Testimonials
I've commissioned several maps from Olivia for my role playing campaign called Atma. All the maps have exceeded expectations. She's amazing to work with, asks great questions to clarify the vision, and brings so much more to the table than I could have ever thought of on my own. I plan to commission more maps in the future, and enjoy working with her every step of the way.
- Trisha
Commissioned Works
I have been asked to make Friendship maps, Relationship maps, and Personal Timeline maps, for those who want a record of an important time or person. I've made Role-Playing Game maps and World Building maps for gamers and authors who need assistance giving physicality to the beautiful world in their minds. And lastly, some maps are pure fantastical whimsy. Prices vary based on size and complexity but are generally between $75 and $200.
Babylon
No, not that one. Another adventure in the wonderful world of Atma, of Angels and Demons, and now of a very firmly laid down city with Universities and Red Light Districts, pubs and warehouses, churches and resorts. Feeling this city come to life on paper, seeing how it must have evolved and the people who lived there, sensing the type of society that makes up its lifeblood, was a new and exhilarating process.
Swamp Mermaid
A friend really liked the "Dark Mermaids" map, and wanted a more detailed and colorful version. In the foreground, a boat is being poled home, as a partially submerged GatorGirl crouches, camouflaged, ready to strike. Her eyes reflect the lamplight, ghostly and white. In the water, brightly colored fish flit through skulls picked clean. Only the most desperate fish the swamp anymore.
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I spent the night in the room with this piece after it had been framed and hung. With the lights out, her eyes were still clearly visible, watching me as I tried to sleep. I had to switch to the other side of the bed.
Josephine Silvestro: Her Extraordinary Life
My great-grandmother, Josephine Silvestro, is our family's matriarch and was truly a force of nature. I wanted to honor her life. The map shows the region in Sicily where we are from, and the border documents her most iconic stories: Cutting down a peach tree that angered her, knocking a hole in a wall with a sledgehammer to force her husband to put a window there, baking bread for her family, and her skill as a seamstress. She was indomitable, a woman who held her family together under impossible circumstances and through great tragedy.
Home
A housewarming gift for a dear friend, who is as introverted as I. Inspired by a similar housewarming gift from my childhood bestie, I made this trying to capture the ferocious joy the Introverted Southern Woman feels when we can shut the door on the world and feel peace.
This piece sat on my desk for several weeks, and I confess, I was strongly tempted to keep it for myself.
Flowers of Europe
A former coworker requested a map "With Flowers". A truly beautiful trusting spirit, this was the extent of guidance I was given. I knew she liked Europe, and during movie night at her house, I saw echoes of Art Deco in her existing decor. That was enough for me. I wanted to fill each country with their national flower. For North Africa, I filled the space with succulents, but I ran into problems with Russia. Russia's national flower is Chamomile. Chamomile is the tiniest, simplest, most boring little flower, and there was exactly zero chance I was going to draw that much of it. So I went off the rails and filled Russia with Ice Roses, because I can. This is one commission I was genuinely sad to part with.
Birds of North America
Another coworker, very rugged and outdoorsy, wanted a map of North America, with the state birds. However, he wanted the states where he had lived to have the birds colored in. This map comes with the promise that I visit every time he moves to a new state, to color in the requisite bird. I learned so many things during this map, chiefly, a) I have no idea idea what any of the states look like or how they fit together and b) I now have an extensive list of Least Favourite Birds.
Atma: Caught between Heaven and Hell
A fabulous Game Master contacted me to request a map for the world her players inhabited. This was doubly fun because I worked closely with her to create a world with many specific needs and this one actually gets used for navigating! Hearing how this improved their gaming experience was extra rewarding. Later, she requested a map of Heaven and Hell, which were an absolute rollercoaster to do.
Meg's World
A friend from college started writing her novel, and found that she was struggling to visualize how various environments would physically fit together. She reached out with a verbal description, as well as a general feel of how they should look, style-wise. After some discussion we decided there would have to be two maps, for her to have the information she needed. Hearing that they hang in her office, and inspire her to write, warms my heart.
The Marriage of Mark and Karen
The chance to map "A Relationship" was exciting and challenging. Commissioned as a surprise housewarming gift by a mutual friend, I got the detail for major events in their lives (where they're from, where they went to college, where they first met). Their lives are ribbons of their favorite color and they slowly wind closer and closer, as they have their first date, first kiss, their proposal and wedding, and finally, their first house! Naturally, I had to include their two floppy bunnies, or their story would not be complete.
The Adventures of Mary and Emily
Another Relationship map, this time a friendship. Two extraordinary women studying abroad in Aberdeen, Scotland met through their love of music at a pub sing. This map follows their roadtrips, their misadventures, and all the silly stories and inside jokes that are born from such trips. Again, their iconic feline companions pin down the border, which echoes the music that brought them together. This was truly a delight to work on.
The Horse You Came In On
Another map for the fabulous world of Atma, this time a floor plan of the tavern where our intrepid heroes regroup and recuperate from their adventures. My first time with a gridded squares map, this presented its own challenges. I found that while laying out the kitchen and dining area, I kept thinking about how a server would find this work environment, and changing it accordingly. A bizarre distraction, but I'm pleased with how this turned out!
Aditi Galaxy
Trying to map several star systems is easily the largest scale I've ever tried to depict. I love space and sci-fi and I wanted to show the beauty and vibrancy of space, while still emphasizing the vast blackness. I had a great time with this challenge, and I'm excited to see how it gets used!