How did you discover your passion for illustration and get started in your career? I’ve wanted to be a children’s book illustrator since I was young, and I would spend hours poring over picture books that became my earliest artistic influences. I fell in love with the work of artists like Jerry Pinkney, Beatrix Potter, Maurice Sendak, Shel Silverstein and Chris Van Allsburg, but it was David Wiesner who inspired me most with his fantastical worlds, rich color palettes, meticulous detail and sense of realism.

After completing a fine arts foundation program at Boston University, I transferred to The Art Institute of Boston to study illustration. Still, I wasn’t ready to pursue it professionally after graduation, so I worked instead as an admissions counselor, graphic designer and MFA program coordinator before I shifted gears to teach my own Reggio Emilia–inspired art classes for children from one to five years old. Later, I earned a master’s in early childhood development from Lesley University and spent seven years as a professor of early childhood.

All the while, I continued creating children’s book illustrations independently and attended Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators conferences each year. Still, I often felt unsure of my direction. It wasn’t until 2020 that I began to question why I hadn’t fully committed to illustration. That same year, I enrolled in the low-residency MFA program at the University of Hartford, then run by C. F. Payne and now by Leslie Cober.

The program opened a new creative path, letting me develop a body of work centered on editorial portraiture. It opened me up to a whole new world and gave me the opportunity to explore my love for editorial portraiture, and I developed a style working digitally in Procreate. My passion was ignited by this program, which set me on a new journey to become an editorial illustrator—something I had never considered. Seeing my illustrations published in magazines and newspapers was a dream come true!

What personal experiences have greatly impacted your style or body of work? In the end, we are a culmination of our experiences, relationships and careers. Each chapter of my journey has helped me develop skills that prepared me for this profession, while every interest I’ve explored has shaped an authentic perspective in my body of work. My passion for people making a difference, my love for nature and the environment, and my interest in editorial illustration inspired my first portrait series that highlighted youth activism. Raising my two boys has also deepened my compassion and provided meaningful experiences I draw upon in my work. All of these influences—along with my MFA in illustration—have shaped me as an artist and guided me toward becoming a professional illustrator.

What medium or media do you primarily work in? I mostly work in Procreate on an iPad for my professional projects. I love the versatility of working digitally and the freedom to create from anywhere—on a plane, at a baseball game or even while awaiting surgery at the hospital (a true story)! When clients request changes, I can make quick edits and easily meet an art director’s needs and timeline.

At the same time, I’ve been exploring my illustration style through traditional media such as oil, acrylic and gouache, often finishing these works digitally. I enjoy combining media, like incorporating hand-painted textures into digital pieces or refining traditional work on my iPad. This hybrid approach keeps my work evolving and helps me stay creatively engaged.

As an artist, you’ve worked on everything from children’s books to covers to editorial illustrations. How does your process change from creating long-form illustrated narratives to distilling an entire narrative in one editorial image? While editorial and children’s book illustration jobs may start in a similar way—often with many thumbnails—the timeline, pacing and overall process are very different. Editorial assignments can take anywhere from 24 hours to a few weeks, while the timeline for a children’s book can stretch over a year or more. Each requires a different mindset and workflow.

As an editorial illustrator, I check my email frequently no matter where I am, respond quickly to requests from art directors and, sometimes, clear my schedule at a moment’s notice to meet a deadline. The work requires discipline, flexibility, clear communication, an open mind, lots of practice and the confidence to create strong work within a limited timeframe.

With children’s books, I must sustain focus over a much longer period and stay committed to a single project. Sometimes, that means turning down editorial jobs or setting aside time for personal work. It requires a longer attention span, careful time management, realistic expectations and patience.

There is a special magic in creating an editorial illustration for a newspaper and seeing it appear online or in print just hours after submitting the final artwork. Waiting a year or two to see a children’s book published can be just as exciting—though the anticipation can make the time feel much longer.

Tell us about your fourth and most recent children’s book, Getting to Work, which will be published in March 2026. What is the book’s subject, and how did you choose to convey it through your illustrations? It’s my third book for the banking company MountainOne, based on its spokesgoat Mo. The series follows Mo and his animal friends on adventures while exploring topics related to success—achieving goals, saving, friendship, overcoming hardship and working on a farm. I like to create illustrations with dynamic perspectives, interesting viewpoints, engaging characters and an inviting color palette. I love the opportunity to draw animal characters, and I enjoy telling stories through children’s books.

