Bio:

Hallo beautiful people!

Please note: I've decided to make this my fun profile, since it has to represent me as a children's book illustrator. (If you would like to read the more formal version of what I do, and have done over the past 10 years, then please visit my linked in profile at:
http://za.linkedin.com/pub/melany-pietersen/6/245/290


Anyway, just a little bit about myself and why I have decided to be a children's book illustrator:

After many years of trying to make it in the fine-art world and being fed-up with unfriendly gallery owners and art critics. Studying visual art only for them to tell me my art is too happy, and illustrative, I found myself at a crossroad that changed my life for the better. My mother Marleen Visser who is also an illustrator, sent me some of her excess work, and put me in touch with the SCBWI.

In 2010 I was fortunate enough to attend the Winchester conference in the UK, where I met the most amazing people, and learned so much. This was such a wonderful experience.

I was so happy to know that there are other people out there that like painting happy, colourful pictures, an that they have managed to make a career out of it.

Although I had illustrated children's books before (mainly educational books for South African publishers), it was just another stream of income for me.

The experience I have had with the SCBWI and the people in the children's book industry, have inspired me to pursue it as a full time career.

Wise words someone once told me: "Go where you are celebrated, not tolerated". Well, I have finally found a place where my art is celebrated. Ever since I have made the decision, things have just fallen into place like you can't believe.

As a result I now run a little illustration company called "Happy Artworks Studio", and we have been very busy.

Our website is up and running, yay!: www.happyartworks.com

(BTW, I have not yet added these details on my linked in profile, so you're the first to know).

If you are a publisher and are keen on giving us work, then I should probably mention, that we have been fortunate to illustrate approx 40-50 books so far, but we have learned it is not just about quantity but quality. Although I would happily show you some of our most recent work, we have to mention, that we are on a constant mission to improve the quality of our work.


Illustrator
PAL
Member since 2010
Region: South Africa

Contact Information

Website:  http://www.happyartworks.com

Published In Children's Market: Yes