Featured Illustrator

We're so pleased to feature Gillian Wynne Grimm this month. Her illustrations invite the viewer to engage their imagination and wonder about the story being told - a fabulous gift for an illustrator to have - and one honed through years as a teacher and librarian. And we love how she describes her journey as a 'late-blooming' artist.

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How did you get started in illustration?

I'm a late bloomer! And also a walking, talking example of why it is so important to fund art in schools! My school district cut back on art teachers when I was in second grade - I still remember the last project we did with our art teacher (batik flags) - and after that, I didn't take a single art class until I hit 40. I grew up thinking I couldn't draw or paint, least of all illustrate, but I loved books, and I loved stories, and I had so many ideas in my head! When I turned 40, I decided I wanted to learn watercolor, and I treated myself to an online class, which led to another and another and A LOT of experimenting, and all of a sudden, illustrating was the focal point for my creative life!

What is your background?

I am a teacher and a librarian - I have worked in both public libraries as a children's librarian and in schools as a primary school teacher and then later as a school librarian. I grew up all over the PNW but have spent roughly half of my life (in lots of different chunks) in Oregon, so I'll always think of it as home. 

What have you learned along the way? What tips can you share?

Just jump in. I wish, WISH I had started creating sooner. I wish I hadn't been afraid to try. You never know until you dive in! Also try lots of things. I thought I was going to focus on watercolor, but fell into collage and whoosh - I was in love!

What is your preferred method of working?

What is your preferred medium and method of working? I am primarily a collage artist, and I work with physical paints, papers, scissors, and glue. I get VERY messy with paint and then I get VERY messy again cutting my papers into shapes and characters. My floor is always littered with snippets of paper and my clothes are very often paint splattered. I don't mind though! I do digitize my work and clean it up in Procreate, but I am mainly a physical artist. Over the past year, I've also been working in pen and colored pencil to create more detailed illustrations, and because I am working on a Pop-up book, I've also learned paper engineering. Never a dull moment!

What would be your dream project?

My current dream project is to work on chapter books! I've been playing around a lot with fine line drawings that are layered into collages with limited colors for chapter book illustration. 

Visit our past Featured Illustrators by clicking the member cards below.