Frances Alvarez (2015)
Frances is a graphic designer and illustrator from Manila, Philippines, whose work is inspired by nature, especially species endemic to the Philippines. She graduated from the Ateneo de Manila University with a BFA in Information Design and received an award for Graphic Design at the Loyola Schools Awards for the Arts.
When the Lab worked with the Philippine Eagle Foundation to create a book about the Philippine Eagle, Frances was the ideal artist. As a Bartels Science Illustrator, Frances painted 14 large, full-page spreads for An Eagle’s Feather, an over-sized children’s picture book that tells the story of an injured Philippine Eagle. This book is used by the Philippine Eagle Foundation for outreach in elementary schools and villages, helping teach children about the importance of protecting their national bird. It was later published by the Cornell Lab Publishing Group in a smaller size and made the shortlist for the 2019 Green Earth Book Awards.
Upon leaving the Lab, Frances returned to Manila to work as an artist and illustrator at the illustration and design house, Studio Dialogo, where she had worked before becoming a Bartels Illustrator. She is also a member of “Ang Ilustrador ng Kabataan,” an organization of Filipino artists dedicated to designing and illustrating children’s books.