Hello there and welcome to my illustrative blog!
If you happened to stumble onto my main tab, you’ll see I’m an author & Illustrator for children’s books and YA illustrative comics. But, what you may not know is that I just don’t want to create stories; I want to create dreams, fun, and inspiration! It’s a big dream, but as they say “The biggest adventure you can take is to live the life of your dreams.”
I live and breath the Colorado air and neither my dogs or I can get enough of the mountain trails and rivers found in the magnificent bi-polar-weather state. Surrounded by my Coloradan family, I grew up on YA fantasy stories and t.v. series, which all contributed to my interest in these stories. But, I always gravitated toward the female characters and heroines the most, I still do, which is a big part as to why I started this journey in the first place-to help pave way for more female heroes.
All through my schooling, I would draw and develop my ideas little by little with the help of my art teachers, but my journey took a giant leap forward when I got my BFA in illustration at the Rocky Mountain College of Art & Design (RMCAD). There I found my key motivation and learned amazing illustrative skills taught by amazing illustrator professors. They educated. I learned. I graduated. Soon after, I found the Society of Children’s Books Writers and Illustrators (SCBWI) and was able to continue my illustrative skills and stories alongside other incredible authors and illustrators. Surrounding myself with such talent has really pushed me to create bigger and better stories. I’ve been apart of their impressive conferences for two years (so far!) and joined two critique groups along the way. They really are my support system and continue to help me on my author & illustrator journey. In a way they’ve become my second family.
Over my SCBWI years, I’ve been working on over 20 stories, all with amazing adventures and brave heroines. They stubble, they fall, they learn lessons, but they do it in the most amazing way possible that they brilliantly create hope, strength and solutions to their readers. That’s why I love being both the author & illustrator of my stories; I not only get to visually show the story, but develop my characters along with it. Most of my stories dive into everyday issues, but all have whimsical factors sprinkled in them, all in hopes to share, connect, and inspire my readers. And that is my dream. And I’m living it.