Growing up among the pine trees of New Hampshire, I had an early appreciation for beauty. With an elementary school that encouraged both writing and art, I was quickly enraptured in the prospects of becoming a writer and illustrator--complete with my seven spiral bound, laminated books. As an adult I had the opportunity to hear Will Hillenbrand speak about his career at a school presentation and I was hooked. Choosing to adapt my undergraduate (which was formally in Art Education) to be more children’s literature based, I had the chance to intern and do freelance work for Holiday House Publishing Company in NYC where I learned the ins and outs to the publishing world. While working on a biography of Trina Schart Hyman I have met countless artists and writers who shared their experiences freely with me all of which helped inform and bring growth to my experience as an artist. After a year and a half of graduate work in Illustration, I now happily enjoy life with a labrador retriever pup, a pair of paint-spattered overalls, and a fold-up canvas and my trusty paint covered laptop.