The Imaginal Atelier

Hi, I’m Scott Von McLaw, the artist behind the Imaginal Atelier.

I create whimsical, story-driven illustrations inspired by childhood play, imagination, and the hidden adventures kids carry inside.

 

My goal is to capture those magical moments — when a cardboard box becomes a spaceship, a backyard becomes a kingdom, or a pair of brothers see themselves as heroes in their own unfolding story. I’m endlessly inspired by the way children turn the simplest objects into entire worlds, and how their creativity transforms the ordinary into something unforgettable.

 

Before illustration, my artistic journey grew through years of drawing, storytelling, and paying close attention to the emotions that shape a moment. That experience helps guide the softness, warmth, and narrative feeling in my work today. I’m drawn to the tiny details — the tilt of a character’s posture, the light in a scene, the quiet sense of possibility — the things that make an illustration feel alive.

 

Every piece begins with emotion and narrative. I want kids to feel seen, and parents to feel a warm spark of nostalgia — a reminder of the worlds they once imagined too. My hope is that each illustration carries a little bit of magic, a little bit of memory, and a sense of story that lingers long after you’ve looked at it.