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Wistful wonders: The tranquil illustrations of Kailey Whitman

Kailey Whitman is an award-winning freelance illustrator living and working in the Philadelphia area. With clients including The New York Times, The Village Voice and Delicious Living Magazine, there's a wistful quality to her illustrations that imbues them with a tranquil sense of childlike wonder.

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Illustration of a figure in striped shirt sitting cross-legged, holding a glowing orb while gazing at a fantastical landscape with birds and buildings rendered in neon blue tones

"My work is heavily influenced by the natural world and the relationships humans and animals alike form within their environments," says Whitman, who graduated last year from The University of The Arts in Philadelphia with a BA in Illustration. "I'm addicted to detail and from that stems my visually complex and layered work.

"I enjoy the idea of people taking a moment to enjoy what they’re seeing and to look a little closer. And I hope that the concept of slowing down and taking a closer look will extend into my viewers' everyday lives."

A glowing yellow lantern filled with colourful butterflies sits in a forest clearing framed by trees, with grass and vegetation in the foreground and a starry night sky above
Illustration of multiple hands reaching down towards red London buses arranged in a circular pattern from above, symbolising connection and urban transport
A pink Victorian house nestled amongst dark pine trees and snow, framed by an archway of red hanging flowers with yellow blooms and a cat's face in the corners against a starry night sky
A serene illustration of a small house nestled among towering trees beside a pond, with dragonflies, birds and aquatic plants in soft greens and yellows
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