Introductions

Recently I was "cybertagged by my dears friends and fellow picture-bookies- Ginger, Amy and Sherry- well to start of this blog- I can't think of a better way to do it- so I am cybertagging all of you again- seems to me, everyone I know had been tagged by the time I was "it" so HA! Sherry, Ginger and Amy- your all it now! Last one to get a pic up and answers the questions has to.......think of the next challenge!

Who are you?
My name is Julia Kelly, I am an emerging (hopefully) illustrator of fabric collage for the children's literature market and a writer focusing on the West.
What did you spend most of your time as a kid doing?
- putting pieces and parts together to make things for my dolls, or make dolls- kleenex boxes were a favorite- rubber bands, paper clips, those cardboard squares inside boxes of pantyhose! And thinking up stories, acting stories with my friends, writing stories down.
When did you know you wanted to be an artist?-Not so much a specific time- rather I could not think of anything else I could do- art and kids- that is what I can do.
Were your artistic pursuits encouraged?
-Yes and no- I come from a family of independent people- so being who you are- was encouraged by example of everyone else "being who they were",but did my family see value in my art- never paid much attention to it- favorite come back to someone complementing me on my abilities was " Artistic!! Don't you mean Autistic!" Big Brother- don't you love them!
"I know I have made it when..."
-I have created a character like Winnie the Pooh, or Arthur or Olivia- that everyone knows their name- don't care if everyone knows my name!
"A good day is...
-When I am with my family- either on a cold winter night with the fire going and something good cooking in the kitchen, watching a movie or with my family hiking or biking, then going into Moab or Telluride- having dinner, strolling the streets with our dog, browsing the bookstores with a big cup of tea in hand.
What is the Next "Thing" you want to accomplish with your illustrating?
-To get paid for my illustrating!! Am a published writer- 2007, want to be a published illustrator!
What'cha working on?
I just did my first mass mailing- to 53 children's publishers, am building my online portfolios and am starting to sketch out a brochure to send to publishers.