Hello, I am Betzaida Urtaza Elizburu and I am from the Basque Country (northern Spain). I am the creator of the Amesgile publishing house. In addition to reading and writing, I am also a storyteller and confectioner. One of my big dreams is to be a great writer and for children to dream, learn and have fun with my stories. I like to unleash my imagination and also be inspired by my surroundings,
working on topics such as nature, family, love… and teaching the little ones some values such as respect, the strength to overcome or altruism. Each story is unique, beautiful and part of me. From a very young age my imagination and my inner child have always been very present in me and I am fascinated by the childhood universe.
HER BOOKS
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Bilingual
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€19.95
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EUSK + Eng
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Hello, my name is Lua Hidalga Unzueta and I am from the Basque Country (northern Spain). I have a degree in Tourism and have been a guide many times, among other things. Right now I dedicate my time to the care of my grandmother and to various photographic and artistic works.
I always try to immerse myself in my travels, experiences and what surrounds me. As I well heard once, “I am a blank canvas absorbing the colors of life.” My wish is to be able to share everything that I carry inside and to be able to help and inspire others.
Pello Añorga (Oiartzun, 1956) is a pioneer of story time in the libraries of the Basque Country, where he has been spinning tales since 1986. Today, in addition to his well-known career as a storyteller, he gives workshops on the art of storytelling, and writes stories for children of all ages, albums and poetry.
Among his many awards, the EUSKADI PRIZE FOR CHILDREN’S LITERATURE (Jenio gaiztoa, 2008) stands out. Other notable prizes: ETXEPARE PRIZE (Gerlari handia- Gran guerrero, 2007; Muntroek ere pixa egiten dute ohean, 2015). YUUL AWARD (Pottokoren usainak, 2009; Augustoren botilla- La botella del señor Augusto, 2015; Mux munstroa, 2016; Tontolapiko, 2019; Martzelo itsua, 2019; Ispilutxo, 2020). Or the GOLDEN SQUASH at the Tolosa Festival of Orality in 2018.
Mitxel Elortza Exea. Vitoria-Gasteiz, 1988.
He studied Music Teaching at the Public University of the Basque Country. Years later he also specialised in Early Childhood Education.
He has a Professional Degree in the speciality of piano at the Jesús Guridi Conservatory in Vitoria-Gasteiz.
After more than 10 years of teaching experience, focusing on tasks such as the Reading Plan or teaching reading and writing, he began to write children’s stories.
WRITER AND ILLUSTRATOR
Kaixo! I’m Eneritz, from Vitoria-Gasteiz and I live here although I don’t like the cold too much. I tend to have cold feet, hands and the tip of my nose; I’m one of those people who almost always wear a hat and come out of the Mediterranean shivering.
I have always had an interest in non-formal education, and so I have been in this field as an educator. However, after many years in camps, it seems that the time has come for me to retire (or to take a little break jij). A few years ago I also tried at formal education and studied to become a primary school teacher, but for now I will keep this path closed.
As a child, I guess like most people, I loved to draw, and so I went around with my pencil case and notebook. I also went to painting classes, but when I reached adolescence it seems that it wasn’t a high priority for me; and in the end, I stopped drawing. In spite of everything, the hobby I had inside me led me to do the Higher Cycle of Illustration.
There I learned thousands of things, but the greatest discovery, without a doubt, was the digital resources. I can say that the possibility of doing opened thousands of doors for me and took away a lot of fears. Now I don’t only draw digitally, of course, but many times, even in the process of creation, it is a great help.
Nowadays I teach Basque at an euskaltegi and from time to time I immerse myself in small illustration projects (posters and logos for popular movement collectives, markets and exhibitions, illustrations for books…). The truth is that this busy life doesn’t help much, but I try to find time to draw. And of course, if it’s by the fire, with a hot bag next to me or under the sun, all the better.
COLLABORATORS
Eléonore
Pelluau
Hi! I am Eléonore Pelluau a Character Designer and Illustrator from Paris, France. I majored in 3D Animation at LISSA Paris. After college I worked on different projects, illustration for book, character design and the creation of a graphic bible as part of the development of an original series on animation.
María
García Borrego
Hi! My name is María García Borrego, although you can find me as Black Ramu on social media. I’m an illustrator from Seville, Spain, who hasn’t stopped drawing until turned illustration into her job. For that reason I studied Graphic Design and then worked for almost four years as a 2D Animator at Genera Games until I decided to study Concept Art at Escola Joso in Barcelona.
Since then, I’ve been working as an illustrator for children and teenage books and I’ve made illustrations for magazines and board games. Also I’ve been working as a character designer for publishing and animation projects. Among my clients are Bloomsbury Publishing, Letrario and RBA and now with Amesgile.
Monika
Monika is a psychology student whose heart was stolen by illustration. She has been interested in photography and cinema since she was little, but she loves to delve into the world of colours, textures and brushes, charming animals and various products of her imagination. She likes to think that some of her works emanate warmth and peace, and it is what she wants to share with other people.
Nathalia
Rivera
Nathalia Rivera is a Dominican illustrator from a small southern town, San Juan de la Maguana. She is a graduate of Creativity and Advertising Management at the Universidad Autónoma de Santo Domingo and is currently dedicated to children’s illustration and publishing. From her small studio in Santo Domingo, she tells stories with images illustrating children’s stories, comics and editorial art. In addition to illustrating for clients, she also manages her own brand of stationery products, printed art, among other crafts. She enjoys painting with gouache and watercolour.
