Prof. Hala Swearingen Joins CSUF Illustration Program

The Illustration division at Cal State Fullerton celebrates the arrival of Hala Swearingen (MFA Art Institute of Boston ’09, BFA in Illustration BYU ’96) as the latest professor to join the Illustration faculty. Last year, the Visual Arts Department cast a wide net, spreading the word about this job opening to hundreds of professional artists and illustration teachers. Prof. Swearingen comes to us after more than ten years illustrating in-house and as a freelancer, as well as several years as a teacher. Since 2000, she has created art for top publishing companies, such as HarperCollins, Hyperion, Random House, Simon & Schuster, and Tor Books. She recently illustrated Meow: Cat Stories from Around the World, written by one of the children’s book industry’s most celebrated authors, Jane Yolen. Swearingen’s art appeared in competitive showcases, including the New York Society of Illustrators and Spectrum. The attention to elegant design, lavish colors, and finessed details she puts in her work in oil, acrylic, watercolor, and pen and ink translate in her approach to teaching, where she values strong foundations and expert craftsmanship. Please grant her a cheerful welcome to our community of artists and educators.