About - Cecilie Okada Design

About

I help you explore creativity through watercolor, sketching, and nature’s own brushstrokes.

I’m Cecilie Okada, a Norwegian illustrator and graphic designer. I’m also a keen meditator. It’s my source of creative inspiration.

In this blog, I’m taking you along. Nature’s sublime shapes & colors guide each step in my art tutorials.

I lived in Japan for many years, a place that opened up a whole new world of creative exploration. I hope the play with color and form in my tutorials will open new doors for you, too.

Thank you for visiting!

My story

I’m a global nomad who has lived in many countries and crisscrossed the globe. I have also lived in New Zealand, Haiti, Jamaica, and Mexico.

When I was young, I wanted to change the world and became a yogic nun. Back then I founded a children’s home and pre-schools in slums and remote villages.

Later on, I started a family and completed a design degree. Ever since, it has been a life filled with creative work and a continued spiritual journey.

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Professional background

I have been a creative professional since 1998. My work includes illustration, pattern design, and graphic design.

Before moving to Japan, my design company Okada Design AS specialized in illustration, web- and graphic design. Previously, I worked as an in-house graphic designer. 

Some highlights:

  • Patterns and decorative designs licensed to nationwide department stores and brands in Japan with Cecilie O. branding
  • Illustrating 28 books, art calendars, and wisdom cards for publishers in Norway, Sweden, Germany, Switzerland, the UK, and New Zealand
  • Exhibiting at the Design Museum of Barcelona (DHUB) in Spain
  • Graphic design for companies big and small and everything in between
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“…brilliant illustrations”.
– Louise Hay, international bestselling author


“Cecilie has created a number of successful projects, and shows a highly professional understanding. I can thoroughly recommend her.”
– Nina Norman Ferguson, Managing Editor, Cappelen Damm Publishers (Norway)

“Just looking at her wonderful illustrations makes my heart sing”.
– Denise Linn, international bestselling author


“We are really satisfied. I would absolutely recommend Cecilie Okada”
– Trine Varøystrand, Head Designer, Høie of Scandinavia (Norway)

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