About me

Katy Smail was born and raised under the purple skies of rural Scotland . She graduated from Edinburgh College of Art with a First-Class Honors degree in Illustration and moved to Brooklyn, NY, to work as an illustrator, painter, and art director. For ten years she worked there in various capacities across the fashion and advertising industries in New York for clients such as Saatchi & Saatchi, Brooks Brothers and Target. In her art direction work, she often collaborates with her photographer husband, Fidel Garcia-Reichman. As an illustrator, her painted florals and portraits have been used across homewares, stationery, publishing, advertising and apparel design. She is now back in her homeland, happy to be surrounded by verdant wildflower inspiration.

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Projects

• Fashion IllustrationsVarious Fashion Illustration Projects
• 2

  Still Home LifeI art directed and prop styled a series of still life arrangements made at home with found objects. Photos by Fidel Garcia-Reichman.

Projects credited in

• 10

  CocoonCreated by Alexander Smail, Cocoon is a collection of 30 essays from writers about the albums that have helped them through the COVID-19 lockdown. The breadth of music featured in the zine reflects the varied experiences of the writers, covering everything from The Story So Far to Solange to Yellow Magic Orchestra. All profits from sales of the zine, which totalled over £1300, were donated to Scottish Women's Aid and The Black Curriculum. Illustrations by Katy Smail Photography by Fidel Garcia-
• Lily And AnnaPortraits of Scottish Teenagers for Boom Saloon Magazine.
• OMONDIProfile of OMONDI for Paper Magazine.
• 23 YoungA series of portraits of three brothers, shot on film.
• 5

  Natural BeautyEditorial for Lucy's Magazine
• AlinaFashion story for boom saloon magazine.

Work history

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Art DirectorSelf Employed
Jun 2015United StatesFreelance
Freelance art director for fashion and publishing clients. Role involves creative direction, moodboarding, casting, on set direction and editing.
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IllustratorSelf Employed
Aug 2007United KingdomFreelance
Hand drawn and painted illustrations. Clients include Barneys, Saatchi & Saatchi, Target, Macy’s, St Regis Hotels, Saks Fifth Avenue, Harper Collins, Anthropologie, Land’s End, Urban Outfitters, Converse, Tanya Taylor, Alice & Olivia, Brooks Brothers, Julep Beauty, Seventeen Magazine, NBC Universal, Westin Hotels, Galison Stationery, Parents Magazine, Ellie Lines, Philadelphia Magazine, Grazia Italia, Hanna Andersson, Destination Weddings and Honeymoons Magazine, Culture Magazine, Soft Gallery, Ouch Clothing, Papier Mache Magazine, Wovenplay, Five Leaves NY

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Skills

• Painting
• Capture 1
• Illustration
• Creating Moodboards
• Creative Direction
• Casting Models
• Drawing
• Photographic Direction

Education

Illustration BA (hons) Edinburgh College of Art
Sep 2003 - Jun 2007Edinburgh, United Kingdom