Louise Pretzel is an illustrator born and raised in Southern California. From a young age, she has always had a passion for creativity and art, manifesting in many forms ranging from music, painting, and crafting the perfectly designed Myspace page. She is inspired by vintage kitsch and the styles of yesteryear, and loves to collect vintage ceramic poodles, anthropomorphic fruits & veggies, vintage chalkware, and any other weird trinkets that might catch her eye at the thrift store. Growing up in Southern California played a big part in her inspiration; SoCal has a very distinct type of kitsch with a plethora of manufactured environments from Hollywood to Disneyland, and these locations helped drive the formation of her style. Now her idea of the perfect day consists of long walk down antique mall aisles, with a good cup of cold brew in hand, attempting to find the strangest vintage tchotchkes that inspire her creatively.

All of Louise’s combined life & work experience has culminated in bringing her to this book. Having lived near Napa previously, she gained an appreciation of wine culture and was thrilled to contribute to his project. Her formal training in graphic design and traditional illustration has given her years of experience creating designs, which have been sold worldwide at major retailers including Target, World Market, Trader Joe’s and more. Now working as an independent artist and designer based in New York, Louise brings a fresh take on a range of subject matter with a quirky, vibrant twist. Select clients include Anthropologie, Workman’s Publishing, Hallmark, Papyrus Greeting Cards, Design House Greetings, Studio Oh!, Mixbook, Maisonette, and many more!