Hi. I'm Melissa. Here are a few quick facts about me.
Favorite color: Don't have one--I love them all. Favorite children's book as a kid: The Monster at the End of this Book. My mom recorded me reading it, which got lost. Favorite children's book now: Hmm. There are too many. I'll go with Diary of a Wombat. Favorite art media: Watercolor. A favorite thing to do: Go for a nature walk with our poodles. A place I'd love to visit: England, Norway, New Zealand ... do I have to pick just one? Motto: Always look on the bright side of life. (Borrowed from Monty Python.) Not-so-guilty pleasure: Chocolate, of course! And below is more of my story. |
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How I became an illustrator...
When I was a little girl, my dream job was to be a children’s book illustrator. But this seemed impractical, improbable and impossible.
So I grew up and worked “real” jobs: dental assistant, pizza maker, cleaning lady, and even a stint as a face painter and caricaturist at the Toledo Zoo in Ohio. Art was mainly a hobby. Friends and family kept urging me to use my talent in a professional as well as personal way. It was more than a little scary, but I gulped, took the leap and became a freelance artist.
Since 2009, it has been an absolute blast and privilege to illustrate over 40 children’s books, including the 2016 Moonbeam Spirit Award-winning Jamie’s Journey: Cancer From the Voice of a Sibling by Sharon Wozny. It's been amazing to work with clients from all over the world, including far-flung places like the Netherlands and Australia, and some pretty cool organizations too (like the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum).
Forever a kid at heart, I live a quiet life in rural Michigan, which is just how I like it. Almost every day, you can find me in my sometimes-sunny studio, happily surrounded by poodles and art supplies.
So I grew up and worked “real” jobs: dental assistant, pizza maker, cleaning lady, and even a stint as a face painter and caricaturist at the Toledo Zoo in Ohio. Art was mainly a hobby. Friends and family kept urging me to use my talent in a professional as well as personal way. It was more than a little scary, but I gulped, took the leap and became a freelance artist.
Since 2009, it has been an absolute blast and privilege to illustrate over 40 children’s books, including the 2016 Moonbeam Spirit Award-winning Jamie’s Journey: Cancer From the Voice of a Sibling by Sharon Wozny. It's been amazing to work with clients from all over the world, including far-flung places like the Netherlands and Australia, and some pretty cool organizations too (like the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum).
Forever a kid at heart, I live a quiet life in rural Michigan, which is just how I like it. Almost every day, you can find me in my sometimes-sunny studio, happily surrounded by poodles and art supplies.
