Faille Schmitz (Bloom)

Hi!

First things first: I love Jesus and I’m a life-long Wisconsinite! I graduated in 2016 from the Milwaukee Institute of Art & Design, with emphasis on illustration.

I am a full-time artist and designer, having worked on everything from video games to book publishing. I’ve designed over 65 books - inside and out!

My love for preserved insect art began with a birthday gift: a framed death’s-head hawkmoth - an icon of one of my favorite movies of all-time, Silence of the Lambs. After collecting similar oddities for years, I decided to try it myself. I’ve always been fascinated by things that scare me. For most of my life, I’ve had a mild phobia of moths. Handling these little critters has turned my fear into appreciation and admiration for the things that creep, crawl, and flutter.

When I’m not making art, you will probably find me watching sci-fi films, watering my plants, or pondering the mysteries of life - possibly all at once!