Welcome to our sixth year of free and festive phone and computer backgrounds created by Los Angeles artists. This year our designs were created by people who were in some way impacted by the fires in Altadena or the Pacific Palisades. For our loyal print subscribers (thank you!), the Dec. 7 issue of the Los Angeles Times will have these designs as prints you can use as wrapping paper. If you’re local but not a subscriber, go in search of a copy. The grocery store is a good place to check.
Download your favorite designs below and learn a bit more about the artists and what they love about their L.A. communities.
Find past versions of the project (and lots more free backgrounds) at these links: 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024.
Jess Miller
Jess Miller is a Los Angeles-born and -raised illustrator, designer and content creator celebrated for her vibrant hand lettering, whimsical characters and bold surface pattern designs. Her artwork appears across a wide range of products, from planners and phone cases to rugs, greeting cards and apparel, bringing her signature mix of color and joy to everyday life.
On community in L.A.: “Rooted in storytelling and playful detail, my work is deeply inspired by the plants, wildlife, and everyday magic of Los Angeles. Whether it’s the chatter of wild parrots in the trees or the golden glow of citrus groves at sunset, I find endless inspiration in the natural beauty of my city.”
Download phone background here
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Austin Scott
Austin Scott is a visual artist, film editor and director based in Altadena who has gained renown post-Eaton fire through his large-scale public murals and black-and-white coloring-book style. From his joyful depiction of businesses lost in the blaze at Unincorporated Coffee Roasters, to a 30-foot-tall peacock inspiring kids to “dream bigger” at Alma Fuerte Public Charter School, Scott is dedicated to bringing smiles to people’s faces in the hardest of times through his art.
On community in L.A.: “In Altadena, community, creativity and diversity come together to create an incomparable synergy of vibrations that you have to be here to believe. Although our town has been through the worst thing imaginable this year, the strength and connectivity of the people here are unmatched, and indicative of what will no doubt be a collective rise from the ashes.”
Download phone background here
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Julia Wolinsky
Julia Wolinsky is an illustrator and designer from Pacific Palisades whose vibrant, hyperrealistic watercolor drawings explore how memory and emotion live within everyday moments. Rooted in her family’s tradition of expressing love through food, her work celebrates beauty, detail and the unseen stories within familiar subjects. In addition to her food-centered pieces, she creates portraits of people, botanicals and depictions of everyday objects that reflect shared histories, rituals and the shifting nature of contemporary life.
After losing her childhood home in the Palisades fire, Wolinsky began illustrating her hometown as a way to process loss and rediscover belonging through art. Her work has been exhibited at the Brand Library in Glendale, the Korean Cultural Center in Los Angeles and the San Francisco International Airport, and has been published by the Los Angeles Department of Cultural Affairs.
On community in L.A.: “I grew up in Pacific Palisades and my husband grew up in Altadena. In a matter of hours we lost both of our hometowns. I got to know Altadena through him and visiting his family there. The Palisades was always a place I would often go back to and reminisce about what it was like growing up there. One thing I miss about both places is they have their own small-town feel and unique character. You just can’t easily re-create the feeling that you got being there. I wanted these patterns to capture their individual and unique personalities and remind me of the landmarks that I remember most from being there.”
Download phone background here
Download desktop background here
Download phone background here
Download desktop background here
Keiji Ishida
Keiji Ishida is an artist and a graphic designer currently residing in Joshua Tree. He uses repeated characters and motifs that often find their way through various mediums. His process is design-oriented while revealing the imperfections and efforts of the handmade.
On community in L.A.: “I grew up in Los Angeles, and the city’s rich diversity, incredible food, unique architecture and landscapes, and strong sense of community continue to inspire me. L.A. remains one of my favorite places and a recurring theme throughout my work.”
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Meagan Boyd
Meagan Boyd is a Southern California–based artist and poet whose work blends ritual, ancestral memory and celestial symbolism into luminous visual poems. Through handmade pigments, intuitive process and mythic storytelling, her paintings honor the interconnectedness of all beings and the sacred nature of everyday life.
On community in L.A.: “I live in Altadena, a tight-knit and resilient community that came together with so much tenderness and strength during and after the Eaton fire. I love how our neighborhood continues to protect its natural beauty and deep sense of belonging, determined to maintain its charm and care for one another through everything.”
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Lili Todd
Lili Todd is an L.A.-raised illustrator and ceramic artist based in Yucca Valley whose work reflects her inherently optimistic spirit and interest in folk art, traditional craft and risograph printing.
On community in L.A.: “The Los Angeles art community is what shaped me as a person and quite literally raised me. Having creative spaces so readily available across the city, including the Creative Arts Group pottery studio in Sierra Madre, Giant Robot gallery on Sawtelle and Remainders Creative Reuse store in Pasadena (to name a few), is a truly magical experience that I will be forever grateful for. Thank you to all the small businesses that make up L.A. — a city like no other.”
Download phone background here
Download desktop background here
Srimoyee Acharya
Srimoyee Acharya is an Altadena-based artist whose work features whimsical designs showcasing nature, backyard wildlife, and pets. Her illustrated goods brand, Srimoyee Handmade, supports animal rescue groups, and she has donated nearly $15,000 since starting her business.
On community in L.A.: “What I miss most about Altadena is how much my community loved and cared for local plants and wildlife. Neighbors put up ‘peacock crossing’ signs at intersections to protect the flock of nearly 40 peacocks that lived down the street (this flock is still residing and thriving!), and many gardens were filled with native plants and flowers.”
Download phone background here
This story originally appeared on LA Times
