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Hello, I'm Jen, a Colorado author and illustrator who loves to garden beneath the moonlight. As the mother of a tiny adventurer, I write books that teach children about the world around them without taking away from its magic. I use simple rhymes that encourage language development and bright, imaginative illustrations that encourage readers to see the extraordinary behind everyday things. if you ask me, ordinary doesn't exist - only people who have forgotten how to see the wonder. Our task as parents is to nurture our children's natural-born connection and curiosity.

More About Me

A magical retreat​ in the studio...

What I do is create worlds, then invite you and your family to experience them. Each world is different. Some are filled with beauty, magic, and celebration, while others explore the realms of loss, hardship, and growth. I'm interested in what makes people and life whole, which means you take in the shadow with the light. Creation and destruction, life and death, light and darkness - these are two sides of same cycle. I believe that you cannot fully experience one without the other.
​I am passionate about our connection to nature and each other. I want to live a life depth and authenticity that feeds what I create and share with others.  Consider me an artistic adventurer on a lifelong expedition of creative exploration. Writing, illustration, photography - I follow the winding river of creativity wherever it may roam.
After becoming a mother, I wanted to share a love of nature and magic with the next generation. This inspired me to write and illustrate inspires children's books. When I create a book, I think of my son Oliver. I think of how short and precious our time together is as he grows, and what I want him to know if I were no longer here. My wish is for him to grow up in a world filled with wonder, knowing that my love will surround him even when my time in this life is done. I put this energy into each word and illustration, building the books into an expression of a mother's eternal love - My love to Oliver, you to your little ones, and Mother Earth to each of us.
I started as an artist, drawn to surrealism - the world of dreams - and I think this shows in my illustrations. I love to use bright and bold colors with imaginative, reality-bending concepts. I want the imagery to convey the magic behind the things we adults might mistake as ordinary. There are no ordinary things, only people who have forgotten how to see, myself included at times. We all need that reminder of how amazing life is and how we saw it when we were young - before we were told, "this is what it is called and this it how it works". 
Born in New Mexico and moving every three years through the world since, I've been nomadic for most of my life. You can say I'm from everywhere and nowhere. Moving reminds me to refresh my perspective as everything changes around me. I've learned to create wherever the inspiration strikes - tea shops, hotel lobbies - but now I'm putting down roots. You can find me in Colorado! I lived in Colorado Springs as a toddler and this beautiful mountain state became the home I carried while I roamed. It is the place I always come back to - it is wonderful to finally be home. 

​Studio Playlist Favorites

  • "Storm Song" by Phildel
  • "Whatever Lola Wants (Lola Gets)" by Sarah Vaughan
  • "Got To Give it Up" by Marvin Gaye
  • "Wolf" First Aid Kit
  • "A Girl Like You" Edwyn Collins
  • "Coconut" by Harry Nilsson
  • "Wolf & I" by Oh Land
  • "Helvegen" by Warduna
  • "Wicked Game" by Chris Isaak
  • "Traditional Rural Polka" by Warsaw Village Band​
So there you have it, a snapshot of me as a creative explorer at this juncture in time. Whether I am writing, illustrating, or photographing, I view each piece I create as an expression of the world it is from, different mediums that add to the whole. A painting, a garment, a book, can all belong to the same world. It is an empire built one creation at a time, that I can then share with you.

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