If people ask what I do, I usually say:

“I draw pictures for books.”

Then they ask — “How did you become that?”

So…

Guelph was one of those cities in the 80s and 90s that allowed an incredible amount of freedom to children. Long bike rides on side streets leading to rivers slow enough to swim in. Fields looking into vast open skies as high rise buildings were discouraged. Diners welcoming tweens and teens to loiter over a shared plate of fries and gravy and a shake. Ice cream parlours, kayak rentals, and kitschy shops filled with the smoke of incense and turquoise gems, batik prints – all tucked between the Woolworths and ornate banks. The buses ran often and were easy to navigate. Five dollars in your pocket could carry you for a week of fun. To say it was a quintessential childhood would be an understatement.

Guelph is also home to the legendary Robert Munsch – children’s book author extraordinaire. His bestie happened to be my school’s librarian so we often had Mr. Munsch visit our school to readings. Every time I pleaded for him to read Angela’s Airplane – as my given name is Angela – although since 1999 my closest companions have called me Ella. He never read it. Ironically it would also be him to be the one to tell me not to pursue kidlit. (For many reasons – but mostly big adult reasons) Thankfully I am not very good at taking advice.

When I was 10, Guelph held this incredible event called Author Author where teachers chose one or two children from their grade 5 class to meet famous authors and illustrators face to face. I was so eager. This was my big chance to meet my idols. My teacher chose another girl – who openly said that she wanted to play basketball when she grew up. The audacity! My heart sank, but I persevered.

Grade School led to High School where I continued to write – mostly diary entries based on a fictional character I named Tranquility. I remember my mom reading it – it was opened – she wasn’t snooping – and was relieved when I explained that it was just a story I made up. My ordinary life wasn’t filled with any drama, so I made it up.

My closest friend had moved back to England so I practiced more writing by hand writing and drawing letters for nearly a decade to her. (No internet in those dark ages)

I had friends and boyfriends … and worked hard in school. Joined our local theatre and portrayed Anne Frank, joined the school’s theatre club, filmed a documentary, and set aside Art. (It didn’t help that my Grade 10 Art Teacher told me I had no talent for art) I still wrote though. Journals overfilled with poetry, prose and fictional characters.

I finished University in 2002 – a donkey’s age ago. Initially I considered trying for a masters in Museology where I could run children’s programming in Galleries and Museums, but I wasn’t super passionate about this, so I took on a handful of jobs instead, giving myself time to sort out my next step. They barely covered rent and food for me and my bunny, but I was actually happy. I loved connecting with people. Love stories over pasta, cheesy dentist jokes, smoky swirls rising into blue lights, or listening to the history of Old Walkerville over proper English tea accompanied by a tired greyhound curled at my feet – each moment I would write about. Jotting down ideas, or sketching.

Near the end of my first education free year I ran into my professor who had successfully created a Clown Doctor company in 3 of the major hospitals in Windsor. He mentioned how much he wanted me to audition. My first response was “Well, I am not funny.” He said he wasn’t looking for funny, but rather connected. I understood.

I landed my first teaching gig – a tiring 22 classes from grades 1 to 8 weekly. I lasted the school year. Afterwards I worked in the paint department at Home Depot while continuing to write whenever I could. Most lunch breaks found me in my car with a notebook because I am far too easily distracted by conversation

In the end I had created a story about my little cousin and my black cat – a very mischievous beast. I submitted the story with three illustrations to a small publisher in Indiana. They loved the idea and offered me a small advance to finish the book. I left The Home Depot to focus on the project and worked on 48 full pages about Lainy and her Cat. As the deadline approached the economy continued to decline. A reluctant email arrived in my inbox telling me that the Publisher would inevitably be closing and that my book would never be made.

Once again setting aside the idea of being a writer or illustrator, I went back to Hospital Clowning. At Toronto’s Hospital for Sick Children I designed my character to utilize my Art Therapy education. I would use face paints to decorate cheeks and little hands while medical teams drew blood. I painted a teenager’s prosthetic leg, allowing her to accept her new appendage, and created large murals of “Heavens” for palliative children. Sometimes the most important work was simply colouring together while a child opened up about their hopes, fears and dreams. It was an incredible honour, but one’s heart can only open so much before it overflows.

Being a mom came so easily – something I consider to be the luckiest thing about my life.

