“The story of Oranjuloo sought to combine political satire and a children’s fantasy along the lines of Through the Looking Glass or the Wizard of Oz. Having studied journalism, and then spending decades in a career doing political analysis, the political satire portion came rather easily. But entering a fantasy world as seen by a child was not so easy. That is where Eilie Astara came to my rescue! Eilie, with her endless enthusiasm and emotional ties to myths and magic, guided my adult brain into a child’s world. She showed me how a child would speak and how a child would see the world quite differently from adults. She thus helped transform Oranjuloo from what could have been a dry and stiff political satire into a magical world of talking animals, misty spirits, and magical chants. The final product is a testimony to Eilie’s incredible imagination.”
— D. Patrick Foley, Oranjuloo (Children's Chapter Book)
“Unsure, new to this author scene and a little afraid I had no idea what to do to get my spiritual guidance message out to the world for children to help them retain their whole beingness as much as they could before humanhood took over. WELCOME IN EILIE ASTARA! I was guided to the most delightful, caring, magical, whimsical, mystical, human being - illustrator Eilie Astara - All attributes I was looking for! Working with her has opened my eyes so much more from the first draft of my children’s book to the finished product. Eilie went the extra mile with early/late skype calls, extra effort in HER CREATIVE, ENCHANTING illustrations, editorial material AND ADVICE. A super star in her own right, I have been blessed with a soul sister, a dear friend and an illustrator for all future books. WITH LOVE, LIGHT, ENERGY, SHINE, GRATITUDE AND APPRECIATION FOREVER!”
— Awhina D, Ûjó My Shining Star (Children's Book)
“Eilie and I started working together in August 2018. [She provided children’s illustration for my children’s picture book.] And today (12/15/18) was the day I hit the publish button.I won’t lie, I’m ecstatic and tired. It was a really hard process. But Eilie had my back the entire time. She exuded professionalism in all of our interactions and dealt with my emotional times in the process. From beginning to end she was amazing.She made sure to gauge what I wanted, asked for input prior to the sketches and sought further input as the sketch progressed. She would take all feedback and make changes if needed. She dealt with multiple emails and requests and handled my changes smoothly. Eilie wanted me to be happy with my book and made sure to cover things I didn’t think about. She also made sure to clarify questions she had to ensure that things were what I wanted since it was predominantly over email.Eilie and I never met in person and although I work, and have worked with numerous artists it was apparent that this was a different world for me altogether. Eilie made it clear she cared about this book, she wanted it to be great and she worked hard with me on it. This wasn’t half-assed in any way.Towards the end of things, I was more emotional than I usually am. I had invested a lot of money in the project and I worried things wouldn’t work out right. Eilie took extra time to make sure all the t’s were crossed and i’s dotted. She went above and beyond helping me load the book to the publisher and she made sure that all things that needed to be addressed were.Eilie was clear and concise in her contracts and if changes were made it was called out when she sent it over. She worked with me on how I wanted to pay (per page or half deposit for three or more pages.). She really made sure that the book was done right and well.In the end I am happy that Eilie agreed to illustrate the book I envisioned.”
— April G, Madison & Veruca Move to the City (Children's Book)
“I met Eilie and hired her as an artist on my game project titled Haru – Master of Shadows. She was the only artist on the project and created every asset in the game, which was 2d characters, animation, props, and scenery. It was a true pleasure to work with Eilie. She was a professional in every sense of the word. Not only was the quality superb, but when there would be technical issues related to art, and it was explained, she quickly would understand what needed to happen and make the fixes quickly. She was communicative, always delivered on time, even early often, and at excellent quality. I would love to work with Eilie again anytime!”
— Adam N, Haru, Master of Shadows (Mobile Game)
“Eilie is an exceptionally talented artist and we were thrilled with her work. Our project was unique: a new character and entire world created around a young superhero, who stands up against bullies at her school. Working with Eilie to pull off such an audacious goal for us was a success in every way possible. The art and design work she created are still talked about by supporters of our organization, and it is one of the highlights of our work. If there is ever another opportunity to partner with her again, we will be eager to do so.”
— Matt S, Mighty Moxy (Comic Book)
“Eilie has the superpower of taking your ideas, producing a variety of prototypes that you can iterate on quickly, and finalize a design that you can be excited about. She excels at creating mock-ups, providing guidance, and working independently. We developed an aquarium app that drew customers in with unique and cute characters without ever needing to meet in person. Eilie is an incredible artist that I look forward to working with again!”
— Christophe L, Fun Fish (Mobile Game)
“Eilie is an outstanding artist and an absolute pleasure to work with! Communication was fantastic and she went the extra mile with enthusiasm and care. I hope I will have another project soon as I enjoyed working with Eilie very much.”
