
The process of inking Snakes Wear Socks.
Yep. I use to get in trouble, busily scribbling away during class. Well, OK, some of my little pictures included not so favorable drawings of my teachers. And then there was the time I painted mustaches on myself and two of my friends while the substitute teacher was not looking. We called ourselves The Three Musketeers. We Musketeers basked in glory all right, washing the hallway walls during lunch while our friends cheered us on.
That was in grade school when punishment for the crime was a little less serious. But then there was high school, where I developed a recognizable style, and it was here I gained special recognition for my talent on a much higher level, so to speak. I thought it would be clever to spray paint our high school mascot and name across the length of a bridge close to a rival high school. So with two friends holding onto my legs, I hung upside down and painted away.
That recognizable style I was telling you about earned me a spot in the office of the police department; washing walls would not get me out of that one.
I can’t seem to stop. As an adult I am still breaking the rules of creativity and encouraging children to do the same. I’ve been illustrating children’s books, magazines and games professionally for more than 20 years now. I love this work because I love children. They are playful and uncensored, and I want to help them learn to nurture their creativity regardless of whether it makes sense.
My illustration style is whimsical with an emphasis on bold, impressionistic colors. Some books I have illustrated include "Johnny Appleseed", "Gigantic George", "The Weather", "Barnyard Babies", "Puppet Playhouse", "Mother Goose Rhymes" and more. I have also illustrated books and games for Spider Magazine.
I’ve worked with a number of publishers including but not limited to Scott Foresman, Pearson, Harcourt Brace, Addison Wesley, Houghton Mifflin, McGraw-Hill, and Scholastic.
Currently, I am working on a book written by new Author Kyle Chandler-Isacksen called "Snakes Wear Socks". "This is an endearing story of a boy who keeps ‘losing’ his socks as autumn approaches,” Kyle says. “When he sees all the kids on his soccer team with the same problem, he knows there’s more afoot. The mystery is solved in a hilarious full-spread scene in a room full of surprised and slithering sock-wearing snakes.”
Right now I reside in Los Angeles and I travel the U.S., visiting schools and interacting with kids. When I return to the Midwest for Halloween, kids from all over come to see my haunted house and play with Brave the Dragon, a rescued greyhound dressed in a handmade dragon costume.
Throughout my travels, I am always missing my own two children, Jessica and Sara, who are grown now but remain a huge inspiration in my work.
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