Today we’d like to introduce you to Carmen Lop
Hi Carmen, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers?
I´m Mexican, I started out studying Graphic Design in Mexico City with special line in Illustration and many diplomas and workshops , definitely one of the most important has been the Scientific Illustration with Elvia Esparza in the Institute of Biology, UNAM.
I have been working professionally for publishers in Mexico and abroad for 11 years (“Pueblerío” by Mal País Ediciones, “The Dream Era” by Editorial Pierson de Chile) along with a variety of other work in educational and editorial markets and institutions such as Secretaria de Cultura (El Coloquio de los Perros) and Instituto de Psiquiatría.
I ventured into teaching giving workshops, conferences and classes in Universidad del Valle de México, y el Museo Franz Mayer. I have participated in several collective exhibitions in Mexico, Cuba, New York and Buenos Aires . I made the art for two plays by Corvus Producciones presented in the Centro Cultural Helénico.
I was been selected in the Catalogo de Ilustraciones infantiles y Juveniles de CONACULTA, and selected in the 3ra Bienal of Illustration by Pictoline.
Since 2016, I was part of the Jan Hendrix + Studio, in the watercolor area, and that work ended with the pandemic, I also came to live in Los Angeles in 2019, I got married and was able to live here but not work, until I obtained the residency, this took a couple of years.
It was then that I returned to work on illustration projects (Grandma’s hair is ankle length) with the University of Houston in 2023.
Likewise, I started my brand Carmen Lop on illustrations and various illustrated media with my style and dark theme, I participated in some bazaars in LA such as Nightmare Market, Market of the Beast, and the Canoga park Art Walk among others.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
It has been easy and difficult. I came to live here because my husband has a good stable job and the company has made it a lot easier for us.However in my case has not been easy to position myself as a professional, first because I wasn’t allowed to work, then the pandemic started and by the time I had the residency we decided to have a baby, and naturally that needs another break . The challenge is to make known what I am capable of doing and have more clients, and eliminate the language barrier as much as possible.However I feel confident about my future, and finally being able to dedicate the time that my brand deserves.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
I love working with analogue or traditional techniques like watercolor and acrylic in an era of artificial intelligence haha. I also mix with digital mainly for my children’s illustrations, but if something sets me apart it is my use of analog and the concepts I like to explore in my images.
Can you tell us more about what you were like growing up?
I would love to learn more about marketing and brand positioning as well as content creation, and maybe learn how to tattoo and everything that would entail exercising that discipline. And I would love to teach traditional techniques of illustration.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.behance.net/Eccenhilo
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/carmenlopp/