Other than Getting to Work, what have been some of your other favorite works you’ve created, commissioned and personal? I enjoy creating illustrations or paintings that tell a story, evoke a feeling, or have a powerful message. One project I loved was a volunteer illustration for the National Labor Federation calendar, which centered around the topic of “Women Leading Working Communities Forward.” I created it in collaboration with the Eastern Service Workers Association (ESWA), an organization based in Dorchester, Massachusetts, that helps support low-income service workers. For the project, I went to ESWA to meet with some of the amazing women who help run the organization and to volunteer in their clothing drive. I was inspired by their stories and their powerful advocacy to help end poverty. To create a more authentic illustration, I posed and photographed ESWA members as references based on the sketches I created. I was honored to win awards from the Society of Illustrators New York and Society of Illustrators Los Angeles for this project.

How do you incorporate experimentation into your creative process to find new approaches to illustration? I find inspiration and creativity all around me. I believe deeply in being a lifelong learner and continually exploring new media, techniques and ideas within my artistic practice. Curiosity fuels my work, and growth is at the heart of everything I create. I strive to keep pushing my work forward rather than settling into a single method.

I recently returned from a ten-day figurative oil painting workshop in Venice, Italy, where I studied with Mary Beth McKenzie and painted alongside a group of talented artists from the Art Students League of New York. Since then, I have been developing a more painterly approach to my illustration work while also building a body of fine art. Pushing my work in new directions and stepping outside my comfort zone helps me grow and become a more innovative artist.

In addition to working as an illustrator, you teach as an adjunct professor of illustration and fine art. What do you enjoy about working with students, and how do they inspire your own work? With a long history of teaching in many different settings, I find genuine joy in supporting artists as they grow and develop. As a teacher, my goal is to help students become who they are meant to be—not who I think they should be. I believe artists need to build strong technical skills and expand their ways of working, but they must also learn to listen closely to their own unique voice and discover their true potential. I encourage students to recognize and lean into their strengths while finding ways to continue learning and growing as artists.

Many artists struggle with finding their voice, developing a recognizable style and, most importantly, gaining the confidence to believe in their work. Being an artist is not for the faint of heart. It requires a strong internal drive and a dedicated work ethic. I never want to miss an opportunity to push my work further simply because I wasn’t willing to spend a little extra time exploring a new lighting choice, perspective, composition or idea. These moments matter. The work we put into our illustrations matters. From the time we spend sketching to the depth of our research and the effort we put into creating photo references, every step contributes to the integrity of the final artwork. I take this to heart and continually push myself to work hard.

What advice would you give to illustrators just starting their careers today? Building a successful illustration business requires a wide range of skills. It’s not only about creating beautiful artwork that is timely and meets a client’s needs or about promoting your work and getting your name out there. It’s also about communication, relationships and attitude. Clients need to enjoy working with you.

There are countless talented illustrators in the world, many of whom could complete a project just as well as you could. So, why would a client choose you—and more importantly, why would they hire you again? Successful illustrators meet many of the qualities clients look for, building trust and reliability over time. Anyone might get lucky and land a job with an art director once, but a strong illustrator earns the second, third, and fourth opportunities as well.

Create work you love. Don’t try to make what you think others want to see. Develop work that feels authentic and unique. Art directors look for illustrators with a distinct voice who can meet the needs of a project.

Be reliable and efficient. Deliver work on time, allow space for last-minute changes, and manage your schedule wisely.

Produce high-quality work. Take every stage of the process seriously. The effort you invest—from concept to final artwork—matters. Hold yourself to your highest standards.
 
Show the work you want to be hired for. Your portfolio should reflect the kind of projects you hope to receive.

Understand the client’s needs. Illustration is a collaboration, not just a personal project. The final piece reflects the writer’s message, the editor or art director’s vision, the timeline, and the creativity you bring to the table.

And last, communicate professionally. Be responsive, maintain professionalism, and avoid defensiveness. The best illustrations often grow from strong relationships and clear communication between illustrators and art directors. ca