I have been an author for most of my life, but this is the story of how I became an artist. Back in fourth grade, I drew a horse on a big poster for a class project. I lay on the floor of our living room, spread out my colored pencils, and worked for hours. Then I got a “C” (or maybe a “B”), and concluded that I could never be an artist. Instead, I focused on words, and enjoyed them so much that I studied as far as I could go (a Ph.D. in English). I taught reading and writing for many years, which made me a teacher and a professor. Because I was writing all those years too, I was also an author.

As an author/editor, I supported artists preparing illustrations for children’s picture books. Inadvertently, they inspired my interest in visual art. When I saw Abdul M. Gugu, a watercolor artist from Tanzania, use illustrations to expand the world of words and build mood, I recognized the visual equivalent of description in literature. Working with Susan L. Roth, a paper collage artist from NY who tears paper and glues worlds into being, I saw that taking risks is essential in artistic creation.

As an author, I had found wonderful collaborators to bring my stories to life: Abdul illustrated my Tanzania Juma stories and Susan illustrated Osito. Through editorial work, I gained knowledge about the visual art process and book design. And with that knowledge, I felt desire, the desire to expand the reach of my words. I wanted to illustrate my own stories. While paper collage is more forgiving than watercolors, I like the feel of fabrics even more. And so, in 2020, I began hand-stitching illustrations for SnowPal Soccer.

 

First, I went back to the library, to the children’s section. I pulled stacks of books and sat at the table, asking myself what I liked and why. I still do so, regularly. I respond to artwork that is evocative, playful, imperfect. Wonder of wonders, I did not need to create perfect, realistic depictions.

Then, I went back to the fabric. The women in my family stitch clothes and quilts; we are comfortable with needle and thread, comfortable with scissors. I cut background fabric into rectangles, cut smaller pieces for figures and slowly hand-stitched the illustrations into being. When needed, I pulled out the thread and started over. Fabric collage, appliqué, is forgiving.

As I always do with my stories, I shared the illustrated draft with children. I respect the reader. In the case of SnowPal Soccer, I was reminded of the function of line by a boy in kindergarten. When he reviewed my draft, he asked, “How do we know that the snowpals are running fast? You need the lines!” Since that conversation, I have used embroidery and quilt stitching to indicate motion and emotion.

Once I had sewn all the panels for SnowPal Soccer, I was pleased because the illustrations illuminated the words and created a mood. I knew that I was both an author and a visual artist. But I also knew that I needed to be part of communities of artists and publishers and educators to continue growing and to give children access to my art.

To engage with quilt artists, I joined the Studio Art Quilt Associates (SAQA) and began hand stitching artwork for the wall. As part of my professional development, I volunteered as co-Rep for the NJ + NY region and led the creation and circulation of quilt art exhibitions. In doing so, I learned about museums, how they view collections and present this work to the public. I also created a critique group with SAQA members, giving myself an opportunity to share work and to practice considering color in terms of value, shade and contrast; line in terms of direction; shapes in terms of foreground and background; and how these components work together to communicate a concept. My quilt art has now been juried into museum exhibitions in New Jersey and New York.

I did not study for a masters in fine art, nor have I ever taken an adult art class. But through working with others in a horizontal way, among peers, I continue to grow.

Thrill of thrills, Catalyst Press recognizes my artistry. The book I began stitching in 2020, SnowPal Soccer | Les copains de neige jouent au foot, is now in bookstores, libraries and children’s hands. Next year, my second hand-stitched children’s book, Ice Cream Time | Hora del helado, will be published. Then, in 2027, the illustrations for these two books will be part of a picture book art exhibition. I am an author and a visual artist. Now how did that happen? My fourth-grade self would be shocked.