What motivates you as a writer and illustrator?

​

I love to compose stories and illustrations that stretch the imagination. I enjoy playing with the sounds and shapes of words in the same way that I play with lines, shapes, textures and colors in my artwork. I especially like the picture book genre, where each turn of the page brings new surprises. 

My goal as an author and illustrator is to create fictional stories that encourage inventive thinking and teach something new, while still being exciting and fun to read.

​

My illustrations are motivated by the thrill of creating something or someone new—a character or a place that has only now come into existence.

Through my own creative process, I combine realistic traits with whimsical qualities, allowing the young reader to relate to the story and feel connected with the characters, while also inviting the reader’s imagination to participate in the storytelling.

In developing a new character, I am intrigued by the way a character’s personality can be portrayed through his or her postures and gestures—a dragging shoelace or a tightly pinned barrette can reveal more about the character than is written in the text.

I like to have new surprises in every page turn, and I always add hidden gems to each illustration (sometimes geared more toward the adult reading the story) to prompt the rereading of a book again and again, discovering new delights with each experience.