Linnell Esler has been an artist as long as she can remember and has worked professionally as a graphic designer for over 20 years. Linnell works as a freelance illustrator and designer with her main focus being children’s illustration. She is a great listener to the needs of her clients, creating whimsical characters and environments. Her design sense, strong composition and color skills can clearly be seen in her work. Her experience ranges from design and illustration projects, varying from character studies, storyboarding for an innovative animation studio, and print design, in the Minneapolis, MN area.

Linnell has enjoyed working on numerous children's murals and theme environments. Her delight in story telling drives her to continually refine her craft. Traditional mediums such as acrylics, pen and ink are Linnell’s favorites, but she also loves the freedom that digital tools such as Photoshop, Illustrator, and Painter offer.

Linnell is an active member of the Minnesota chapter of the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators. She studied Commercial Art at Minneapolis Community Technical College and classic drawing at the Minnesota Atelier. She is continuing to broaden her digital skill at Anoka Ramsey Community College.

Contract projects allow her to partner with clients from start to finish, to tell their story. She enjoys mentoring students and sharing her painting knowledge while working on community projects. Linnell has recently been a contract artist for Flurry Animation Studio creating storyboards and digital graphics. She has completed two-jungle-themed pre-school rooms for Bridgewood Community Church, MN and is preparing a design for a large tree and painting for several nursery rooms for Summit AG, MN. Her latest project is collaborating with Brenda Johnson a talented author to illustrate a charming book called, “Mommy Will You?”