Out of the Sky

Tianjiao Guo is an illustrator based in Los Angeles. Born and raised in Shanghai, she moved to California at the age of 17. A graduate of the School of Visual Arts in New York City, she loves long walks in nature, playing piano, listening to music, and reading ancient Chinese and Japanese stories, all of which inspire her artwork.

For her Zócalo sketchbook, Tianjiao brings us a series of digitally rendered watercolor birds. By shape and color, the creatures feel firmly part of the sky that holds them. It’s as if …