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When I was a little girl, I didn’t see many illustrations of children that looked like me. As a young girl of mixed ethnic backgrounds, I considered myself a melting pot—being a mix of Caucasian (English, Irish, Scottish, French), Mexican, and two dashes of Native American thrown in for flavor. For that reason, in my illustrations, I try to include children that are not necessarily of one ethnicity or another, but that are of mixed heritage like me.
I’m a long time member of the International Society of Children's Book Writers & Illustrators. Over the years I have been a computer programmer, a stay-at-home mom, an art docent, a Cub Scout den leader, and an art instructor to grade school children. I have attended workshops and classes on both writing and illustrating children's picture books, including a class at the School of Visual Concepts (Seattle) taught by author/illustrator Keith Baker, and a workshop on Painting with Acrylics (Seattle) taught by author/illustrator Max Grover. I belong to a writer/illustrator critique group which has been meeting monthly since 1994. I live on five acres bordering the Cedar River in Washington State. When I'm not busy creating stories and art, or observing the myriad wildlife around me, you'll find me working in my garden, or riding my smiling horse! (see adjacent photo.) |
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