INSPIRATION:
As a child, Dorothia roamed the mountains of Sunshine Canyon outside of Boulder Colorado. From that time, nature has been a steadfast inspiration in her life and work. She inherited her artistic parents' love of art, books and nature. She was encouraged to refine her skills as an artist.
She studied fine art, graphic design and illustration at several universities. She ultimately found a degree program where she could combine her passion for art, nature and science at Iowa State University. She graduated first in her class in Biological Pre-Medical Illustration. Throughout her various careers as an illustrator and artist she worked on children’s books in her free time. Her illustrations and stories are inspired by nature, the magic of fairies, mythological monsters and fantastical places. She has strong digital illustration skills, but in this technological time, she prefers to draw and paint traditionally to keep the human touch alive in her books. Some of her earlier nature paintings can be viewed at:
CHILDREN'S BOOKS & AWARDS
Dorothia's illustration Firefly Forest was the Grand Prize Winner at the 2014 SCBWI Bologna Illustrator Gallery, Bologna Book Fair.
That same year, she was selected for the 2014 SCBWI Portfolio Mentorship Award at the SCBWI Summer Conference. Her portfolio was one of six chosen out of two-hundred.
Her first authored picture book, I Am Goose!, (Clarion-2020) was listed in the Bank Street College of Education, Best Books of 2021-Humor Section.
In 2022, her debut author/illustrator book, A Wish for Twins, The Tale of Our Two Miracles, (Doubleday, Penguin Random House) was published.
She enjoys working with children and sharing her passions for writing, art, nature and imagination.
She is currently working on her MFA in Children's Literature and Illustration at Hollins University in Roanoke, Virginia.
For more information about Dorothia's work, email her agent at Stimola Literary Studio: Allison Remcheck
