Unexpectedly, an Illustrator

When I lost most of my sight in 2014, the last thing I expected to do with my suddenly copious free time was to start creating illustrated books for children!  I had made two while I could see, and had published them on CreateSpace: Colors and Numbers and Around the Color Wheel.  I thought my days of drawing were over, since I could not see the text on a printed page.

Then I remembered the days when I made some pretty cool chatroom avatars, back in the 90s, using MSPaint.  I could zoom in, and we had, after the first six months or so of my blindness, acquired adaptive computer equipment that let me see what I was doing, as long as I was patient with my own limitations.  After a few false starts, I created Five Green Speckled Frogs, using MSPaint to create all of my original illustrations, and using transparent pastring to place my images on a set background, which I had also drawn.  It reminded me of making pictures with those vinyl cling images and background boards we played with in my childhood.  I used the slightly altered version of the song preferred by my little cousin, who was then four.  Soon after, I rewrote Three Little Kittens, and used MSPaint to create the illustrations for that, as well.  I published both using CreateSpace.

At the beginning of this month, I was stuck inb the hospital for several days.  My husband brought me a small drawing book, some black Sharpie markers, and a couple of ten-count boxes of the wide-tipped Crayola classic markers that were on the back to school sales.  While the medications ran through my IV, I sat in bed and drew pictures.  I drew all of the illustrations for Debbie Draws the Alphabet, for How Many Bugs, and for Shapes We Eat, to each of which I later added text, using the computer, and published through CreateSpace.  At home (sparing the nurses the mess!), I cut shapes from colored construction paper, and added googly eyes, to create the animals, and a background page, which came together to become Farmyard Friends.  Yes, I published that on CreateSpace, as well!

Suddenly, as long as the lines are bold enough, I can draw pictures suitable for chuldren!

I've stocked up on more paper and markers, and added some colorful highlighters for variety.  I have several more children's books in my head, and I've already started drawing the illustrations for the next one!  Watch for updates as I see what a legally blind author and illustrator can do!

(I haven't stopped work on book 2 of the What Mother Goose Meant series: More What Mother Goose Meant!  I have the series outlined out to book 12, so I'll be writing on that as much as I can, and drawing in the evenings.  I've just finished the chapter for "I Had a Little Husband," nd I'm working on "I Love Litle *****.")