I had been painting New England flower and seascape watercolors for fifteen years. Prior to that, while my children were growing up, I illustrated pamphlets and books for various state conservation agencies. When my children were small, I would read to them daily and who enjoyed the illustrations more – the kids or me, I couldn’t tell you!
During the many outdoor art shows and festivals where I was selling my paintings, one thing caught my attention time and again: children were drawn to my work. They’d pull their parents to my booth and stand in wonder and awe at all the bright color. Often they would not allow their parents to leave the show without purchasing a small original or print.
In 2007, I began painting small daily watercolors, a few of which included small creatures. In the spring of 2010, I painted a series of little chicks. They were very popular, so I named them and began short stories about them which I published on my blog.
That’s how Ferdinand and Nina were born, along with their four chick friends in Zehland where they have their adventures. Since then, I've been working on writing and illustrating stories about Zehland as picture books for young children.
How to collect Zehland illustrations
See my animal portraits, floral, and nature paintings at ZehOriginalArt.com
