Now considered vintage, these two books—The Ultimate Bug Book (1993) and The Ultimate Ocean Book (1995)—were published by Western Publishing Co. I painted the covers for both titles, while other artists and paper designers handled the interior artwork.
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A Spell to End All War, 2022. Graphite on Arches paper, mounted to hardboard.
A Spell To End All War
Could an image itself be a spell? This drawing began as a simple still life of skull, pinecone, and violets, but soon became an altar of intention. I explore how art can function as an operative image—more than illustration, a form of magic
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Little Briar Rose, 2016. Graphite on Arches hotpress paper, 18’ x 24”.
Little Briar Rose
When designing this piece, my intention was to call upon the children’s book design of the Art Nouveau era and the Eastern European aesthetic of the 1800s. I was thinking specifically of Alphonse Mucha, tinged with the character development quality of….
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Rainforest, oil on gessoed paper approx., 12” x 15”. 2003.
Rainforest cover for Harcourt Publishing Co.
What I particularly enjoyed about doing this cover was envisioning the distant landscape from the treetops and canopy of the South American continental rain forest. I hope that the American kids who had this book in school enjoyed daydreaming about the faraway vistas in these lands. I hope it inspired them to dream about creating a better environmental future.
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Thumbelina, 18” x 24”. Oil on masonite board. Circa1990.
Thumbelina
My “about” page mentions that I like to collect all kinds of specimens. Well, this old habit extends to dead birds and I use the found opportunity to indulge my love of drawing them....
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Take Your Time, 2022. Graphite on Arches hotpress paper, mounted to Masonite; 13’ x 13”.
Take Your Time
When you’re a snail, time doesn’t really mean anything, does it? Perhaps it only matters when it’s getting that time to get under the leaves when it’s too cold. There’s a time to....
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A Horizon, 18” x 24”h, oil on canvas. 2003
A Horizon
Certain art teachers over the years have said that any art we make is a kind of self-portrait. While the girl doesn’t really look like me, she contains my doubt and fear. I painted this close my graduation, so the academic robe and lab rat were deliberate choices….
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I haven’t done many pet portraits, but when I do, I’ve enjoyed them.
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Call of the Wild 18” x 24”, oil on unstretched canvas. 2002.
Call of the Wild
My enthusiasm for doing the art for this title came from having read this story when I was in 4th of 5th grade. At the time, it seemed so adventurous, and so gritty. London’s storytelling was so sharp— I could smell the fresh snow and hear the dogs yelping.
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Earth Day poster, 2004. Oils, 22” x 30”.
Earth Day Poster
Every year on Earth Day I think of this piece and how much I enjoyed making it and I wonder who and where it’s affecting the world right now.
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The Stone Boatmen by author Sarah Tolmie. 22" x 30", oil paint on Olio paper. August 2013.
The Stone Boatmen
A freelance cover for Aqueduct Press. I had a great deal of fun drawing and painting the figure especially. Making it look like it had been sculpted of weathered and stained stone was a wonderful challenge.
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The Strawberry Pot, Oil on gessoed paper, 12” x 16”. 2015.
The Strawberry Pot
In my 1 year partnership in selling my work with art agent, Jane Frank, I’ve learned a lot about the market of art and the specificities around selling to buyers. One thing that’s come up in our conversations is why one should refrain from ever …
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Libra, sold last year to an online buyer.
Zodiac Calendar
Llewellyn’s Astrological Calendar is one of those projects that many young fantasy illustrators seek to do at some point. I really enjoyed interpreting the astrological canon of the signs and found that my feminist filter caused me to …
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Russell Cave and a portrayal of the native archaic peoples. Acrylic on board, 36” x 40”.
National Parks: Russell Cave National Monument
Not in my wildest dreams would I have imagined I’d end up creating a brochure for the National Parks ….
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Little Kingdom, 13”, graphite on Arches, 2023.
Little Kingdom
The art that now lives in the frame started with an October walk through a section of the Appalachian Trail in Gardners, PA. There, I took a few reference shots of some mushrooms I saw, including these deadly…
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Feast For Crows, 19" x 15"; oil on Arches Olio paper. 2012.
Feast For Crows
With multiples, I wanted to promote the idea that we can create social justice and change when we work together in an interdependent way— that we needn’t continue to be alone or isolated.
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Migration, 30” x 40”, oil on canvas. 2022.
Migration
So, my fun idea for the image was to imagine if these creatures were real, what natural environment and niche might they inhabit? I viewed them as pelagic creatures roaming in aether, floating gas giants possibly on a hydrogen-rich planet….
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Leap, 8” x 10”, oil on paper mounted to gessoed hardboard.
Leap
Where is she going? Where will she land? It’s much like the act of making any art. We leap and trust that we’ll land where we need to be. Are we safe? Not really, but that’s part of the thrill and delight of making art and making a life.
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Marked #3, 24" x 30", oil on canvas. 2007.
Marked #3
In my early grad school time at MICA, I was exploring the question of “gaydar” and whether someone could be recognizably LGBT. Was that a quality that could be painted or shown in a portrait if the sitter was pregnant?
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Maidenhair, 8 x 12" oil on gessoed paper. 2016. Print available.
Maidenhair
The wizened gnome in this image was added after the paintings were submitted and published in The Old Farmer’s Almanac Calendar in 2010. Initially, the calendar art called for a woodland setting showcasing Maidenhair Ferns. Ok, so then what do you do with the art?
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