
Friends of Raven + Lily: Meet Kathy Phan
Inspired by ‘travel, seeing other art, and history’, the Austin-based artist Kathy Phan favors bright colors and broad strokes in her beautiful watercolor illustrations. Elegant and whimsical, you might recognize her expressive paintings from the pages of our journal. We have been collaborating with Kathy for a while now, and are huge fans of her work and her creative inspirations. Driven by ‘people who care and want to make a change for the better’, Kathy is a freelance illustrator and the owner of kathyphantastic. A fun line of stationery and home goods featuring her watercolor illustrations, her eponymous brand celebrates her love of ‘food, the great state of Texas, and animals.’
Keen to find out more about Kathy’s creative path, we asked her to share her process to inspire and motivate us.
‘I’ve always been creative and I enjoyed drawing and coloring as a child but I was never encouraged to be an artist. Culturally, Asian Americans are discouraged from creative careers and pushed towards engineering and healthcare. In college, much to my parents’ dismay, I studied creative advertising and Asian American studies. I worked in e-commerce, visual merchandising, and higher education communications before I started illustrating. I led a team of graphic designers, copywriters, and photographers, but didn’t personally develop anything creative. I definitely felt a void...’




Kathy Phan’s Raven+Lily Edit:
Addis Backpack in Cuoio
‘This would be great for working from a coffee shop when that becomes safe again and would fit my laptop, travel watercolor palette, and a small Arches watercolor block.’
Ellsworth Wide Ring
‘This looks like it would go with almost everything. I love how simple it is.’
Tuulia Cotton Throw in Pale Pink
‘This would be so cute for a socially distanced picnic (and dog watching!) at Austin's Zilker Park.’
Aida Small Orbit Bangle
‘I love the touch of color added by the green jasper. This would look nice alone or stacked with other Aida bangles from the collection.’
Addis CC Case
‘This is a great size! It could go into a yoga bag, tote, or even a fanny pack.’