Eva Whitney
As a child, Eva loved beautifully illustrated books, especially those by Beatrix Potter, Maurice Sendak, Jan Brett, and Allen Say. She listened intently to stories while studying the drawings, often going through a tall stack of library books in one sitting. Her first-grade teacher called her a “book eater,” and in third grade, when asked what she would do if she could do anything in the world for a day, Eva chose reading.
Literature fed Eva’s writing and drawing throughout her childhood. She sketched family, teachers and classmates, girls with different personalities and styles, and animals. In one drawing, she created the family tree of an imaginary cat with 44 named members in branches such as “Kitteny” and “Catina.” By middle school, she was creating illustrated stories, including one about starting a new school and trying to make friends.
Eva attended a public arts high school for Creative Writing and later majored in Comparative Literature. Short videos became her primary form of creative expression, influenced by writers such as Beckett and Baudelaire and filmmakers Agnès Varda and Chantal Akerman, who reinforced her interest in making art from everyday experience.
Eva’s videos are composed and edited much like poems. They reveal what she noticed, often what was happening in the margins, and the extraordinary things that are easy to overlook, like the rainbow neck of a pigeon poking around in the trash. They also capture her quiet sense of humor and joy.
As a close friend said, “The world was so vast with Eva. She was curious, observant, and the most genuine, down-to-earth person I had the honor of knowing. She asked the most insightful questions, revealing things you would have never known.”
Eva also expressed her care for others through hand-painted watercolor cards with thoughtful messages. Her legacy lives in the intimacy of her relationships and in the art she used to express her love for her family, her friends, nature, and life.
“Be a beacon of peace and love for those around me”
Eva created art throughout her life, often drawing inspiration from the people, places, animals and every day details around her. Her work ranged from intricate sketches and watercolors to illustrated stories and handmade gifts for family and friends. She also created The Many Adventures of Eva, an eight-page miniature book of illustrated stories inspired by moments from her own life.
These pieces reflect her curiosity, humor, imagination and remakable eye for detail.
