In Her Own Words...
"It was never my plan to become a writer and illustrator of children's books. Although I knew from the age of ten that I wanted to be an artist, it took a long time to discover just what kind of an artist I would be.
"When I was in art school, first at Pratt Institute and then at Portland School of Art, I was a painting major. To be honest, though, I was classified as a painting major because no one could figure out where else to put me. At that time I was making Joseph Cornell-like box constructions, with collage, found objects, and drawings. Graduation from art school left me unable to afford a large enough living space to store all the wonderful junk necessary for my constructions, so I devoted myself almost completely to my drawing.
"After exhibiting my work several times during the next few years, I was encouraged by a friend familiar with publishing to try my hand at illustration. On a whim I made a completely unorganized trip to New York, then Boston. Despite the fact that I did everything all wrong, I managed to get my first job illustrating a children's book. I've been illustrating ever since, and now, with the help and encouragement of Susan Hirschman, I am writing children's books as well.
"I grew up in Maine and still summer there, but I presently live and work in Houston, Texas, with my daughter, Anna, and son, John Gabriel. I love what I do and feel truly blessed in the life I have.
"An important reason why I love what I do so much is that it combines so many of my interests: art, of course; language; fairy tales and mythology; day and night dreams; the world of the child. The last, "the world of the child," is a deeply personal interest for me; I think, in a way, that I have never grown up. I guess I hope I never will."
In Her Own Words...
"It was never my plan to become a writer and illustrator of children's books. Although I knew from the age of ten that I wanted to be an artist, it took a long time to discover just what kind of an artist I would be.
"When I was in art school, first at Pratt Institute and then at Portland School of Art, I was a painting major. To be honest, though, I was classified as a painting major because no one could figure out where else to put me. At that time I was making Joseph Cornell-like box constructions, with collage, found objects, and drawings. Graduation from art school left me unable to afford a large enough living space to store all the wonderful junk necessary for my constructions, so I devoted myself almost completely to my drawing.
"After exhibiting my work several times during the next few years, I was encouraged by a friend familiar with publishing to try my hand at illustration. On a whim I made a completely unorganized trip to New York, then Boston. Despite the fact that I did everything all wrong, I managed to get my first job illustrating a children's book. I've been illustrating ever since, and now, with the help and encouragement of Susan Hirschman, I am writing children's books as well.
"I grew up in Maine and still summer there, but I presently live and work in Houston, Texas, with my daughter, Anna, and son, John Gabriel. I love what I do and feel truly blessed in the life I have.
"An important reason why I love what I do so much is that it combines so many of my interests: art, of course; language; fairy tales and mythology; day and night dreams; the world of the child. The last, "the world of the child," is a deeply personal interest for me; I think, in a way, that I have never grown up. I guess I hope I never will."
