Amy Heitman sold her first painting in sixth grade — it still hangs on the stairwell of her middle school, in fact — and she hasn’t slowed down since. After earning a degree in art education, with a painting background, she taught for several years but stopped after her daughter was born.
Eventually she found herself taking on more and more custom design projects for family and friends … and then for friends of friends. “My husband encouraged me to put a few designs on Etsy, and I opened my first Etsy shop in 2011,” Amy wrote me. “Since then I’ve worked primarily on custom illustrations and wedding invitation design, and (as) I’ve fallen in love with stationery design, my style has slowly evolved. So many clients and brides have asked me about cards and designs for other occasions, and I finally launched my first greeting card collection earlier this year.”
Amy’s collection pairs detailed, hand-drawn illustrations with classic type to create a charming and rather distinctive body of work. They remind me of illustrations in a favorite children’s book that you return to again and again — even when your child is not necessarily around.
“I find inspiration everywhere, but I am continually inspired by the intricate details found in nature, the beauty of everyday objects, botanical prints, and vintage textiles,” Amy, who lives in Chicago, told me. “My kids — I have three now, (aged) 4½, 2½ and 4 months — are also so inspiring to me: their constant stream of creativity, the way they are so easily amused by things and the way they continually see everything from such a fresh perspective.”
Cards are $4.50 each, and her custom illustrated wedding invitations are equally precious. Still want to see more of Amy’s work? Here’s a link to her wholesale catalog.
