"Invite everyone who cares to work on what's possible." Illustrated by Kali Ciesemier

Artist StatementI love being a part of the illustration community, and I think the art field particularly shows the benefits of being connected with other people. We're all working to be better artists and to make a living doing what we love. That in itself is a long, tough road, made tougher by competition and isolation. I find it inspiring that instead of opposing each other, we all help, commiserate with, and motivate one another. Plus, like many freelance illustrators, I work from home, and talking over sketch ideas with my cat can be less than stimulating. Online I can ask for advice, share things that inspire me, and keep tabs on what other illustrators are up to. I think it speaks to the rising power of social networks that I was contacted about 1200 Posters by Robyn Ng, who I 'met' through twitter! It's only fitting then that 1200 Posters is a project that focuses on the power of these connections and what amazing things we can accomplish through community action. I'm very happy to be a part of such a series. When I got the text for my poster, I started to get some ideas for the visuals. To me, the basic message of the quote is that when a small group of people is committed to a goal, nothing can stop them. This put me in mind of intrepid explorers working with one another to build something amazing! I decided to indulge my childhood love of secret places, which led to the idea of a floating hideaway that these explorers (and birds!) had helped build. Also, c'mon, who wouldn't want to climb up an impossibly tall ladder to plant a sky garden?! The background farm fields are a little homage to my family, some of whom still farm in Illinois, and I think the patchwork the collected fields create fits with the theme of diverse forces combining to form something larger. I work digitally using a Wacom tablet and Photoshop from start to finish-- sketching in B&W, then creating a color sketch, then refining the drawing until finish and adding texture. — Kali Ciesemier