Happy May, Taurus! It's time for our monthly zodiac illustration hand drawn by the lovely Katy Smail. Our past zodiacs: Aries & Pisces.

 For those of you born between April 29 and May 20, our friends at Elle see an extreme makeover for you in your birthday month! Enjoy the decadences that strike your sensual fancy: buttercream cupcakes, a silk dress, manchego and taleggio cheese with a glass of Malbec.

Sound those trumpets! This month is Taurus time…and you’re all about making a brand new start, as you feel more rooted in your new identity and desires. What you want, you can achieve—especially at the Taurus solar eclipse on May 9, which opens up gilded opportunities and gem-laden pathways. If you’ve been struggling in career or identity limbo, prepare for a giant push forward from the stars. No more waffling in projects that don’t entirely support who you are now, as opposed to what seemed like a great money-maker five years ago. Now, you have the chance to create and contribute, for both love and money. So what are you waiting for? Onward, Taurus!

Read more from Elle here: Monthly Overview Horoscope for Taurus

Chapter89, a simple aesthetic online magazine, interviewed Katy Smail earlier this month. Delve deeper into understanding Katy and her beautiful illustrations and read the entire interview here. 

CH.89: Can you talk a little bit about what your creative thought process is like when starting a new project/ piece of artwork?

KT: Well, when I am working on my personal projects, it almost always starts with a girl; her story, her face, her hair etc. She might be a friend, a painting, a character in a novel. Once I have captured the essence of her, and I am happy with her face, the rest of it comes together based on my inspirations and obsessions at that time. I am working on a series of portraits now, in which I am using detailed patterns to help to set the tone, to hint at her world. So then it’s a matter of thinking about what makes sense to adorn her with; is it a fragile paper bird, a spiky thistle print, a delicate wash of wildflowers. The botanical element of my work might come from a flower study I made, a walk in the woods, an exhibition I saw or an old swatch of faded wallpaper. And then it is just a process of trying to knit everything together, to seamlessly merge scale, detail, surface and color to create a rabbit hole for the viewer to tumble down.

CH.89: Do you think being an artist allows you to view the world differently from those who don’t follow creative paths?

KT: I think that everyone views the world in a slightly different way. Being an artist has undoubtably shaped my outlook, but then so has my yoga practice, the people I love and being a woman.

CH.89: Any future goals or plans for your artwork?

KT: Many! I am working on my new bespoke stationery business, so I hope to work with many lovely people and couples to create lifelong mementos. I want to continue to collaborate with magical people, write and illustrate a book, develop a print design portfolio, exhibit more, and spend more time drawing abroad.

CH.89: Any last words on the aesthetic of your artwork?

KT: A description of where I am at with my work right now:

Drawings that are bittersweet, dreamy, poetic. Trying to examine the representation of women; their portraits, their stories and the historic role that florals play in the telling. I draw the narratives of my muses in layers of their winding botanicals, paper petals and regimented patterns. Wild, steely eyes flicker under the groomed beauty of strict gardens. Untamed vines of paper hair cascade upon ladylike lace. Fragile blooms clutch neat wildflowers and gaze from iron frames unto the creeping wilderness…

Want to get inside the head of illustrator Katy Smail? This video interview for Voices of NY tiptoes into Katy's background & Brooklyn home to discover her source of inspiration for her beautiful illustrations. See the full article here.

Happy April, Aries! It's time for our monthly zodiac illustration hand drawn by the lovely Katy Smail. We started our series last month with Pisces but this month is all about Aries!

 For those of you born between March 21 and April 19, our friends at Elle see a renewely-confident you after a soul-searching March and recommend feng shui to rid of toxic vibes and energy from your home.

Hello, spring! You’re feeling physically and energetically revitalized by all the Aries planets. Stay in high gear by taking power walks and scheduling extra sessions at the gym to keep the energy moving. Use this vast energy at your disposal by embracing more “yang” exercises, like boot camp or boxing. Just be careful not to push yourself too hard. Watch your stress levels with both hotheaded Mars and accident-prone Uranus in Aries for the first three weeks of April. Remind yourself to slow down, too!

Read more from Elle here: Monthly Overview Horoscope for Aries

We are excited to introduce a new feature here on the Kate Ryan Inc blog - monthly zodiac illustrations hand drawn by the lovely Katy Smail!

The Year of the Snake has been good to us thus far and we want to spread the love...this month is for Pisces! For those of you born between February 18 and March 20, our friends at Elle see a great month ahead.

Hello, fresh start! With a sweet bouquet of planets in Pisces (the revitalizing Sun, clever Mercury, spicy Mars, romantic Venus and spiritual Neptune), this month is your big debut. After tying up loose ends and making peace with your past in February, you’re ready to share your sublime new self with the world. Since the first house rules appearance, you may decide to totally revamp your look this month. If you normally sport a signature main of windblown curls, you might suddenly opt for straight and sleek. Or maybe the external shift is that you suddenly begin speaking with confidence and authority, rather than being meek and apologetic. Now there’s a makeover that suits you, Pisces. Stand tall and speak your truth!

Read more from Elle here: Monthly Overview Horoscope for Pisces

Katy Smail re-imagines some of her favorite ladies from literature in her new book cover series. Their tales of broken hearts, faraway loves and steely resolve are bound in fragile florals and soft romance. Because there is nothing so pleasing as beautiful words wrapped in a lovely package!

Katy Smail accompanies this romantic winter-wonderland story with pops of pastel illustration for Haunt Magazine.

Using acrylic paint, Katy Smail has gathered 4 beautiful animal friends for a magical Springtime tea party. Which is your favorite?

In preparation for Spring, Katy Smail has hand-illustrated several beautiful desktop wallpapers free for you to download to your desktop, iphone, ipad or even retina display!

Let us know if your screen is a different size than one of the below options and we are happy to customize one for you.

Keep an eye out for future wallpapers designed by Katy in the upcoming months.

1280x800 | 1440x900 | 1680x1050 | 1920x1200 | 2560x1800 | iPhone | Retina