I have loved the world of picture books, or illustrated books, since before I could read. Picture books marry words and images, one complementing the other. The text relies on the illustrations to further develop the story, and my favorite books often contain little subplots in the pictures -- such as that wonderful little mouse in Margeret Wise Brown's Goodnight Moon.

I work in soft pastels for my picture book portfolio. I began dabbling with soft pastels my junior year of art school, and immediately fell in love with their velvety texture. They can create such wonderful moods and atmospheres. The best examples of this are the glowing images of The Polar Express by Chris Van Allsburg or just about anything illustrated by Mary Grandpré.

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