Discovering the East Side of Toronto with my little peach by foot and stroller was so much fun, especially finding everything there was to do for free. Drawing was free too so I created a little desk area in our one bedroom apartment and held her on my lap while I drew; birds, cats, her, fruits … anything that I thought of. I had intended on returning to Sick Kids once our daughter was a bit older, but as many non-profits go, the funding had been cut. This left me unemployed, while my husband was in school finishing his trade so I felt it might be the time to submit my work to a few publishers.

An inquiry letter to Annick Press – the publisher famous for creating Munsch and many other authors was my first step. They responded almost immediately and told me the key to a successful portfolio was to demonstrate children at play. So I practiced for six months drawing and painting children of all shapes, sizes, abilities and ethnicities in a multitude of mediums. Scanned and printed, mounted and mailed my little submission to the publisher. Kindly they wrote back. “You have a real talent for capturing people and children. Continue tightening your style – and stay away from using crayons – just our opinion.” I listened.

As all parents know time fast forwards during our children’s young years – and so one year blurred into the next as we welcomed a baby brother. We outgrew our apartment and moved to the west side of the city to a teensy blue house near the lake. I now had a house sized canvas and so spent most late nights bouncing babies and painting large purple octopuses on walls, sewing quilts and stuffed animals.

We packed up the tiny beach house and briefly tried country living. Note to readers: never read magazine articles about raising chickens – it never ends well. We lasted 19 months before returning to Toronto. I missed the sidewalks (strollers are hard to push on gravel) and the walkability of the city. My husband was already tired of commuting.

During this time we realized that our little boy wasn’t talking. What followed were years of appointments and questions before a Diagnostic Psychologist finally diagnosed him with Autism and complications from a medical injury in infancy.

I had a plan though.

Play with him.

And so I did.

Shelving my own plans for work, we spent mornings at the lake tossing rocks with letters and numbers written on them and afternoons pushing trains across the floor while practicing colours and syllables. He is now a teenager with a good handful of words and continues to inspire much of the work I create for children.

My dad decided to spoil his only brat (me) for my 40th Birthday by purchasing an iPad Pro and Apple Pencil. It was life changing. I could draw and it would just wait for me.

I started drawing up cute Mother’s Day cards and selling them locally. An incredible woman, the fabulous Author, Marcie Costello, was one of my buyers. She was selling a wooden chair, which I wanted, and I was selling cards. We arranged to do our swap and we clicked so quickly.

A few weeks later she requested me to illustrate a special book about her daughter, Silver Buttons. I was hesitant. I had only ever illustrated my book that still lives in scattered pieces tucked in a box. I wrote back. “I would love to.”

During this time I launched my Etsy Shop to sell the greeting cards and prints. I received a message from YGT Media requesting my illustration services for The Magic Mirror.

I had my foot in the door. I connected Marcie to YGT and we created Everlong (a personal favourite) Then came Teddy, Nose to Toes, B, and my dad’s legacy, Johan and the Whale.

My dear Dad, my favourite grown up, passed away in late 2022.

My Writing and Art carried me through the grief.

While scrolling social media, Clavis’ Key Colors competition popped up.

I submitted the book and wildly it was chosen as a finalist! That meant Clavis would be professionally publishing the book! First translated and released in The Netherlands and Belgium (and earned a nomination for their KinderJury Award) and hit the shelves of North America, UK and Australia in May 2026. The best part – it’s available in libraries.

Looking back, the path seems obvious. At the time it never did. Every detour – theatre, teaching, clowning, parenting, painting walls, writing letters, sketching in waiting rooms and coffee shops – quietly found its way into my work. None of it was wasted. Every experience taught me something about people, stories, resilience, or play.

My three little birds have reshaped my world. It’s them that I draw. They are always at the forefront of my mind. It’s them and the children like them who I create these books for.

I am still writing, working towards a YA Novel, Windflower, and a new Children’s Book “Wait!” for 2027/2028.

My days are filled with outdoor adventures, drawing pictures, volunteering with Stella the puppet in schools, cooking and playing, planting, painting walls, reading (always reading), scavenging thrift shops for treasures and of course drawing and writing. I guess not much has changed since childhood.

PS – chickens are incredible creatures who will succumb to whatever you desire for a piece of cheese.

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