Born in New York, Wendy Martin grew up in Suffolk County, Long Island. She gave her first one person show while still in Jr. High. Ms. Martin studied art in high school and upon graduation, was awarded 'Honors in Art'. She continued her training in New York City. She received her Bachelor of Fine Art degree from the School of Visual Arts in 1988. Ms. Martin's art has been accepted into numerous juried exhibitions, plus she has received multiple honors and awards for her work throughout her career. Her artwork hangs in several private collections as well as a museum in Central America.

"In today's fast paced world I believe there is a need for tranquility. I try to capture this peace and calm in my paintings. By portraying idyllic scenes in cheerful tones, I feel I'm sharing this feeling of well being with my fellow humans. The peaceful vignettes I choose are meant to evoke nostalgia for simpler times. With so much harshness in this world, we all need the chance to slow down and smell the roses.

My illustration is about light and shadow. When I paint I forget that I'm illustrating a flower or a child and just concentrate on how the shapes of the light and dark interact. In this mode of thinking the paintings just seem to flow off the end of my brush. I find that when things start to become difficult and this flow ceases, I've started thinking about what the subject is and not how the light is acting.

My aim is to paint more than what the words on the page say. I try to add a touch of whimsy to a story line, building on the author's intention. I want the children to look at the picture and notice something new each time they read their favorite books.

Something every artist gets asked again and again is; "Where do you get your ideas?" As an illustrator, I find my ideas are all around me. It's not the ideas themselves so much as the way we, as artists, choose to see and portray them. What I'm trying to say is life and living gives me my ideas. The really exciting thing is that there is so much life around me that I'll never run out of ideas. The challenge is in choosing one of my ideas to concentrate on and nurture to maturity."

In addition to illustrating children's books, Ms. Martin has worked on projects for such well known companies as Baker, BIC, Caldors, Physicians Health Service, May Company, Purina, Sears Portrait Studios, Southern New England Telephone, Yale University and The US Veterans' Medical Administration. She is a member of the Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators, the Graphic Artist Guild, and the St. Louis Watercolor Society.

To find out about commissioning original illustration, call (314) 740-0361.