H E L L O, I ' M  B E C A

Hi there! I’m Beca Koblick de León, an illustrator & painter particularly obsessed with children’s themes. I was born in Mexico City but grew up a few hours north in a small town called Tequisquiapan. Coming from a folkloric and rural background makes me love using vibrant, happy colors, as well as neutral pallets like earthy and terracotta tones that you often find in Mexican landscapes. I love many mediums but gouache, watercolor, color pencils, and oils are my favorites, although I do a lot of work digitally as well.

I started my college career at Querétaro’s UVM campus where I pursued a graphic design major. I wasn’t particularly passionate about graphic design, but I was scared of not making money as an artist, so I chose something safe and marketable. Not long after I started, I got the opportunity to study abroad at Santa Fe University of Art and Design in New Mexico, USA, where I was free to choose my own classes. So I jumped at the chance to do something more artistic and explored with way more paint, sculpture, photography & film. In my heart I new I needed to be an artist. Unfortunately, the time to go back to Mexico came and I didn’t know how to find that magic artistic environment that I found in Santa Fe. 

I decided to get a job at an advertising agency, but felt like I was being sapped of my creativity. Designing logos or publicity posts didn’t bring the joy I needed. I was proud of my work, but I wasn’t having fun. I wasn’t happy and needed to shift my life. In 2015 I got a chance to work in America as an au pair and landed in Marin county, California, just north of the Golden Gate Bridge. In this beautiful landscape is where I found daily inspiration and love.

Six months after arriving in the US I met my husband, Zach, who I married in 2016. Together we have had so many fun adventures! We’ve traveled to the Rocky Mountains, Joshua Tree, Big Sur, Sequoia National Park, Moab, and up and down HWY 1 along the California coast in our custom van we built together; we lovingly call our van Mona Blue. We designed and lived in a 26 foot long tiny house on wheels among the redwoods and vineyards of Sonoma County.

Our son, Santiago, was born June 2019. He brought so much light and love,  as well as the bravery that inspired me to chase my dream to pursue a career as an artist and do what feeds my heart and soul.  Zach & I are also collaborating on writing and illustrating children’s picture books since Santi brings so much inspiration.

The quarantine, brought about by Covid-19, had a positive impact in my life. It feels weird to say that Covid brought good things into my life, but  with the time at home, I decided the present was the best moment to seize and I begin the journey to fill my life with art and creativity; I was able to really tap into my heart and officially work on what I dream about working on. Like many others, I used my time at home to educate myself and produce work.

Zach, Santiago, and I live in San Anselmo, California. We are lucky enough to have hiking trails just a short walk from our door, and we go up them as much as we can. When I’m not busy with a pencil or a brush, I love practicing yoga, going for walks to the park with Santi, and since I’m a bit obsessed with dark chocolate, you’ll also find me trying healthy baking recipes for my family. Our dream is to one day own our own farm, and cafe where I will be able to have my studio and share my work with the community.