London Ladd '95 is making the most of his high-profile opportunities. He's a nationally-known illustrator who came to Onondaga Community College three decades ago from Corcoran High School and earned his Art degree here. His amazing talents were on display recently in the New York Times when they asked him to create the art work which would accompany their book review of "Yonder," a novel which explores love and friendship among a group of enslaved people living on a plantation in the mid-19th century. "Doing an illustration for the New York Times is a big deal. Everybody knows the New York Times. You know they take the best of the best. It's a great opportunity to have my work shown. I relished the opportunity do it."
Opportunities of this type are called "editorial" and the turnaround time on them is short. Ladd was contacted by the New York Times right before Christmas and his finished product was published with the book review on January 11. During that three week period he needed to learn what the book was about and consider different ways to express it visually, submit a handful of thumbnail sketches to the New York Times Art Director to see which matched up best with their vision for the book review, and send in the final art work by January 10. "When you do editorial it's so fast paced. I love the challenge. It's a rush. You get that rush of the job and the deadline. You don't have much time to delve into deep thought. Doing children's books and editorial are two totally different worlds."
Until recently Ladd was known mostly as an illustrator for children's books. His big break came in 2007 when he was hired to create the illustrations for a book about Martin Luther King, Jr. titled, "March On! The Day that My Brother Changed the World." That book and the opportunities that followed established him as an illustrator who helped tell the stories of some of our nation's most historic figures. He went on to create the visuals for books about Oprah Winfrey and Frederick Douglass, and stories such as "Under The Freedom Tree" and "Waiting for Pumpsie" which introduced children to important moments in our nation's history.
Ladd has multiple book illustration projects he's working on including the titles "You So Black," Black Gold," and "My Red White & Blue." His book projects can take several months if not years to complete. And his recent editorial work with New York Times for "Yonder" was the second time he's shared his creativity with their audience. Prior to that he created a portrait for the New York Times review of Alex Haley's "Roots." Ladd has also become a monthly editorial contributor for book reviews published by Scientific American.
As he picks up the pace of some of his work, Ladd is also slowing down. He turns 50 this month and the milestone birthday is leading him to reflect on his life and appreciate everything he has. "It's important to work when it's time to work but also make time for the ones in your life you need to spend time with. It's all about moderation now. Finding that balance is key for me."
While he juggles life and work, Ladd is also in his final semester as a student at Syracuse University where he is completing work on his master's degree in Illustration. He's also been teaching a class there in Editorial Illustration. Two guest lecturers in his class, who are also Syracuse University alumni, connected him with his opportunities at the New York Times and Scientific American.
Everything Ladd has accomplished in the last couple of years, from his master's degree to amazing illustrations, have come during the pandemic. As he's adjusted to the times he's found four things which help him survive and thrive. He occasionally enjoys drawing and doing personal art work just for him, spending time with loved ones, getting out of the house and taking walks, and having his dog Phoebe in his home studio with him. "I put a couch in here specifically for her and started bringing her in here with me. She didn't like it at first, but she got used to it and now this space is as much hers as it is mine. I can be knee deep in stress and deadlines and she'll be just laying there, looking at me like 'whatever.'"
