I am mostly inspired by nature and wildlife, books, and documentaries. Setting is a big part of what inspires me. My goal is to build worlds and settings where readers want to spend time and linger.
Tell us a bit about your writing/illustration process.
Most illustrations/stories I create tend to come from something I’ve become obsessed with. In the case of “As Strong as the River”, it came from watching live bear cams and imagining that I was peeking into those bear’s lives.
I do a lot of research, filling sketchbooks with observations from life, videos, and photographs. The drafting process is my favourite, where I get to spend time immersing myself in the world that I’m trying to bring to life.
After I feel that I have a good hold on the characters and world, I storyboard and then move on to very detailed pencil sketches. This helps me figure out the composition and tone of the piece. After that, I move on to final artwork, which is mostly done traditionally.
