Artist's Statement

I began writing for children because I was attracted to picture books and their unique way of transforming static words and images into fascinating, colorful worlds.  At the time I was working in architecture, which offered the dream of creating worlds, as well, though on a far more restricted scale.

All along I took photographs as a way of studying buildings, details, and open places that related to my profession in architectural design.  I found myself drawn to the evocative and romantic qualities of my subjects.  I could read the old, textured stonework of a Castilian castle or the faded dignity of a crumbling ancient wall like some well-worn palimpsest daring me to uncover its secret story.  It has taken me over thirty years to understand that the story, not the architecture, was my real subject.

In photography I love to discover and capture the hidden stories that lie in the deep crevices of a brick wall or a care-worn face.  In my writing I try to create pictures in the reader’s mind that elicit the same joy of discovery.  I want you to be able to see and enter the space of those pictures, to discover and explore something new. 

In a way I am writing those picture books and capturing those stories that first attracted me.  Perhaps, I am creating architecture, after all.