This is the place to find answers to questions you have about me, my life, and my books. If you have a question, please send it to me.

Questions and answers about digital art.

Making color in books.

Did I like to read as a kid, or

What was third grade like for me?!

What is my family like?

Here is a brief tour!

Are my family and friends ever in my books?

Yes!

When is my birthday and place?

January 17th, 1953, Dallas, Texas.

When did I start drawing?

I have been drawing as long as I can remember. In school I drew pictures for my book reports, on math assignments, on anything I could find. (This did not go over well with my teachers.) I am the youngest of three children, and my sister and brother were very smart. I did not do as well as they did in math or reading, but I was the best at drawing. My parents called me "the artist."

Did I like to draw as a child?

When I was little I liked art. I wasn't very good at it, I didn't really stand out as a child -- at anything. At least that was the impression I had of myself. My mother dressed me in a lot of brown, I think because my hair and eyes were brown. My sister's eyes were blue. She got blue dresses. I grew to hate brown. I moved around a great deal throughout my childhood. I do not have any childhood friends or people I grew up with. This is sort of sad to me. I did get to see lots of different places but I don't feel like I am from anywhere. I have the feeling I am always trying to "fit" in even as an adult. On looking back I think my passion for art grew out of this nomadic lifestyle. Art was something I could do alone; it was not dependent on friends.

Where did I grow up?

My father was in the Navy and we moved a great deal when I was growing up. There are pictures on my History page.

What is your schooling history?

I went to elementary school in various places; I was in high school in Annandale, Virginia and in Hawaii, graduating from Punahou School in Honolulu. I received my BFA from the University of Colorado in Boulder.

What is my favorite color?

Periwinkle blue -- but that's always subject to change.

What was my favorite book as a child?

When I was growing up, I did not have picture books as we know them today. I had collections of Fairy Tales and Folk Tales. I especially remember the How and Why Books. One volume contained poetry and tales. This book was very well-used. My favorite page is worn and torn and taped together. I loved the poem "I Saw a Ship a-Sailing":

The captain was a Duck with a

Jacket on his back and when

The ship began to move the

Captain said "Quack, Quack."

I did have Dr. Suess and little Golden Books. The art was not like what we see today. The rich 4 colors paintings are a different visual experience for a child.

What animal do I like to draw best?

The rhinoceros, because he has so many wonderful wrinkles. They're lots of fun to draw!

How did I start out in art?

I created posters, yearbook covers, and anything that needed art. I studied art at the University of Colorado and worked in Hawaiian fabric design in Honolulu during the summers. After graduation I had piles of art and no job. I had pictures of bears in sneakers, rhinos in ties, and walruses in Hawaiian shirts. I was told that my work looked like it belonged in a children's book. What a fine idea! So I went off to visit book publishers in 1978 and was offered my first book contract. Creating children's books was a perfect fit.
Now I make books full-time.

What was my first book?

The first book that I illustrated was not a picture book. The book was a collection of Holiday poems compiled by Myra Cohn Livingston. "Callooh Callay" Holiday Poems for Young Readers was the official title. I created small black and white illustrations for each chapter and a jacket with two colors that I pre-separated.

Some Suprise Pictures from Callooh Callay
Birthday	Halloween	Mother's Day (yes, its Janet!)

Why do my early illustrations look different than more recent ones?

I have been drawing pictures for books for almost 25 years. During that time I have talked to hundreds of kids about what they like about drawings and books and I have tried to take their advice about making my books more fun to look at. How I make my art has also changed quite a bit because I grow weary of painting art in the same style for very long and am always trying out new techniques. How the color in books are reproduced has also changed. All of these things combine to change the way my books look.

Do I like illustrating or writing?

I am an illustrator who likes creating books, which sometimes involves writing. I enjoy illustrating stories by other authors as well as writing my own stories and retelling old tales in a contemporary way. When I receive a manuscript I get a glimpse into the author's world. I then have the responsibility to add pictures to the words. I decide what the characters look like, what their houses look like, and what everything else looks like. The book is a marriage of two personalities, the author's and mine.

How is making my own book different?

When I am both the author and illustrator, I create my own vision. I run wild with ideas and have total freedom with the words and the pictures. My editor is much like your teacher; she helps and guides me through the process. In the end what you see is my view of the tale. When I draw characters, I like to exaggerate their personalities - notice the very sleepy bear and the very energetic hare in Tops & Bottoms. I include the things I love to draw: wing tip shoes, funny clothes, and the furniture in my own house. These characters and things will be making their way onto my website soon!

What is my favorite book of the ones I have created or been involved in creating?

I am often asked this question and it is a difficult one. I must say that I do not have a favorite book. They are all very different and each has parts I love and parts that I hate. It is interesting how I seem to like the books the "critics" have decided are good . . . .

However, I don't believe these are my true feelings. Kids seem to like different books than the critical adult audience. But as for me? I can't seem to find a favorite or even favorites? I am very critical of myself and I tend to look only at mistakes.