I was born in Cleveland Ohio in 1979 to an artist and a hippy. We lived in several different states and traveled extensively, giving my brothers and I a real appreciation for different cultures and lifestyles. My mother was a self taught painter and folk artist and she taught me everything I know, especially to appreciate the beauty of women, children and nature. I started drawing and writing when I was five and haven’t been able to stop since. As a child, I would sing on the street corner for strangers and make dresses for my dolls out of grass and napkins. As a teenager, I started to study different techniques and learned to love both drawn art and digital art as well as music, sculpting, acting and poetry. When I was eleven, I won the Young Authors Award for a story I wrote and had two poems published in a book of children’s poetry. As an adult, I taught myself how to use a computer, work in Photoshop and build websites. Though I’ve received no formal training, I think I’ve come a long way on my own and someday I hope to write and illustrate a series of children’s books and a novel for teens.

I live in the deserts of California with my husband and lots of cats (the number changes daily). When I’m not drawing, you can find me with my nose in a book or writing. I also enjoy bird and people watching (both are fascinating) as well as video games, website design, cooking and spending time with children. When I’m drawing, my inspiration comes from everyday magic like animals, babies, and flowers. My work is influenced by the strong women in my family who taught me about love, magic, faith and the mysteries of life. I’m especially indebted to my mother who always encouraged me to express myself in whatever medium I chose and my husband who puts up with my insanity and always says my work is great even when it’s not.

You can contact me at prana@(removethis)charmeddesign.com