Carson Ellis

Career

Ellis is an award-winning illustrator of several children's books, including the New York Times Bestsellers Wildwood, written by Colin Meloy, The Composer is Dead, written by Lemony Snicket, and The Mysterious Benedict Society, written by Trenton Lee Stewart. She received a 2010 Silver Medal from the Society of Illustrators for her art in Dillweed's Revenge, by Florence Parry Heide. She collaborated again with Meloy on the second and third novels in the Wildwood Chronicles series, Under Wildwood (2012) and Wildwood Imperium (2014).

Before transitioning to a career in illustration and drawing, Ellis studied painting at the University of Montana. She began her career as a fine artist in San Francisco and exhibited a solo show of oil paintings at a gallery in San Jose, California. Her first illustration work began when she met Colin Meloy at the University of Montana and designed gig posters for his college band Tarkio.

She is also well known for her work with the indie folk rock band The Decemberists, for whom she has created album art, T-shirts, websites, posters, and stage sets. Her album covers for the Decemberists include What a Terrible World, What a Beautiful World, The Crane Wife, Her Majesty the Decemberists, Castaways and Cutouts, The Hazards of Love, and the EPs 5 Songs and The Tain. She has also created album artwork for other musicians, such as Laura Veirs, Beat Circus, and Weezer.

The Wildwood Chronicles series, written by her husband, musician Colin Meloy, was a bestselling series for middle-grade readers. Ellis was inspired by illustrator Pauline Baynes of The Chronicles of Narnia as well as drawings in The Wind in the Willows when she created the Wildwood series.

In 2015, Ellis wrote and illustrated her first solo children's book, Home, which explores different types of domiciles around the world, underwater, and in space.

In 2016, Ellis collaborated with Portland-based wallpaper studio, Juju Papers, on a wallpaper design titled Barn Owls and Hollyhocks. The design was inspired by Ellis' move to a small barn outside of Portland

As author and illustrator

As illustrator only

Personal life

Carson Ellis is married to Decemberists singer Colin Meloy, whom she met as a college roommate creating posters for his alt-country band Tarkio. She and Meloy have two children, Henry "Hank" Meloy and Milo Cannonball Meloy . Both parents have spoken openly about their son Hank's diagnosis with Asperger's Syndrome. Ellis has also made and continues to make all of the CD artwork for her husband's current band, The Decemberists.