AUTHOR and/or ILLUSTRATOR
I am the author of fourteen children’s books (including two Fisher-Price bestsellers); have art directed, painted and designed hundreds more. I am currently working with Daffodil Press, a small independent publisher, as an author, illustrator and book designer. My latest works are "Slippery Soap!" and "Swan Pond" co-authored with Carol Paterno and illustrated by me, and "Saving Montana" illustrated for author John Paolucci. (I’ve even turned some of the art from my book "Slippery Soap!" into material art sold at spoonflower.com.) I'm currently in the process of finishing my latest book as co-author and illustrator.
Back in the day, I was art director/painter/book designer for children’s author Mercer Mayer (who also taught me valued watercolor techniques and for whom I also painted books and special projects) for 10 years. I supervised his four publishing companies (Mercer Mayer Productions, Mercer Mayer Ltd., Green Frog Publishers, and Rainbird Productions), and many merchandising projects. I handled all his licensed characters and worked with top children's publishers such as Golden Books, Dial, Macmillan, and Troll.
Moving on, I wrote and designed for other children's publishers (Reader's Digest Young Families, and Random House), specializing in intricate flap and die-cut formats and unique activity-related story-telling. I also illustrated behind-the-scenes with an agency for licensed characters: Tonka, Sesame Street, Barney, Groovy Girls and Totally Spies.
I wrote and designed two adult biographies ("Ned Anderson: Appalachian Trailblazer and Small Town Renaissance Man" and Florence Quammie Jackson's memories "A Life in Color" as well, edited and designed "Sentinel Houses & Barns," a book on local historical homes for a historical Society, and designed a photo retrospective book, "Mistover the First Ten Years," for a private client. Even tried my hand illustrating a flip book for a local museum!
I hold degrees in English Writing, Fine Art, Illustration and Graphics. All with honors, I might humbly add.
I’ve had an extensive career working in a variety of creative environments in addition to publishing. I proudly possess Jane-of-All-Trades credentials and have my own studio, where I combine my talents on a diversity of fun and interesting and challenging projects.
