When other children played little league, rode horses, or collected dolls, I was writing stories with my little brother and coloring to my heart’s content. Growing up in the small artist community of Rockport, Massachusetts, there was plenty of inspiration with so many local galleries and the beautiful seaside scenery. Thinking back on it, there weren’t too many days that I didn’t have a marker, colored pencil or crayon in my hand at some point during the day.

Sitting at the kitchen table with a friend, drawing unicorns and Disney characters over cookies and milk, coloring intently while my mom brushed and dried my seemingly never-ending head of hair, getting out the basket of markers to make holiday cards for family, or lugging the newsprint pad, teddy bear in the crook of my arm, asking the infamous question, “Mom? Dad? What should I draw?”

A lot of children have different hobbies and interests, and grow out of them as time goes on. If they didn’t, our world would be overrun by ballerinas and astronauts. But for me, those crayons turned into colored pencils, and the colored pencils turned into chalk pastels, and the chalk pastels turned into acrylic and oil paints, and before I knew it, my artwork migrated from our fridge to school play posters, art galleries, a local museum, a children’s book, and this very website.

“Gwendolyn, the Graceful Pig” is the first book I have illustrated, and it’s been such an amazing opportunity. I hope to write and illustrate future books, and I encourage anyone interested in writing and illustrating to say hello! Outside of illustration, I also create pet portraits, and work as a freelance social media consultant, children’s musical theater composer, business copywriter, and mommy to some adorable pets.

A jack of all trades, I suppose you could say, but variety is the spice of life, right? I welcome your feedback about the website, the book, or anything else you’d like to get in touch with me about. Thanks so much for visiting!