Bunny Trail Studio hatched early in 2019 as a name for the creative space of illustrator and surface designer, Nicole Manuel. Her hope is that her work inspires others and reflects her values: play, joy and faith.

Nicole’s illustrations often portray adorable animal characters, whimsical motifs inspired by nature, lots of colour, and hints of hand lettering. She specializes in story-driven visuals that appeal to children (and children-at-heart) as well as seamless pattern design, surface design and book layout. She loves to work both traditionally (watercolour, ink, marker, graphite, coloured pencil) and digitally (Procreate and Adobe Illustrator).

Nicole studied illustration at Emily Carr University, (where she received her B.F.A.) and completed the Immersion program by Bonnie Christine. (She also has a B.Sc. in Genetics, but that is a story for another time…)

Having done freelance work for a variety of clients, Nicole has helped develop curriculum for children and adults, brought book projects to life, and designed larger-than-life sized murals. She also runs a small product-based business where she sells a range of stationery and gifts that feature her illustrations in her Etsy shop and at local markets.

Nicole lives in Winnipeg, Canada with her husband and their adorable, fluffy cat. When she is not drawing, you might find her training for her next big race, playing board games with her husband, or curled up with a book and a cup of tea in hand.

{Philippians 4:4}