Thursday, August 30, 2018



A sneak peek into the wheels turning!

Hard at work on a new piece and wanted to share a quick glimpse into the process.

As you can see, sometimes the idea evolves as you go. What started as maybe a kid dressed as a robot, quickly turned completely around! The theme is reflection. I had a zillion thoughts on this so it was a little challenging to land on one good solid idea.

Monday, June 22, 2015

Cincinnati Illustrators Blog: STUDIO SPACE: Tammie Lyon

Take a peek in my studio thanks to Cincinnati Illustrators recent post!

Cincinnati Illustrators Blog: STUDIO SPACE: Tammie Lyon: Tammie Lyon is an award winning author and illustrator of children’s books ranging from pre-k to early chapter readers. She came to...

Tuesday, July 29, 2014

Working on the Character……More than meets the eye!

I'm happily working away today and I just realized its been forever since I've blogged! I thought sharing a brief glimpse at character development would be fun. I just happen to be working on the finished paintings for the latest in the Katie Woo series. ( Lets just say this title has had me doing a lot of research on musical instruments!) Katie is one of the most iconic characters I have had the privilege to work on!

One thing that makes Katie Woo who she is and a feature much loved by her fans, is her quirky and fun sense of fashion. While that may seem to be insignificant, it actually lends much to the development of the character and gives the reader a clearer sense of just who she is.

You may think, gee she wears cute clothes BUT those cute clothes can tell so much about the girl wearing them. For instance, we can tell she is a girly girl. She loves skirts and matching tights, fancy sweaters and quirky accents. Let's not forget those turquoise glasses, which I originally made red! We can also tell she has a bit of an artsy streak from all her colorful patterns. I think this bold fashion sense helps to support her bold and outgoing character. It just wouldn't be the same if she were wearing a plain t shirt and jeans!

Many of the ideas for the clothing and color feel of the characters come from my own personal favorites or things I have seen while combing through magazines, the internet, etc. I can't help but incorporate a little bit of myself in every character I create. Thats just where the ideas begin. Much like a real person, I design and create looks that I think would suit her. I try to create a color palette to fit each title. For example the outfit for the Valentine book was purple, pinks, and reds. Once I get going, I design a board with Katie in her latest fashions. It helps the editors and designers get a feel for what she will look like in an upcoming title.

Since this has become such a feature for the Katie Woo titles and something her readers look forward to ( and mimic!) I really pour my heart into it. Its fun getting to play dress up one book at a time!








Tuesday, May 13, 2014

We interrupt this girls work schedule to take a vaca-regular creativity will resume shortly…….

Its been a busy travel season with school visits and book signings. Just took a breather to head to Florida and get in some much needed time with family. Before heading to Florida there was of course a school visit and yes a book signing!

Sharing doggie stories

So many kids excited to get books-AWESOME!
A few questions to the author before they commit to buy!


Love kids who love books!

A VERY special art class at Navin Elementary School

Most special Navin kid of all!!!!!!! Love my niece

And back to a clean studio! Let the book making begin!!!!

Sunday, March 30, 2014

Miss Arty Smarty: Out of the Studio!!!!

Miss Arty Smarty: Out of the Studio!!!!: Such a fun part of being a book person is meeting people who have seen your work and love it. Such a thrill to meet people in person. We cre...

Out of the Studio!!!!

Such a fun part of being a book person is meeting people who have seen your work and love it. Such a thrill to meet people in person. We creative types tend to spend a lot of alone time in our studios so its a good thing to get out and about.

I have spent the last few months visiting, talking, signing, drawing and sharing! Love, love, love it! Below are a few photos from recent visits.

Just a few more in the next month-one very special school visit on my birthday for a lovely niece and nephew and then back to the drawing board!

Signing the latest Katie Woo at PLA 2014
A warm welcome in Kentucky!

The line was forming!

Happy owners of the latest Katie Woo autographed!

School kids filing in!

Getting a good seat!


Tuesday, January 28, 2014