Even though I painted the illustrations with Mark Baral’s character design in my early reader chapter books, Bandana Acres, I wanted a different look for my first middle-grade novel, Emeline ~ A Journey, which is scheduled to come out November 1, 2020.

Soft watercolor paintings in children’s books have always caught my eye and I wanted them in my books. But I really wanted to do them myself because I love painting. I learned almost everything I know about watercolor from online sources. I found Maria’s Youtube channel and watched many of her videos. Then I subscribed to her Patreon channel where she gives even more instruction and enjoys building a community for sharing. She also has classes on Teachable. I’m so fortunate to have stumbled upon her talent and willingness to help other artists succeed! And, SHE is self-taught!!