Who or what made you want to become an illustrator?

It was a mixture of the children's picture books I picked up from the library along with my passion to draw and create my own characters and environments. One of my favorite things to do as a child was to go to the library and pick out a large bundle of children's picture books and bring them home to read. I especially liked to look at the amazing illustrations inside each book. The bright colors, thrilling environments, and fun characters were so intriguing to me. 

As I have grown up and my artistic skills have developed further, my passion and interest in seeing my own illustrations displayed in these books has continued to grow . I simply love drawing, and I look forward to becoming a full-time children's book illustrator.

Where do you currently live and where did you grow up?

I currently live and grew up in the village of Schuylerville, located in upstate New York. It's very green in the summer and covered in snow in the winter. I'm mostly surrounded by forest and farm land, of which I love to explore and ride my bike through. I also enjoy the magnificent sunrises and sunsets we experience here.

Who or what have been some of your major artistic influences?

I love the works of many illustrators. I really enjoy the illustrations of David Antram in the "You Wouldn't Want To Be" book series. I love his line work and visually rich character design. When I started working more digitally, I fell in love with the works of Alex Vede. The style that he brings forth by mixing traditional ink sketches with digital rendering appeals to me in a big way! I have used some of the inspiration I received from these artists to create some digital character designs from The Ranger's Apprentice Series by John Flanagan.

Which books from your own childhood really stand out?

There are so many great ones! Some of my favorites would have to be Garfield, Henry and Mudge, and Mr. Putter and Tabby. Garfield was my favorite comic to read. The way Jim Davis illustrated and wrote each comic always had me laughing and wanting to turn the page to read more. The amount of comedic scenes he was able to think of to fill up 71 books is simply impressive! I grew up on a small farm and loved being surrounded by many pets and animals. I think that is why I enjoyed the connection between animal and owner illustrated in both the Henry and Mudge and Mr. Putter and Tabby book series. Adventure books are still my favorite. The constant adventures that would happen to the characters in those two book series always kept me engrossed in the story.

Talk us through the process of creating one of your latest illustrations or books.

My process usually starts with an idea of what I want to draw, then I gather references of things that I will be including in my scene. For instance, if I were doing a character design, I would search for pose ideas, clothing references, and color schemes that would look nice together. Next, I lightly sketch out the character or scene that I want to create. Once the construction is to my satisfaction, I start adding more details and drawing the final line work. Lastly, I color and render the Illustration and enjoy the final piece!

What do you do in your spare time?

In my spare time, I love to go rock climbing. As an Illustrator, I spend much of my time sitting at my desk. Therefore, the sport of rock climbing not only serves as a fun pastime but also as great exercise that keeps me feeling active and fit. I enjoy doodling in my sketchbook in my spare time as well. When I doodle freely, that is when I create some of my favorite characters!

Outline your dream project.

My dream project would be a medieval-themed adventure book! Medieval-themed scenes and characters are so thrilling to me. Drawing knights, castles, and Robin Hood-type characters has always been my favorite to illustrate.

What makes a good children’s book?

An intriguing, simple, and comprehensible story with a pinch of humor and lovable characters.

How do you overcome a creative block?

If I have a creative block, one exercise I have tried is to open a sketch book and scribble all over the page. I then create an illustration from the jumble of lines on the page. This is great practice and has given me some very interesting results! (See image below).

Animals feature heavily in children’s books – do you have a pet?

I sure do! Her name is Lizzie, and she loves hanging around the studio and watching me work. She also enjoys being the center of attention and lying on anything that looks important, including the illustration that I am working on or the pencils that are in use.