Who or what made you want to become an illustrator?

I can remember sitting and looking at books for hours before I could even read.  I'd be absorbed in the pictures I saw.  When my mother took me to get my library card when I was six, I was amazed at all the books I could take out and look at.  I loved it.  

I was always drawing, painting, coloring (in my older sisters books!). My mother encouraged us to do art projects and provided the materials. We made glue from flour and water in a pinch.  I remember a scotch tape phase and still find old books I taped designs in.  We wroted and illustrated our own books too with stapled paper. 

When I was in the third grade, I asked my teacher if I could be an illustrator when I grew up. I was so happy when she said yes, it was possible. From then on, that was what I wanted to be. I wanted to do it before then, but that's when I knew it was an actual job.  .  

Did you attend art school or undertake any other formal artistic training?

I loved art all through grade school and had a teacher that encouraged me.  In highschool, I was stuck with a schedule that didn't allow art classes.  When I was a junior, I was in a math class that I could not understand and didn't want to.  I was allowed to drop that class and I got into an art class! That made all the difference to me. I started looking forward to school.  

After high school I went to a community college and majored in fine arts.  After finishing an associate's degree, I transferred to Rhode Island School of Design. I was in heaven!  I took all the classes I could on children's book and did a couple independent studies with Judy Sue Goodwin-Sturges, who I looked on as a mentor. I also took classes with Chris Van Allsburg and David Macaulay. I went to a summer workshop with Uri Shulevitz.  Those were valuable experiences. 

Do you keep a sketch book?

I try to work in my sketch book daily.  I have found it a valuable resource. Sometimes when I am stuck for ideas, I go back through old sketch books and find inspiration in old drawings and ideas. It is a good place to work out ideas and drawings and is also a journal of sorts.  

Tell us about the creation of your favourite character from one of your books.

One of my favorite characters is a mouse in a sailor dress. I first drew her in about ten years ago.  I was stuck with artist's block.  I had never drawn anthromorphic animals.  I began looking through books illustrated by Ernest Shepard, Lynn Munsinger, Garth Williams, and Margot Apple.  I started drawing mice, rabbits, frogs, dogs and horses in clothing and making settings for them. Eventually, the mouse in her sailor dress came out.  

I have since written and done dummies for a few stories about the mouse and her ladybug friend. 

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

I grew up with cats, dogs, horses, rabbits, turtles, and birds.  One of my first memories is crawling after one of our cats. I used to like to crawl up on the bed beside our cats and try to curl myself in a circle like they did.  

I currently have two cats and two dogs. They are my companions and helpers.  

Are you an author/illustrator?

I've been working on several stories which I wrote and illustrated and made dummies for.  My dream is to get them published.  I have series about a mouse and her ladybug friend.  I love to work on these stories. The characters are fun to draw and I love thinking up adventures for them.  One of their stories is a wordless story.  I also have several other dummies completed for different characters and stories.