• Naava is a Hebrew name. It means, lovely.

  • I was born on the Upper West Side, NYC

  • I've been making art my whole life.

  • First time seeing a Jackson Pollack.

  • My children are forever my muses.

“When I grow up I want to make pretty things.” (Me, age 5)

When people ask me when I started drawing, the only thing I can say is, “When was I not?” Art making is what I do and being creative is who I am.

In addition to actively licensing my illustrations as greeting cards, wall art, brand packaging, and in publishing, I have also built my own brand, Love Naava, which focuses on commissioned portraits and custom stationery for families. My portraits have been collected around the world.

Naava Katz MotherArtist And Child Illustration

Favorite Medium

I’ve been formerly trained in everything from printmaking to photography. Illustration has always been my first love. Now with digital drawing, a whole new opportunity to draw “anywhere I want” has changed my life. I’m the mom in the back of my kid’s dance class drawing on her iPad Pro.

When I’m not drawing

I’m learning how to build a dollhouse for my girls with my own two hands. I love the world of miniatures. I can teach you how to make a roll of paper towels the size of a quarter.

Jobs I’ve had

Graphic designer, Art teacher, Web Producer. I’ve taught art to people of all ages with all types of profound disabilities. I’ve designed websites for Universities. I’ve led tour groups through the Museum of Natural History. For about two weeks I was a phone solicitor. That didn’t go so well, but I got some great stories out of it.

Favorite city

Florence. Don’t tell New York, she gets jealous.

Claim to fame

I turned my grandmother into the oldest blogger on the Internet. It’s a whole thing. I can tell you about it.

What I want to illustrate next

More greeting cards, puzzles, book covers for middle school readers, editorial portraits, lettering projects, more animation, kids-wear designs, comics, a children’s book that I write, posters for Rockefeller Center during the holidays. Art that empowers kids. Anything funny. Anything about being a Mom.