Tiny me doodled flowers instead school work. Crayon art hung in my "gallery" (grandma's coat closet) after coloring for the entire visit. Without permission I painted sea creatures on my bedroom walls. I crafted unique jewelry with beads (gave each piece its own name), sold my art at fairs, and designed illustrated envelopes to share my seed harvests. My Fine Arts degree and a Digital Arts degree are so I could be a grown-up with a job. I'm still painting my walls and making art because I am forever an artist.
My most recent work has been in children's book illustration. For the longest time picture books were the only kind of book I could read. I guess I was mostly reading the pictures. It seems silly to have kids leave these gorgeous, colorful, entertaining, and information filled books behind as they grow into bigger books. Now, I'm a kid in a candy store when I browse the stacks. While working really hard for my stories to be shared, I hit a wall. Being perfect is the opposite of being an artist.
Crayons have helped a lot. I'm excited to share what art should be every time I host my "Create Art with Crayons" workshops. It should be what YOU want out of it. The joy of creating art.
