Hi there, my name is Josie Bitar. I was born and raised in Beirut. Today I find my home in a small village in the Suisse Alps, a striking contrast to the bustling city where I was raised, yet an endless source of inspiration.
With a pencil in hand as soon as I could hold one, my creations were always stories waiting
to be told, characters yearning to come alive, and dialogues whispering in the margins.
After earning my BA in graphic design in 2010, I embarked on a diverse journey, crafting work for magazines, event organisers, advertising agencies, conferences and so on. This path led me across the globe, from the soulful streets of India to distant lands, a journey that spanned seven years and culminated in finding my haven among the Swiss mountains.

My inspirations are as varied as the landscapes I've wandered: travel, folk art, philosophical tales laced with humanist values, poetry that sings, stories that rhyme, dark humour that bites, and fashion from bygone eras.

Learning is a never-ending journey, one that has taken me to a miniature art course in India, a digital art workshop in Italy, and many online sketchbook classes. At present, I’m immersing myself in the worlds of video editing and animation, mastering Adobe Premiere and Procreate Dreams—a challenge for my patience, to be sure, but one that I embrace with a smile.
My artwork is definitely vibrant with a hint of retro and magic realism, that suggests bold colours, dynamic compositions, and a nostalgic yet modern/stylised aesthetic in a dreamlike atmosphere.
I use Procreate App on an iPad pro for my digital art, starting on paper to give my work a natural, organic feel before refining it digitally.
I am so proud of what I have achieved, as being an independent artist in Europe is a milestone in my career, and being able to live of my passion is definitely a dream come true. It’s a testament to years of dedication, creativity, and resilience. Every project I take on feels like a step further into a world I’ve built for myself, where art isn’t just what I do—it’s who I am.
I have two published children's books that I illustrated. I also recently illustrated an entire exhibition for kids in the region where I live, focused on seeds and trees—a project close
to my heart that is currently being turned into a book.
In 2024, I won the poster contest for “Les Portes Ouvertes de la Vallée des Aldude”
in the Basque country, France.
My favourite piece/s are definitely the ‘Little She’ series of artwork I created for a short story that rhymes, published on my Instagram account for Folktale Week 2021.
Outside the artistic field I love to travel and explore, I enjoy long treks and hikes in the mountains around the world, reading, music, cooking, yoga, skiing, and, most importantly, cuddling my 21-month-old son.
My absolute favourite books are Jane Austen’s. I've read all of her novels and watched every adaptation, whether it's a movie or a series. My dream is to one day visit her home in the UK.
Born and raised in the city, it will always hold a special place in my heart, but I can’t imagine living anywhere other than the countryside!​​
Past clients include:
ROSE Stories nl / Bibliothèques de Val de Bagnes / Société des commerçants et artisans de Verbier / AFOREM Sion / PALP festival suisse / Éditions uTopie / World Vision Leb / école intuit lab Mumbai / Les Bellaines / Ideate-big media factory / Metro Al Madina Beirut / Time Out Beirut magazine / Time Out Style magazine Beirut  / The Inner Space Me / Step conference Dubai / TaGgEd magazine / Push magazine /
If you'd like to say hello, or to license or commission any work.
Please do contact me:

hello@josie-illustrations.com
+41 77 494 36 73
@josie_illustrations
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Thank you! ♡
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