How I became an artist
My desire to create pictures and outlandish characters began when I clutched a crayon in my chubby hand. After realizing that periwinkle is not as tasty as it looks, I began scratching the color on random surfaces. Voila! Much more satisfying!
I spent much of my childhood scribbling relentlessly on every available surface in our house. My artwork took a turn for the dramatic when my mom sent me down to the basement with a big box of colored chalk to scribble to my heart’s content on the unpainted cement walls – one big endless sidewalk for my chalk. I began sketching pictures of monsters and maidens, ogres and alligators, rambling through imaginary narratives as I drew my way around the perimeter of the room. A childhood den of artiquity!
A steady diet of picture books became a journey for me into a world of magic and discovery. The characters, composition, and color left an indelible memory - I found a good yarn irresistible, and I loved to see how the imagery came to life in the hands of the artists. That experience began a lifelong love of picture books and their authors and illustrators – I have collected picture books with pleasure ever since. It is a treasure hunt to find an old or new book that makes me smile and inspires me when I illustrate my own books.
I landed my first book after a company I worked for went bankrupt and dumped me in Des Moines. After an intrepid trip to New York with my portfolio I was offered my first manuscript. I am thrilled to say I have now illustrated about 30 picture books. I recently wrote and illustrated my first book, Gingerbread Mouse – my favorite accomplishment.
My artwork can be also be found on greeting cards, puzzles, game boards, stickers, kids’ craft projects, posters, drawing books, and museum banners.
I was raised in a family with an irreverent sense of humor and a flair for the dramatic…. rowdy behavior and “loudmouthed buffoonery” (my Dad’s apt description) were a common occurrence at home. I like to think that that sense of whimsy, that sense of the amusing and unexpected, spill over into my artwork…. in a good way, of course. And I proudly admit that my favorite art supplies remain the art junkie trifecta – glitter, googly eyes, and sequins.
I visit schools to enjoy the great company of kids and their teachers, and to relish and relive my memories of elementary school art classes with paste and paper, glitter, clay and feathers. We talk about words, what they mean and how they sound, and swap art tips and story ideas. It is hard to return to my studio after a romp with a bunch of first graders eating paste and making fearless and wonderful pictures!
But a deliciously blank piece of paper waits for the jumble of letters and words that I hope will tumble into place, along with the images that will give my next story shape and form.
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