My favorite time in kindergarten was going to the easel to paint. Along with my imaginary friend Cubby and other neighborhood children, I found building with blocks and creating forts a way to activate my imagination. 

 

Playing the piano was an early love of mine, but when I turned fifteen my mother sent me to an art camp focused on the visual arts. I was smitten and subsequently steered my creativity towards drawing and painting, majoring in studio arts in college. Later I became a graphic artist with a fondness and aptitude for design and color. 

 

My love for and expertise in various art media blossomed as I took workshops and studied with artists I admired. A residency at the School of Visual Arts proved helpful in advancing my illustration capabilities, but I desired to adapt my skills toward children’s literature. To meet the challenge in this competitive field, I entered a five year combined MFA degree program in both illustration and writing for children at Hollins University, graduating in May 2019.

 

When I am not writing and illustrating, I bicycle around Washington, DC, roam the National Gallery of Art, and sketch or photograph the diversity of landscape, architecture, and people in the District.