Hi Everyone! My special guest is Julissa Mora, children's book author and illustrator. Here is more about Julissa: Julissa Mora is a children’s book author and illustrator and surface designer living in Austin, TX. She made her author/illustrator debut with Baking with Abuelita published by Random House Books for Young Readers. She enjoys creating whimsical scenes filled with cute and playful characters. She has illustrated a number of books, editorial publications, toy packaging designs, and puzzles, and has created work for many other applications. Julissa's Website: https://www.julissamora ..read more

Hi Everyone! My guest today is Lenny Wen, children's book author and illustrator, and I'm a fan of her work! Here is more about Lenny: Lenny Wen is an author-illustrator who was born in Indonesia. She is the author/illustrator of several picture books, SPICY SPICY HOT(2023) and WOLFGANG IN THE MEADOW. When she is not illustrating or writing, you might find her staring at the trees, doodling hundreds of bears in her sketchbook, filling up her cup with coffee, or hugging her dog. Lenny's website: https://lennywen.com/ Lenny's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lunartcy/ Thank you for listeni ..read more

Hi Everyone! Today my guest is Erin K. Robinson, Illustrator of some fabulous books. Here is more about Erin: Erin K. Robinson is an Emmy-nominated illustrator in the News and Documentary category. Trained at the Parsons School of Design and the Corcoran School of Art, Erin’s illustrations have been featured in the New York Times and the Washington Post, among others. She works in a variety of mediums that include watercolor, ink, markers, charcoal, stencil, collage as well as digital artistry. She is the illustrator of the A Library and the Magical Snowflake published by Union Square Kids ..read more

Hi Everyone! My guest is Meg Auchenback, children's book author and illustrator. It was a delight to speak with Meg, and here is more about her: Meg Auchenbach, Children’s Author & Illustrator and her debut IF YOU ARE AN ARTIST (Peter Pauper Press, 2024) was inspired by her former career as an elementary art teacher, where she watched children daydream, experiment, and create. Meg’s hope is to create stories that inspire magical thoughts and cultivate a sense of wonder. Meg's Website: ⁠https://www.megauchenbach.com/⁠ Meg's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/megauchenbachart ..read more

Hi Everyone! Today's guest is Violet Tobacco, an Atlanta-based illustrator I met at the SCBWI Southern Breeze Springmingle. Here is more about Violet. Violet is an illustrator based in Atlanta, Georgia. Violet studied theater in college but gravitated toward other mediums of art before graduating. Always a storyteller with an affinity for whimsy, humor, and a well-delivered moral.  Violet's clients include Scholastic, Simon & Schuster, Hachette, and Disney Hyperion. You can find Violet online at: https://www.instagram.com/violettobacco/ https://www.violettobacco.com/ More about Viol ..read more

Hi Everyone! My special guest is Merrill Rainey, Picture-Book-Creator and Paper-Toy-Maker. Here is more about Merrill: Growing up, Merrill Rainey spent most of his Saturday afternoons drawing, watching monster movies, and going on imaginary adventures. Today, he is a cowboy-boot-wearing, picture-book-creator and paper-toy-maker. Merrill’s work focuses on exploring creativity and imaginative play. His current titles include Roar! I’m a Dinosaur (winner of the Good Housekeeping Best Kids' Board Book of 2022), Oink! I’m a Pig, and the Color, Cut, Create series. His newest illustrated title Giant ..read more

Hi, Everyone! I decided to discuss why Art Teachers Make Good Freelancers. As I was working as an art teacher and freelance illustrator, I started noticing that there were experiences I'd had that allowed me to do better at my second go around with working as a children's book illustrator. Thank you for listening! Please subscribe and rate the podcast ..read more

Hi Everyone! I interviewed Amy Houts, a children's book author who has written over 100 children's books. She has written for a wide range of markets. It's incredible what she has accomplished in her career! She was so kind to share. Amy's site: https://www.amyhouts.com/ Amy's X/Twitter: https://twitter.com/AmyHouts Thank you for listening! Please like, subscribe or leave a review of the podcast ..read more

Hi, Everyone! I got to speak with return guest Lu Pan about what it was like finishing his Master's Degree in Accessories Design and his reflections on his internships, award-winning designs, and career path. Lu on Linkedin https://www.linkedin.com/in/lupandesign/ Lu's website https://www.lupandesign.com/ Thank you for listening ..read more

Hi Everyone, this was a very hard episode to record, but I wanted to talk about a former guest, Reema Zoumut, an art teacher I'd been fortunate to have met during my time as a teacher. Her students fondly referred to her as Mrs. Z. She taught animation, graphic design, and photography. She was also a guest on the podcast. A little over a year ago Reema passed away, and I wanted to say some words about having known her. She was so giving, and never expected anything in return. Just be a good teacher. If you had met her, you would have loved her too. Thanks for listening ..read more