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Two illustration pieces in the January 2018 edition of the Literary Review of Canada, accompanying book reviews on the topics of “de-extinction” and the art and science of resurrection, and the history of the human pursuit of energy from prehistoric times to the present (print only / paywall).

Thank you to the lovely Sarmishta Subramanian and Una Janicijevic for their art direction on these pieces! And to Kate Lunau and Alanna Mitchell for their reviews of these facinating topics.

[meredithsadler]

This fall I had the absolute pleasure of working with Bitch magazine on super interesting piece about the intersection of technology with everyday human life. This full-page and spot illu (printed in black and white with a spot colour) accompanied Mailee Hung's excellent piece on the perils and potentials of the Quantified Self movement, from Foucault to fitbits. You can now read it online here.

On that note, if you enjoy gutsy, feminist writing across a wide variety of subjects, consider supporting Bitch media this month with a subscription or donation! They’re aiming to hit a big fundraising goal by the end of the year, and while the drive is on excellent goodies and discounts are available to those supporting non-profit, independent media.

[meredithsadler]

I haven't had as much time to keep this "News" section up-to-date as of late -- but illustration is still happening!

You may notice that the site looks a little different than before; among other updates, it should be easier to view on different devices. (Feel free to contact me to let me know if that is not your experience, of course). The other main change was a sprucing up of the page about my design work. (See above re: "not having as much time"..).

As usual, the easiest way to see bits and pieces of work, etc, is to follow me on instagram.

[meredithsadler]

A quarter-page illustration for the Boston Globe. The author ponders consciousness and its ethics, troubled by the memory of a patient in a coma who died while remaining a mystery to her.

Though I did not get the chance to view in print, it was a pleasure to be asked back to the Globe! Thanks to AD Greg Klee.

You can read the editorial by Sarah Ruth Bates here.

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The first-ever edition of my quarterly illustration newsletter went out last week! It included, among other things, some recent project highlights and sketchbook selections such as the above.

The newsletter is meant to be the easiest way to stay up-to-date on my portfolio without having to check my site (this is 2017, after all) -- so if you want to catch the next edition in a couple of months, be sure to subscribe here: www.tinyletter.com/meredithsadler

[meredithsadler]

Created from a sketchbook doodle -- a reminder that experiencing the same problem again and again over the course of a life is not the sign of a personal failing or psychic flaw, and each time it will be encountered with better understanding.

Via my instagram

[meredithsadler]

Art prints of my work are on sale from now until the start of April, including my first ever poster-sized print! This is also the first time I'm working with a local specialty art printer to produce a higher quality art product, using inkjet printing on archival Canson Rag photographique. As a suggestion, pictured are a few of my previously-requested pieces, however, all work in my current online portfolio is available (browse all work here). So far, what people have picked for custom orders has been fun and surprising!

Many more details, including FAQs and PayPal order buttons, are all available here: www.meredithsadler.com/printsale.html, but if you have any Qs, just drop me a line at contact@meredithsadler.com.

And, my usual disclaimer -- I'm putting this out there only to connect interested people with my work -- it's a passion project with no hard sell intended.

[meredithsadler]

A simple little piece that went from balcony sketch during intermission to a colourful (half)digital render in the space of a couple hours. Lessons learned: don't overthink it, and make time to see more live music! Hat tip to the Toronto Symphony Orchestra for fantastic programming and ticket deals.

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As part of the fall 2016 Sister Writes workshop, participants shared stories about treasured objects from their lives. I illustrated these objects alongside quotes from the women about their significance.

Click here to see all of the illustrations and stories in the digital exhibition.

The illustrations also appear in the magazine showcasing the writers' stories -- viewable online here (issue 2.3).

The process of creating this work included attending the workshop to meet the women and hear their stories, visiting the publisher, and designing/typesetting this edition of the magazine. It was an enjoyable challenge to find a way to visually communicate how mundane objects become illuminated, activated through the process of storytelling. I am very grateful for the opportunity to have met these writers and to continue collaborating with Sister Writes; many thanks to Anna Gallagher-Ross for her curatorial skills.

