Katie Steinruck

Children's literature is a genre which is integral to the way that human society develops and functions. Arguably, it could be the most important part of growing up. It is when we are very young that we are the most receptive to new ideas, how to interact among people, and how to latch on to the most creative parts of our thoughts and bring them to life in new contexts. Without these skills, communication and progress would be practically impossible, and books with illustrations are a wonderful way of teaching these skills.
Similarly, the artistic world is a place that functions in much the same way. The viewer is exposed to a new way of seeing and a new way of thinking, and is now required to use their investigative skills to find new channels of meaning within a physical object. This is no different than a child picking up a book and reading it, finding meaning in the relationship between words and illustrations. In both places, the impossible becomes possible, and we are learning something about humanity and its values. This dialogue between art and viewer, reader and writer, is the driving force of all of my artwork.
Whether my drawings are intended for a specific story or not, they always contain within them a narrative...