Hello there! Welcome to the bio page. When I visit a writer or illustrator on the web, I usually head straight to the bio, in search of his or her personality, perspective, and —ideally—secrets of success (with intent to steal and use them for my own purposes, of course). Some of these folks are delightfully revealing! Others keep it mysterious. I’m pretty much an open book (har har).
I have a fairly typical writer/illustrator history…I’ve had my nose buried in one book or another since the day I learned to read. Encouraged by my parents and a couple of wonderful teachers (thanks Mrs. Hansen and Mrs. Staley!), I began to write and illustrate my own stories way back in second grade. I loved painting, drawing and making stuff, and always had huge visions — though limited means for producing them. Sometimes my mom helped out (see below). Thanks, Mom.
I always knew that when I grew up I would write and illustrate books. My mom says that I laughed at the suggestion that I might one day have a 9-5 type of job or work in an office. Sure enough, while at Brown University, I majored in studio arts and took every class I could sneak into in the illustration department at Rhode Island School of Design, thus assuring my future as a hand-to-mouth, paycheck-to-paycheck freelance type. I sidelined my dream of being an illustrator (so impractical!) and worked as a freelance graphic designer (ever so slightly more practical) for many years, while slowly building a portfolio of stories and illustrations on the side.
When my son was born, I realized I could only go in so many directions at once, and I’d better focus on the things I truly loved. Playing with my family and making kids’ books are at the top of my list, so that’s how I try to spend most of my time these days. I have illustrated a number of books for trade and educational publishers, and I am currently writing and illustrating stories of my own. You can see more of my work at childrensillustrators.com. If you would like a print of something you see here, just contact me and I will see what I can do!
You are welcome to steal my secrets (if you find any). But please ask if you want to use my words or images. Seriously.