About Ponder the Artist

I’ve always loved art. From an early age my parents encouraged us to be creative in everyday life. We visited museums and made things for holidays like halloween masks, sock puppets and hand sewn pillows. In high school’s Art Service Club I painted stage sets and designed playbills.

Later in the Philadelphia College of Art I enjoyed learning many subjects, mediums and genres including history of film and animal drawing and graduated with a BFA in Illustration.

After tromping the streets with my portfolio I tried my hand at oil painting before the illustration work started rolling in. An illustration career kept me too busy for oil painting.

1970’s and 80’s illustrations could be very conceptual. I illustrated business men climbing ladders of success, a couch potato, (literally), and even a futuristic TV that enabled activities from home like shopping and banking. A sample of one of my last full page magazine illustrations, A Child’s Secret Nightlife, led to my first children’s book illustration job.

I grew to love illustrating for children. My work appeared in Ladybug and Babybug magazines, a CBC poster, fund raisers and of course children’s books. I created charactors such as a pizza delivery duck, a sailor cow, a lucky old cricket and a mischievous monkey. I received starred reviews and awards for many of my fourteen books. My local library even honored my work by including characters on the wall of their children’s room.

Teaching has been a part of my life for some time. My first teaching job was at my alma mater, Philadelphia College of Art, where I taught an elective class in illustration. Since then I’ve taught additional subjects ranging from animal drawing to block printing for students of all ages and levels. Now, I visit libraries and schools where I talk about using my “Thinking Cap” to illustrate children’s books. In addition I substitute for a private art school teacher who has students young and old.

In 2013 I re-discovered oil painting with a self portrait. I love oil painting, it’s an adventure, I’ve raced to paint the Delaware river before a storm, I’ve painted an old bottle I found hidden in a wall, and I’ve painted a trio of fauns. I had to use my imagination to paint a flock of extinct pigeons, a heaven bound cat and my first sold oil painting. You may see my work in exhibits and some will be online along with prints of my most popular works.

And so, I am an illustrator, teacher, painter and more.
All in all, I am an artist.
Therefore I call myself Ponder the Artist.