Getting to know the Bees! Thais Mesquita

16 January 2024

It has been an absolute pleasure to work with Thaís Mesquita. Thaís joined the Hive just under a year ago and she has gone from strength to strength.

"Thaís is a wonderful illustrator, with a unique and charming style, and a great imagination!"

Louise Van-Potteisberghe - Commissioning Editor at Jolly Learning Ltd

Please can you tell us where you are from and where do you currently live and work? Has this affected your work?

I am Brazilian and have been living in Germany since 2017. I moved to Germany to pursue my master's degree and decided to settle here and continue working with children's illustration. I believe that living in a country so different from mine has affected my work, especially in the sense of wanting to revisit childhood memories. Being so far from home, I often find myself illustrating people and situations from my childhood, perhaps with the desire to bring them closer to me and alleviate homesickness.

Who or what inspired you to be an illustrator?

Since I was a child, I always received many illustrated books on special occasions. It was rare for my family to give me toys as gifts, but rather art materials and books. This always drew me close to illustration, and also the fact that there are many artists in my family. I had the privilege of growing up in a home where art was always highly valued!

What is a typical day in the studio like for you?

Usually, in the morning, I dedicate myself to answering emails and dealing with more practical aspects of an illustrator's life, and I organise all tasks for the rest of the day. When I finish all the planned tasks, I turn my attention to studying (I always try to participate in a course related to art) and take the opportunity to develop personal projects as well.

Do you have a favourite piece in your portfolio, if so could you share it and talk about it?

Lately, my favorite piece is this illustration of Monet's house in Giverny. I had the opportunity to visit it last summer, and it's an incredible place! Illustrating nature, gardens, and insects has always been my favorite theme, and I thought it was the ideal opportunity to combine all of this in an image that I ended up liking a lot.

What's your favourite piece of art equipment?

I have essentially worked with mixed media. In this way, I use traditional materials to paint textures and patterns that are scanned and used in digital collages. Exploring textures with paints and pencils has been my favorite part of the process, where I have more freedom to create without a fixed direction. And that's where all the "happy accidents" happen.

Do you have any 'dream projects' that you'd like to work on?

I would love to illustrate a book about insects! Or a story about a great adventure in nature, focusing on the scenery, plants, and animals. Especially if the project allows for the use of many textures and stylizations to create something truly distinct and rich!

To work with Thaís click here to get in contact.