Bio:

Claudia McGehee is an illustrator-author living in a tallgrass prairie state. Her creative inspiration comes directly from nature, especially the regional prairies and woodland around her, and the Pacific Northwest, where she grew up. McGehee pairs her main illustration medium, scratchboard, with vivid watercolor to create earthy, wood-cut like images. Some days she writes about pictures. Some days she draw about words. It's all in telling a story.

Claudia is the author/illustrator of three non-fiction picture books "A Tallgrass Prairie Alphabet", "A Woodland Counting Book" and "Where Do Birds Live?", all from University of Iowa Press. She also illustrated "Welcome, Child of God", a board book on baptism, published by Augsburg Fortress.

Getting people to observe and care about nature through art is part of her personal mission.

“I like to think people see little reminders of their own natural world in my illustrations. A bird in a tree or grass stems waving in the wind are things people observe on a regular basis and hopefully, it takes them out of their own heads for a moment. While we are seemingly never offline anymore, I see nature as an important life source, comfort and escape for humans. I hope my book art expresses the value of our natural treasures and reminds people that spending time in the wilds can refresh us.”

Claudia is a native of Washington state. She earned degrees in anthropology (archaeology), and graphic design. She also studied natural history at Oxford University in England. She works from her studio home, and shares a house on a hill with her husband and daughter and two cats.


Writer/Illustrator
PAL
Member since 2000
Region: Iowa

Contact Information

Phone:   319-351-5640
Current Location:   Iowa City
Website:  http://www.claudia-mcgehee.com

Published In Children's Market: Yes
Available for Speaking Engagements? Yes