SWATI NAMJOSHI
WELCOME!
A R T
ILLUSTRATION
MURALS
PUBLISHING DESIGN
STORYTELLING
CHILDREN'S BOOK ILLUSTRATION
CREATIVE WRITING
LAYOUT & DESIGN
WHO ARE YOU?
Hi! I'm Swati. A multidisciplinary artist and toddler mum, I moved from India to Canada in 2024, embracing Toronto as my new home. My educational background includes Fine Arts, Creative Writing, Counselling Psychology, and Art Based Therapy. My work has found expression in two key areas - children’s book publishing and meaningful community engagement through visual art. I strongly believe in the power of stories and work towards authentic and mindful representation of cultures, characters, places, and perspectives, in my art.
WHERE HOW WHY?
I spent the first 34 years of my life in India. I moved a lot - Mumbai, Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat, Nagpur, and my two forever homes, Goa, and Pune. I have loved living and creating in India and it's been a wonderfully chaotic journey. I found a calling, a purpose, a partner, and made a career, a family, and the most beautiful baby here.
I moved to Toronto to explore a different culture and audience. It's exciting, scary, and a great deal of fun to share this new chapter with my musician husband; just two struggling artists giving each other pep talks, and a toddler toddlering about.
WHAT DO YOU DO?
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Illustrations for Children's books
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Story Development and writing for children's books & YA Fiction
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Editorial Illustrations
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Book Cover Design
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Book Layout and Design
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Guidance and Support for self-published authors
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Visual and Written Content for Education Initiatives
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Personalized Portraits for Weddings, Birthdays, and Events, Invites, and Posters
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Album Art
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Murals
I use traditional media, Procreate on the iPad Pro, and Adobe Indesign.
DO YOU TEACH?
Yes! The only thing I love more than sharing my art with the world is sharing the process of art-making so people can join the joy-wagon and draw their own stories! If you want to learn to draw, find your voice, and discover your creative style, email me so we can figure out a course for you and start art-ing together.
Drawing helps me make sense of the world around me. I get to meet myself more often. I have been drawing for a very long time so I can twist my lines to make them look a certain way. But I found joy in art waaaaay before it came out pretty. After 17 years of practice I sometimes make terribly ugly artwork with a great deal of purpose. There is value in expression without aesthetic intention.
ART WITH THE COMMUNITY
COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT THROUGH THE ARTS
I believe the arts exist so we can share our stories. I am passionate about tapping into the storyteller inside each one of us. The skills to create art and literary work can be developed with guidance and practice. With my background in illustration and art based therapeutic practices I have created two art programs
- Creative Portrait Workshops
- The Build A Book Project
to encourage and empower individuals to bring their stories to life and share their lived experiences with their community.
CREATIVE PORTRAIT WORKSHOPS
Since 2012 I have worked with diverse groups, and tailored art-making sessions with intent and purpose. I find open (welcoming individuals, across race, gender, sexuality, age, economic & cultural background) groups to be very powerful in fostering inclusion.
I also acknowledge the need for specific demographics to have a dedicated safe space. With this in mind, I have created workshops for women, women of colour, parents & caregivers, mothers, and immigrants.
Special thanks to Taal Inc., India, for supporting my work for over a decade!
THE BUILD A BOOK PROJECT
I believe everyone who wants to write a book should write a book.
The world of publishing is constantly evolving. There are a hundred wrongs and a thousand right ways to become a published author.
I work with storytellers who want to share their stories with their community. I am not a publisher or a literary agent. I have worked in publishing for 10 years as an illustrator, book designer, editor, print assistant, proofreader, and translator.
The Build A Book Project is my effort at guiding writers through the process of creating a book.
Maybe you have a great idea for a Young Adult Fiction series based on your personal interactions with mythical creatures,
maybe you have a rough manuscript for a memoir,
maybe you tell a ton of tiny tales to toddlers every day and you want to spread the joy in print!
I want to work with you to shape your story into a book. You can then choose to self-publish / make prints / release as e-books / send the manuscript to traditional publishers / enter writing contests around the world / add to your writing portfolio / share it with your friends and family / sell at a book fair ... the possibilities are endless and usually exciting.
For independent authors, I can offer illustrations, cover art, book layout and design, editing, and proofreading.
My primary area of work is children's picture books and if you are looking to create one of those wonders, I can also help you structure your story, create the artwork, lettering, and design, or help you create your own illustrations!
Everyone who wants to draw should draw.
BUT WHY, PAATI...?
Illustrator | Layout Designer | Cover Artist | Co-Editor
‘But why, Paati...?’, written by Padma Venkit, is a collection of five short stories about Aria and Paati. Each story is a colourful memory of the Aria's visit to Pune, India, when she was all of five years old. Journey with Aria as she explores her Belgian, French, and Indian roots through her curious, quirky, and empathetic expressions penned down by her evergreen and loving Paati.
LAADOBA MAX
Illustrator | Layout Designer | Cover Artist
Laadoba Max is written by actor and playwright, Sushama Deshpande. Sushama weaves her love for her grandkids into their love of animals to create playful short stories - a beautiful blend of furry fiction and wide-eyed reality. This series started out as a keepsake, a part of their childhood they can hold on to for decades to come. Not surprisingly, the magic of the stories has reached several other tiger-loving children in the community! The laughter continues to spread...
MURALS AND PUBLIC ART
PRESS & FEATURES