[meredithsadler]

Happy New Year!

My brief but satisfying holidays ended up feeling like a pretty welcome respite from the well-documented crappiness of 2016. Playing with some of my favourite textures from the year was a nice way to spend a little bit of my downtime from freelance work, "day job" graphic design work, and my "continuing education" style classwork. As per usual, there's also some more sketchbook-y stuff happening over on my instagram.

There are a few projects I'm excited to share soon; but for now I'll just say that I'm resolving this year to increase the ways I contribute to causes I care about. Perhaps it goes without saying, but whether through social, financial, or professional contribution, nonparticipation should no longer feel like an option for anyone.

[meredithsadler]

Illustration for the December 2016 issue of Reader's Digest Canada, accompanying an editorial by Lauren McKeon about the caring she and her younger sister do for each other. The details around the edge -- bowling pins, perfume, and skittles -- pay homage to some of their sisterly bonding activities.

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After a couple of years of enjoying quality updates from various creatives using TinyLetter, I am starting my own newsletter for interested people to stay up to date on my portfolio happenings. It will simply be a digest of a few recent projects I'd like to feature, a couple of sketchbook pics, and perhaps a link or two to cool visual internet findings.

It will only be 4x a year (maximum!), you'll never be spammed, and unsubscibing is super easy if it's not your bag!

To subscribe, enter your email address:      powered by TinyLetter. You won't be spammed!

Share with anyone who might be interested using: tinyletter.com/meredithsadler

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Pleased to share that "Deep in the Tangled Wood", an album for which I did the packaging artwork, is now available! Ragged Robin is Halifax-based duo Ellen Gibling and Erin Dempsey, and you can learn more about their harp, flute, and vocal-based interpretations of traditional Irish music on their site.

To preview or order "Deep in the Tangled Wood", head on over to their Bandcamp page, where both physical CDs and digital downloads are available. While I am not a connoisseur of traditional music per se, I can wholeheartedly endorse the album for its calming properties, high quality production, and above all, the talent, artistry, and passion of Ellen and Erin's musicianship!

If you're located in Halifax, there are apparently a few other places you can pick up the album, as detailed on their Facebook page (which you should follow if you're a fan, so that you hear about their release party later in the fall).

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New up on the site: A small suite of illustrations, on the theme of making new discoveries by looking more closely at the world.

I created these both as high resolution static images as well as web-res looping gifs.

(Source: online portfolio)

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I've been working on new ways to incorporate motion into my work without changing what I love about illustration; here's a piece of mine from last year with some animation added. Enjoy 25 seconds of zen!

[meredithsadler]

On problem solving:

6 knots / 1 way (top); 1 knot / 6 ways (bottom)

Via my instagram.

[meredithsadler]

Another summer design project -- for my UI/UX class, a (hypothetical) redesign of the City of Toronto's parks and recreations services. I envisioned an overhaul of the current clumsy, desktop-centric interface (second pic) in the form of a mobile app which helps residents connect with the parks closest to them, among other functionalities.

The belief behind this is that people are more likely to act as stewards of their communities, helping them thrive, if they engage with their neighborhoods and experience the best of what these public services have to offer. This could be through a recreational service such as a pool, attending an event like a festival or farmer's market, or just taking some time in some green, non-commercialized space.

Another part of my reason for picking this particular project was because I feel strongly about how little design attention public services often get in comparision to their private-sector counterparts. It is obviously a problem of capacity and funding rather than intentional inattention, but it is disheartening to see integral, day-to-day municipal services lagging so far behind the work being produced in start-up land. As per usual, "the future is unevenly distributed".

Full details here: http://www.meredithsadler.com/design_projects/parkfinder.html

My website's design-centric page here: http://www.meredithsadler.com/design.html