|
Born:
January
29, 1943
- New
York,
New York
- United
States
of
America.
Current
Home:
Scarborough-on-Hudson,
New York
- United
States
of
America.
As far
back as
I can
remember,
I did
nothing
but draw.
I
discovered
very
early
that
making a
picture
of
anything
meant
people
saying,
“Look at
that!”
How else
could I
get that
kind of
attention?
After
high
school,
I went
to the
Museum
School
in
Boston.
At
nineteen,
I left
school,
married
Tom
Wells,
and
began a
career
as a
book
designer.
Two
years
later,
when my
husband
applied
to the
Columbia
School
of
Architecture,
we moved
to New
York
City. I
found a
job as a
designer
at
Macmillan,
where I
published
my first
book,
Sing a
Song, O!
My home
life has
inspired
many of
my books.
Our West
Highland
white
terrier,
Angus,
had the
shape
and
expressions
to
become
Benjamin,
Tulip,
Timothy,
and all
the
other
animals
I have
made up
for my
stories.
He also
appears
as
himself
in a
couple
of books.
My two
daughters
have
been
constant
inspirations,
especially
for my
Max
books.
Simple
incidents
from
childhood
are
universal.
The
dynamics
between
older
and
younger
siblings
are
common
to all
families.
I am
also an
accomplished
eavesdropper
in
restaurants,
trains,
and
gatherings
of any
kind.
Writing
for
children
is as
difficult
as
writing
serious
verse.
Writing
for
children
is as
mysterious
as
writing
fine
music.
It is as
personal
as
singing.
Once the
story is
there,
the
drawings
just
appear.
I feel
the
emotion
I want
to show;
then I
let it
run down
my arm
from my
face,
and it
goes out
the
pencil.
My
drawings
look as
if they
are done
quickly.
They are
not.
First
they are
sketched
in light
pencil,
then
nearly
rubbed
out,
then
drawn
again in
heavier
pencil.
What
appears
to be a
thick
ink line
is
really a
series
of
layers
of tiny
ink
lines.
When I
finish
these
lines,
the
drawing
is ready
for
color.
I have
been
writing
and
illustrating
for
almost
30 years.
It has
been a
pure
delight.
There
are hard
parts,
but no
bad or
boring
parts —
that is
more
than can
be said
for any
other
line of
work
that I
know. |
