Maybe the most charming part of the holidays is what this season inspires in people. And we’re not just talking creative inspiration. More like: the thoughtful gift exchanges, fond memories of favorite people and holidays past, new twists on tried-and-true traditions, the songs and movies and magical stories, the kindness bestowed upon family, friends, and strangers alike. So when it came to creating holiday cards for our Airbnb community to share with each other, we wanted to relay those same feelings of inspiration.
Obviously, no generic store-bought cards would do. This was about our community—hosts, guests, and employees—being able to thank each other. Because, really, that’s kind of what this is all about, right? Sending as much holiday cheer to as many people as possible in our global community.
We called upon favorite artists and designers to come up with original holiday-inspired artwork. And to give you a little peek behind their creative process and what their personal holiday inspiration was in making these cards, we have a bit more about each artist.
Max Estes
Max Estes is an Oslo, Norway-based children’s author and illustrator who is currently hiding out in Portland, Oregon. When he’s not busy creating kid’s books, Max operates a tiny traveling leather studio and the newly founded illustration lexicon, www.illustratednorway.com.
Max’s holiday inspiration: “Norway, my adopted homeland, has the market cornered in cozy cabins. In the mountains, along the coastline, in forests…. They’re everywhere! My goal for this greeting card was to capture a tiny bit of that cozy magic that exists in a traditional rustic Norwegian cabin, or ‘hytte’, to use the Norwegian name.”
Will Yoshimura
Will is an (awesome) design intern at Airbnb, and a recent grad of Pacific Union College, where he mastered the art of design beginning with posters for his campus student body and for general online use. When he’s not designing, he can be found zipping around San Francisco on his trusty skateboard, learning JavaScript for kicks, and eating plenty of cookies.
Will’s holiday inspiration: “I wanted to highlight the charm of basic shapes to evoke the holiday feeling. My affinity for simplicity in illustration comes from Charlie Harper and Jean Julian. And, of course, the seasonal spirit.”
Agnes Lee
Agnes is a designer at Airbnb who really, really likes to draw. She’s made many a colorful creation for Airbnb occasions, and you can find her work here: www.ahjlee.com. She also likes dogs and wishes she had her own crew of canines to play with in the snow.
Agnes’s holiday inspiration: “I was inspired by Matisse in this illustration. And, of course, all of the dogs in our office that I wish I could take with me to play in the snow.”
Nathaniel Russell
Nathaniel is an artist, musician, and maker of things lo-fi. His art is known for its visual charm and abstract or imaginary themes, often accompanied by witty text. After earning a degree in printmaking, Russell spent several years in the San Francisco Bay Area making posters, record covers, and woodcuts. He returned to his home city of Indianapolis and now spends his time creating drawings, fake fliers, bad sculptures, wood shapes, and music. Russell’s work is regularly shown around the world in both traditional galleries and informal spaces. And you can find his newest drawings, photographs, ideas, and observations on life on his blog, Crooked Arm.
Andrew Holder
Andrew Holder is an illustrator and designer currently living in Los Angeles, California, not far from his hometown of San Diego. His work has been shown in solo and group exhibitions in Sydney, Los Angeles, San Diego, San Francisco, New York, Brisbane and Tokyo.
Andrew’s holiday inspiration: “What I remember most about the holidays growing up was the music. My parents had a handful of holiday records that were in heavy rotation this time of year. We moved around a bit so the scenery and weather would change depending on where we were living at the time, but not those records. They always stayed the same.”
The post Holiday Inspiration: the artists who created our cards appeared first on The Airbnb Blog - Company news, tips, and features.