatherings made me close to my cousins. Grandma inspired us to explore and play outside, and those moments always felt so magical,” Cardarelli said. “I don’t see as much of that happening now in the world we are living in. I’m so grateful I lived at a time and in a community where it was encouraged.”
Keeping nature alive, especially for children, is something the illustrator is passionate about.
“I think it is important to get kids off the digital screen and take a look out their backdoor screen,” she said. “Being in nature is part of the creative process and (so is) making sure you make time for it and to be quiet in the mind and have quietness by yourself, it’s a form of meditation.”
Ways Cardarelli and her family practice quiet times in nature include creating “sticktivities.” She described “sticktivities” as unique projects and creations crafted from items gathered from the wild, like sticks, leaves and other woodland treasures to create landscapes or portraits- using the elements from nature as the medium.
While most of her inspiration is found in nature, the foundation of Cardarelli’s career and artwork comes from her childhood, supported by her teachers and her family, especially her parents.
“My mom taught me from a very early age how to draw. When I was a little girl, I would ask her, ‘Hey mom, draw me a picture of this.’ She’s an artist who could just whip things up really quickly,” Cardarelli said. “I feel like my mom really taught me how to draw and gave me a love for it without really even knowing it.
Cardarelli also credits her father for her work ethic. “He always inspired me and told me I could do whatever I wanted,” she said. “They gave me all the opportunities, including going to Columbia (College) in Chicago and that opened up a whole other world.”
While Cardarelli took art classes in her high school years, art was not something she thought she would do for a living. At Columbia, she pursued her dream of becoming a fashion designer.
“I was always very creative, and I always doodled and played around with drawing pictures as a kid,” she explained. “In college, I took classes and learned things I hadn’t before. I learned how to make my own collection through patternmaking and draping. I took a fashion illustration class that really opened up my world.”
“Getting into the world of illustration kind of came about in a random way, which I love,” Cardarelli said.
Cardarelli found success in her fashion career. After years in the entertainment industry, she became a Head Dress Designer. Her success led her to multiple opportunities and roles, including designing for a private label in Los Angeles.
“It was beautiful at the beginning, but then they started moving everything overseas. The fittings were online, and it left me feeling disenchanted with the fashion industry,” Cardarelli said.
A transition in manufacturing led the artist to what she describes as a “natural shift” in her art. Feeling the seasons of her life shifting, the designer decided to complete an idea for a children’s book character, Treeann. She wrote and illustrated “Naturehood,” her debut children’s book.
“Naturehood was one of those burning desires that came out of nowhere when I was working at this private label in Los Angeles. That book really paved the way into the land of illustration for me,” Cardarelli said. “I had so much fun with it, and it was one of those mindless moments where it just flows … From that point on, I got jobs from other people to illustrate. So I mainly illustrate now and my heart is in illustrating for people that have ideas that really resonate with me.”
The transition from fashion design to illustration marked a new season for the artist, one that aligned with her passions for the next generation, design and the natural world.
“The illustration (for Naturehood) felt like so much more than just a children's book illustration to me. The world was so pure and innocent,” Cardarelli said. “Coming from the fashion world, it felt like it wasn't so greedy, in a way, because, you know, everyone wants everything made overseas in sweatshops, but when it comes to illustrating, it's more wholesome, and the stories behind it change the world of the lives of children.”
“I think it's important. There are books from your childhood that still resonate with you and that make you who you are in a way. They develop your character when you're so young,” she added. “There is so much value in that, in helping to keep that alive.”
Cardarelli’s own childhood memories are filled with moments in her hometown, being creative, riding bikes, exploring and having adventures with her siblings.
“(Paris) was just a really wonderful place to grow up and to live in … it was a very peaceful environment,” she said. “The community in Paris is so sweet, and they are doing a great job keeping the arts alive.”
Returning to her hometown is something the Tennesse-based artist said she frequently does and looks forward to. Her next trip home will be later this month for the opening of her showcase at The Link Art Gallery.
Whether inspired by the four seasons of nature, the journey of motherhood, spirituality, or the shifting seasons of life, the Edgar County native’s series invites art fans to explore the many phases of life and the beauty each season holds. Admission to the art gallery and the opening reception are free.
More information about her children’s books, sticktivities and illustrations is available on her website, www.stickandstripes.com.