Bio:

Dear Reader,

Here are a few things about me:

My parents saved everything, so I know that I began drawing sometime around age two. I haven’t paused since. In fact, my drawings now and my drawings then bear a rather strong resemblance. I have gotten slightly better at hands, but horses remain a problem. For an only child, growing up in New York, Texas, South Carolina and finally for most of the time in Annapolis, Maryland, drawing was fine self-entertainment. Then, as now, I have always enjoyed most making pictures that illustrate a story rather than hang on a wall.

Today I live in Rhode Island with the lovely Zoë B. Alley, author (THERE'S A PRINCESS IN THE PALACE, 2010 and THERE'S A WOLF AT THE DOOR, 2008), wife and mother of our two clever children. I make my pictures in a studio that has a rolling ladder, more books than I can count and many tubes of half-used, rock-hard paint. For the last ten years one of my big projects has been to illustrate new and old stories of Paddington Bear. I have also made pictures for over one hundred other books since I started doing all this right out of college in 1979. I didn’t go to art school, but received a BA in Art History from Haverford College and then spent four years as a staff artist at several greeting card companies. Since then, I have spent my working time in my slippers trying to avoid illustrating stories with horses.

In 2010 the ALA recognized PEARL AND WAGNER ONE FUNNY DAY by Kate McMullan and pictures by me as a Theodor Seuss Geisel Honor Book. That was quite a thrill.

This spring and summer of 2013, I'll be working on a series of four books for Clarion that I've also authored. There are also several other picture books in the works. And, I hope to write more and to have a chance to illustrate one of Zoë's new books soon.

Regards to All,

Bob (aka R.W.) Alley








Writer/Illustrator
PAL
Member since 1993
Region: New England: South (Connecticut/Rhode Island)

Contact Information

Website:  http://rwalley.com

Published In Children's Market: Yes