Maite
Arbonies
Maite is a teacher by profession but lives through drawing. She is also an illustrator.
She has a degree in Fine Arts and a Master’s Degree in Secondary Education and Baccalaureate. She has also taken several courses related to Art Therapy and Gestalt.
For years she has been involved in education for creativity, offering workshops to groups of women and children in schools and cultural centres.
She has also worked as an organiser and educator of creative camps. She is currently a secondary school teacher.
Although she creates different types of illustrations, her pencil portraits are the basis of her work, mixing traditional and digital techniques.
Women, nature and cultural diversity are the main themes and she has created the exhibition Lurretikan together with the bertsolari Amaia Iturriotz.
Bojana Stojanovic
Bojana Stojanovic is an award winning illustrator currently living in Belgrade, Serbia. She found her calling in children’s publishing and has illustrated numerous books for young readers. Bojana’s art is inspired by nature and the animal kingdom. She loves to draw adorable creatures that are able to tell a story at first glance. She also loves experimenting in traditional and digital media to develop her art even further.
Ffion
Evans
Ffion Evans is a freelance graphics designer, artist and illustrator based in Germany.
She created a drawing every single day from January 2019 to May 2021, developing her quirky, fun and colourful artstyle. She loves sharing lessons learned, thoughts about the creative process and words of encouragement for fellow creatives on her Instagram and blog. She has made it her mission to de-mystify and de-romanticize the creative process and be super honest about what actually goes into building and sustaining a regular creative practice as well as the ups and downs that come with it.
Amaia
Naberan Urkiaga
How does all this start?
Hello! I am Amaia an unconditional lover of potato omelete, professional graphic designer and passionate illustrator, living in Gernika (Bizkaia).
When I was growing up, I always had brushes on my hands, brushes or anything I could paint with. As I got older, self-sabotage, fear and insecurities replaced passion, I convinced myself that painting was not my thing. “But if you have no idea,” “Better find something else.”
I kept the brushes, the colored pencils and watercolors, kept them and forgot about them for a long time… until the pandemic came and shut us down. The time they were robbing us terrified me. Living summed up to being able to make the purchase or take the dog out, and I realized that the only escape was art.
I picked up the painting, put the peace flag in front of my fears, and in February 2021, I published my first illustration on my Instagram profile called @maiukiartean. Since then I’ve been painting watercolor worlds mixed with digital drawing.
Mirari
Sagarzazu Sacristán
Hello, my name is Mirari Sagarzazu Sacristán and I am an illustrator. I live in Oñati, a beautiful town located in the Basque Country. I did my PHD on arts and I have been reasearching about art education and autism. But now, my work is conected to creativity. I teach bersolarism at schools but I also work transferring my drawings to all kind of surfaces such as: books, websites, t-shirts, walls…
I really enjoy learning new things and I try to use different techniques in my artwork. I would love to `live in a beautiful forest sourrounded by nature. Therefore, whenever I can, I draw trees and plants. Would you like to come in to the drawn forest with me?
Margherita
Grasso
Margherita Grasso is an illustrator and graphic designer, living and working in Milan, Italy.
She loves to represent the world around her with colors and humor. Where there is a shadow, there’s a light too: in all her illustrations the light and its reflections are the protagonists. She likes focusing on those details that can be noticed only by sharp eyes. It may sound insignificant, but maybe the idea started just from there!
Uxusofia
Hi, I’m Uxue!
In the visual artist I introduce myself as Nefelibata, because one of my peculiarities is walking on clouds and the world of magic, especially in the world of black and white. I always wanted to study magic at Hogwarts school, but being a Muggle-born child it has always been very difficult.
I started to build my own path in the art world, photography with magical techniques, with multiple exposure. So, I’ve been able to pursue my own witchcraft studies, because my dream is to be a witch. And that is the aim of the double exposure: to combine a point of view full of creativity with magic.
Aitziber
Alonso Picavea
Aitziber Alonso Picavea, San Sebastian 1971
She studied fine arts, specialising in painting. Since then she has been illustrating mainly children’s literature. Among other things, for the last 20 years she has been creating the scenographies for the literary salons of Galtzagorri elkartea. She teaches the workshop BIKOTEKA together with Harkaitz Cano, on how to make an illustrated album, and coordinates the workshop MARRAZIOAK for illustration professionals and EL TXOKO DEL ILUSTRADOR, a space in the cultural centre of Aiete, used to visualise the work of illustrators. In the last two years she has created a mural in the Loyola neighbourhood (San Sebastian) as part of the LOYOLA APAIN project, and the interactive comic together with the writer Nerea Loyola, for the EITB series, IRABAZI ARTE. She has a MAX for her participation in the creation of the drawings for the set design of the musical KUTSIDAZU BIDEA IXABEL by DEMODE PRODUCCIONES, which received the award in 2021 for the best musical.
Eñaut
Aiartzaguena Bravo
As a child, he began to colour his world after reading so many books and comics. He graduated in Fine Arts at the Basque University and then began his career as a freelance illustrator. Nowadays, he combines his work as an illustrator with teaching drawing and comics.
Sara Villa
Hello!
I’m Sara Villa, illustrator and economist based in Bilbao.
One day I discovered that numbers were cold and that I was happier with illustrations.
Drawing is the verb that says it all for me and with which I say it all.
Everything, it’s my way of taking notes of a hug or of fighting against a
sorrow.
Tenderness wears red cheeks in my illustrations and I hope that they
put a smile on the faces of those who see them.