What Have I Been Up To? A Lot!

Over the past year, I’ve been hard at work illustrating a few exciting new children’s books, which I hope to share soon. Here’s a small sampling of the latest illustrations I’ve been creating:

In July and August, I traveled to North Carolina and the Midwest to spend time with family and friends, attend a conference, and enjoy some much-needed rest and relaxation. Among the highlights of the trip were a visit to Great Smoky Mountains National Park and a five-day hike along the Appalachian Trailwith a group of youths from New Zealand. It was a wonderful experience, and I relished the time spent in God’s beautiful creation—a tremendous source of inspiration for me and the work I do.While on my trip, I also gave a reading and book signing at Cover to Cover Books for Young Readers in Upper Arlington, Ohio, near Columbus. Having grown up in the Columbus, Ohio area, it was great to be back sharing my book Herby Gets a Life. This was my first visit to this fantastic children’s bookstore, and I loved reading to the children and demonstrating for them a drawing of Herby the Parrot. Presenting and getting to meet and share with children and parents in person at live events is one of my favorite things to do.

In addition to illustrating children’s books, designing book covers, formatting books, and more, I also began another year of teaching art and theatre part-time to Kindergarten through 8th grade students at Sunshine Christian Academy in Bradenton, Florida. Working with children, encouraging their creativity, and helping them develop their God-given talents is something I am extremely blessed to be able to do.And (if that weren’t enough!), I’m also currently performing in a production of the musical Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat at The Players Centre for Performing Arts Sarasota, Florida, through October 6th. It’s a super-fun production that is giving me a wonderful outlet to continue to pursue my love for theatre, music, dance, performing, and entertaining others.

Needless to say, I’ve been up to much, and I’m grateful for all the opportunities I have to use my expertise and make a difference with the arts! As we head into the beautiful autumn season, I pray you and your loved ones are safe and blessed.