I’m Allison Cole and I love dreaming up vibrant images that reflect my playful spirit. I love working both digitally and painting with gouache. The act of creating never gets old to me, it has been a part of my life since before I can remember. Every day I look forward to getting lost in the process - brainstorming new ideas, refining compositions, and playing with color.

I have an equal love for creating both narrative imagery as well as surface design illustrations, and I am always interested in seeing the ways that they inform each other. In my narrative work, I delight in compositions filled with lots of details, color and texture, and I like to sneak in pattern whenever I can. In my surface design work, you might see a tiny detail or subject fully blown out and examined, dancing on the page waiting to be put to life on a product. I also enjoy illustrating hand lettering and conveying messages that align with my values in a concrete way. You will often see themes like kindness, mindfulness, feminism, and neurodiversity in my work, in addition to the cats and plants and flowers.

Ultimately, it is my hope that the images I create bring a smile to your face. I graduated from the Rhode Island School of Design and currently live in Rhode Island with my husband, son, and cat.

Over the years, I frequently hear from students looking to learn more about my illustration career. I’ve compiled the answers to some frequently asked questions here.

To commission new work, please get in touch! I look forward to working with you.
allison@allisoncoleillustration.com • 401-474-8638

To license existing work, take a look at my Surface Design portfolio. Clients can register to search my portfolio of over 300 images by key word, or browse by collection theme.