About the Artist: Heather Stillufsen

August 2026 Issue
About the Cover Artist — Heather Stillufsen
by Lindsay Gifford

A self-taught illustrator, author, and the creative force behind Rose Hill Design Studio, this month’s cover artist, Heather Stillufsen, is a whirlwind of inspiration and positive, colorful vibes.

Crafting delicate, whimsical illustrations paired with motivating words, Heather’s mission is simple: To create art good for the heart and soul, while inspiring women everywhere to practice self-love and embrace who they are.

Raised in Westfield, New Jersey, Heather still resides in her hometown with her husband and two daughters. It was there that she fell in love with drawing as a child. “I would sit at my grandmother’s desk with my pencil and paper and do my best to recreate the birds and wildflower images pictured in her book collection. When I was a bit older, my mom recognized my love of drawing, and together we illustrated an alphabet book for ourselves, which I still have to this day,” Heather reminisced. During high school, she took drawing classes at The Fashion Institute of Technology (FIT) on Saturdays in NYC. And after studying Psychology at Elon University in North Carolina, she began blending her love of art with her passion for helping others, forging a unique creative path—one she enjoys every single day.

From there, Heather’s world of unique art bloomed as she launched her brand globally in 2012, earning a dedicated following of women all around the world. From friendship and fashion to colorful patterns and florals, she blends a contemporary sensibility with timeless warmth. Her deeply relatable words are written to motivate her audience, offering a glimmer of hope for a brighter day as a reminder women to love, celebrate, and be kinder to themselves.

Each of her artworks is hand drawn with pencil and then traced with her trusty lightbox creating a clean line drawing, which she scans and colors with Photoshop. “I draw my inspiration from my daily life—something I see in my travels, favorite places, and dream places. As far as the words go, usually I have something in my head that drops in …I want my words to resonate with my followers. I want people to know they aren’t alone, and that sometimes even a few words of encouragement can help them remember that they matter.”

Heather is no stranger to the print world either. Her work is featured monthly in Women’s Day Magazine, and her latest creative endeavor is her own magazine creation—Rose Hill Magazine—where she serves as editor and publisher, bringing signature uplifting visions to print. And along with her popular line of greeting cards, she is the author and illustrator of six books.

This month’s cover piece, “Lobster Sweater Beach House” was inspired by a sweater Heather saw. She decided to incorporate it with a beach scene to conjure up memories of those cozy days by the beach where you are free to relax and take a little time for yourself—the best kind of therapy. “I hope people can feel that through my art. I love creating artwork that viewers can actually picture themselves in…a dreamy space to get lost in.”

You can dive into Heather’s world of art and inspiration at www.rosehilldesignstudio.etsy.com
where she sells her originals along with prints, greeting cards, gift books, calendars, stationary,
needlepoint canvases, mugs, puzzles and much more. You can follow along on
Instagram @heather_stillufsen and Facebook at “Rose Hill Designs by Heather Stillufsen”.
Her books can be purchased on Amazon.