Amanda Vacharat — Author and Illustrator The name Amanda Vacharat written in a loose handwritten script

Portfolio

Kid lit illustration of a cat who has proudly caught a computer mouse

Cat Finally Catches Mouse

As a wise cat once told me, “If at first you don’t succeed, change the rules of success.”
Kidlit illustration of a young child racing towards a hidden Easter egg, while silly chickens scatter in all directions

Easter Egg Hunt

As a child, I couldn’t have a cat or dog, so all of my love went towards my pet chickens. We spent so much time together!🥰

The little girl in this illustration is perhaps too excited about finding her Easter egg to be mindful of her chickens, but, I don’t think they really care too much. Except maybe the hen in the bottom right, who just. can’t. with this holiday. 🥹🙃
Illustration of a grumpy cat in a party hat being offered a piece of cake on a fork

This should have been an email

This fluffy cat does not understand why we need to celebrate anything.

And even if we did need to celebrate, couldn’t we have done so in an email?

He does not want cake. He does not want his party hat. He wants to go back into his cold bathtub of loneliness.
Close up of the bottom of a pogo stick with hippo feet riding it. The stick is splashing a huge puddle onto a frog, with a sign that says 'dont splash me'

Pogo Sticking Hippo Creates a Splash

Rolf the pogo sticking hippo believes himself to be one of the most impressive pogo stickers in the world.

He can jump very high. He can twirl very twirly. He’s pogot the pogoing juice.
Painting of a gray cat wearing a snorkel mask holding a giant, periwinkle vintage Sheaffer's Snorkel fountain pen

Snorkel Cat Snorkel Pen

Here’s a kitten who appreciates fish and coral and quality writing instruments 🩵

the kitty’s fountain pen is a vintage Sheaffer’s snorkel fountain pen—named so because of the snorkel-like tube that spins out from behind the nib, a straw for the ink. This way you could fill the pen without getting ink on the nib itself (because can you imagine! Having ink showing on your pen nib?! How awkward! How uncouth! 😉🙃)

The colorway is my favorite of the snorkel pens…periwinkle, of course!
Childrens book illustration of a large dog riding a motorcycle off a roof, to jump over a fox jogging through a colorful city

Who says lazy dogs can’t jump? 😉

This one is in honor of fountain pen people, who have “The quick brown fox jumped over the lazy dog” burned into the backs of their eyelids. It is also in honor of my dog Saoirse (who is part mastiff and St. Bernard), who would definitely prefer to take her walks without actually walking.🥹

Here the lazy dog has found a way to jump over the quick brown fox! You can be lazy and still love adventure and excitement.
An elderly white man sits at a table eating a sandwich. His fat dog sits across from him on a bench, staring wistfully at the sandwich.

Some for me too, please

A man in a yellow jacket enjoys his cheeseburger. He is thinking about all the things he has to do later today.

His dog, Peggy, has clearly already had a few cheeseburgers too many. Yet, she would not mind one more, anyway. Or maybe just a bite?

Digital illustration done in procreate.
Kidlit pencil and watercolor drawing of a fluffy, doofy cat with a chewed broken cord in his mouth. He sits on top of a Consumer Electronics magazine.

Cat Geeking Out on Tech Trends

A doofy cord-eating menace of a cat. 🥹

Here he is, nerdily displayed in CYMK color tones, totally geeking out on the latest tech trends. 🤓📱🔌
Pen and ink illustration of a farm and its land full of round bales, under a glowing full moon.

Hay bales in Lancaster, PA, under the moonlight

Drive through the Pennsylvania farmlands, and you’ll see lots of hay bales, resting on the land, like sleeping land animals. It’s especially so at night, under a clear moonlit sky. They would be gentle, large mammals, were they alive.
Pen and ink illustration of a food truck taken over by crazy chickens

All Here Because Not All There

T-shirt design for a company with themed Caribbean Island merchandise.

Here, an island food truck has been taken over by the local chickens. The hours represent the laid-back island flexibility, and the clocks show that it’s five o’clock, everywhere, and always.

The food truck’s name, The Caribbean Cuckoo, plays with the fact that it’s a chicken truck, and that the chickens are, well, not all there.
A pencil illustration of a young girl riding a train with a lot of creepy box headed robots. She is wearing a box on her head to fit in.

Sneaking in, under cover

The world has been taken over by robots. Good thing there are plentiful cardboard boxes around to use as a disguise.

Mindy Lou is riding into the city with the robot workforce to learn what is going on at the main factory.
Childrens book illustration of a lonely robot drinking coffee and working on laptop in a cafe with free wifi. The robot stares longingly at the bluebirds outside the window.

The best things are free.

An illustration of a robot working on their laptop from inside of a cafe. The robot is enjoying the cafe’s free wi-fi, but longing for the free things outside: the birds, the trees, the sunshine.

One of the bluebirds watches the robot through the window.

This was done in Procreate with native brushes.
Pencil illustration of a whimsical fat robin in a chef's hat, sitting proudly on top of the holiday berry pie they made from holly berries

Robin Bakes their First Holly Berry Pie

This little robin took on a project that they thought was too large– baking a pie from all the holly berries ripening on the big holly tree!

But now they are glad they tried, because it feels so good to have finished it. It smells fantastic, too. They can’t wait to eat this berry pie with their family and friends for a winter holiday dinner.
Kidlit style illustration of a young woman walking in the rain with her large, yellow dog, who is looking up at her lovingly.

You make me wish for more rainy days. ❤️☔

A person and her dog are running home on the brick sidewalks of Montford Historic District, in Asheville North Carolina. They look at each other lovingly, both excited to get home but enjoying this experience together, too.

Can you find the snail and the bird?

Made in Procreate with native brushes.
Illustration of a fluffy cat, upside down, getting carried up by a single pink balloon.

Sometimes it’s too easy to get carried away.

A fluffy gray cat is seeking out a new perspective.