I love stories. I love the way they stick, and all of the incredible things that stories make me think. And feel. And learn. And do. And, yet, I love design. Great design can tell a vast and complex story in a super concise way. Design pushes me to do more with less — to walk a tight rope between simplicity of form and complexity of function.
Somewhere along the line, I’ve fallen in love with blending rich illustrations with fun narrative to connect with kids. It’s energizing that picture books are a place where art and words can’t survive without each other.
My visual approach weaves in lettering, illustration, painting and printmaking — but each project I tackle is carefully built layer-by-layer through research, imagination, thoughtful questions and plenty of sketching.
My husband, Kyle, and I call the Orlando area home — along with our three kids, and a blend of furry and scaly critters. Off the clock, you can find me corralling our kids, swimming, daydreaming at the beach, painting, playing board games, attempting to walk our dogs — and generally creating things that I’m excited about.
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And, if you want more backstory —
I grew up in metro Detroit, and edged my way into the design world working on, and later managing, the production team that churned out all of the Dodge Car marketing materials and the Mercedes Benz USA dealer magazine. Those Motor City years hard-wired into me a keen eye for detail and design consistency, and less-glamorous-for-an-artist (but super-important) skills — like managing deadlines and people. From there, I worked as a designer/art director at HoMedics working on branding and packaging development for their group of brands including PowerMat and products for Sharper Image and Black&Decker.
Over the last eight years, my self-named creative studio has had the joy of partnering with other creatives to see their dreams shift from “what if?” to reality. It’s been fantastic — businesses launching, ministries taking off, channels starting, plenty of merch, conferences created, and more.
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Interview with the Independent Book Publishers Association
More about my journey — Lulu’s Kickstarter campaign
Fostering Creativity (guest post) — Satisfaction for Insatiable Readers
Interview — First Characters, Unique Pets, and More — Cover Lover Book Review
Photograph by Yanitza Ninett.