Hello-

 

I'm a storyteller and art maker. A lover of books, good food, dancing, movie watching, the beach, the mountains, and almost anything outdoors. I love a good view, especially when a body of water is in the landscape. Dogs have always been good companions, but a cat named Brushes, has brushed his way into my heart. Sharks and anything creepy crawly is not my friend.

 

I sprouted in New Jersey, but blossomed in Portugal. Nature was my playground. I climbed fruit trees, ran in fields with butterflies, and walked on rooftops (don't try this at home kids!).  I grew up under the spell of Walt Disney's magic, Peanuts, Warner Bros, and my grandmother's warm crusty bread.

 

At the age of eight, a passion for drawing cartoons and dreaming of being a Disney Animator was ignited. While living in Portugal, a healthy addiction grew for reading comic books, mystery novels, and writing poetry.

 

When I was fifteen, I moved back to the States. As an artist, my craft has evolved through exploration, and freelance opportunities. I took art classes through Valencia Community College in Orlando, FL in illustration, painting, figure drawing, design, and sculpting. While I contemplated the pursuit of an art degree in my twenties, opportunity knocked for an apprenticeship as a freelance sculptor for a former Disney Imagineer--I jumped at the chance.

 

In 2007 pregnant with my first child we moved to North Carolina. Seven years later and two beautiful little girls, the calling to create was too loud to ignore. I facilitated art classes for young budding artists. After years of exploring and playing with a variety of art mediums, a new creative spark emerged as I read to my girls. I began writing puppet scripts for my church, and blogged for a parenting magazine. Until I began to be Inspired by picture books, so I took to writing and learning to craft stories. I haven't stopped since. 

 

I am a member of SCBWI, The Storyteller Academy, and a few critique groups. Locally I am an admin for Urban Sketchers of the Triad, where I sketch around town with local artists.

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Some fun facts about me:

I got slapped by a manatee tail while kayaking in Florida. I used to work at Disney Hollywood Studios (Disney MGM) as a Youth Program Instructor for the Interactive Film Production Class and behind the scenes tour. 

One of my illustrations was picked for the illustrator's gallery during the Spring of 2019 PBParty on Twitter (illustration #9).

The Cinderella sculptures in my portfolio were installed in Tokyo Disneyland Park, and I worked on sculptures for the mummies on the Revenge of the MuMMy ride at Universal Studios. 

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A local paper ran a story on my journey as an artist:

https://journalnow.com/entertainment/arts/living-full-life-provides-the-inspiration-for-painter-writer/article_a033f5b6-3bdf-5e20-bdcf-65dcf0270603.html

 

My passion and focus is on children's picture books, middle grade and illustration. I write to express the stories within my heart, to get in touch with my inner child, and to hopefully make a difference in the world. You don’t have to make art to be present and see, but I do.

 

Thank you for stopping by!

Florbela

Twitter: @anartistlife2