More than 80 picture books and novels in English and French. Also many more educational texts, magazine articles, pamphlets and book covers. I also drew live for a Jigaloo lubricant tv commercial!

You work in watercolor, right?

Actually I work in layers of transparent acrylic ink. I used to use the brand "Rotring Artistcolor" which is now discontinued. I sometimes use "FW" and "Schminke" brands. If you happen to have any Rotring Artistcolor inks you would be willing to give up, please contact me. I do my black and white drawings with a dip pen, india ink, and washes of india ink.

Do you do your drawings on the computer?

No, I sketch on tracing paper, fax my sketches to the editor, and when approved, I transfer them onto watercolor paper. It is all done by hand. I do use the computer to scan in my work to keep it on file, to put it online, and to send samples out to potential clients.

Do you have an agent? Do you work for a company?

No, I am self-employed and do not work through an agent. I work directly with art directors and editors at publishing houses and graphic design studios.

Does your Saint Bernard sleep in your bed with you?

No, she is too dirty, sheds a lot of hair, and drools. She is not allowed in my studio either.

Do you have any children?

Yes, I have a three year old son, Benjamin Taotao, who was adopted from China. I also have two cats and my dog. I also am overrun with spiders (sign of a nontoxic house!) and ants!

I want to write a children's book. Will you illustrate it for me?

I'm sorry, but I work with editors and publishers, not directly with authors. If you have a manuscript for a book, it is best to approach publishers. Once a publisher has signed a contract with you to publish your book, it is time to look for an illustrator. At that point, you could certainly suggest me to your publisher. But the publisher has the last word, based on their knowledge of the book market and their professional intuition for what sort of drawings will best complement your text.

Did you study illustration in college?

I have a Bachelor of Fine Arts with distinction from Concordia University in Montreal, but I did not study illustration. In fact I specialized in black and white lithography (printing from a stone) and ceramics, including enormous unfired clay sculptures. I did further independent study in ceramics at the Banff Centre School of Fine Arts, where I did many multimedia installations and did handmade paper. Nothing related to illustration at all. Mostly I drew a lot ever since I was very small.

If you weren't an illustrator what would you like to be?

I would like to teach children, maybe be a journalist, or work for Consumer Reports testing different items.

I would like to be an illustrator. Could you help me out?

You could phone me or send me an email and if I have time I will try to answer your questions. I was lucky enough to be mentored myself, and would like to help new illustrators. Of course not every artist will be a good match for me.

I am doing a project for school about an illustrator. Could you please answer these hundreds of questions I have written down?

I am very interested in answering questions about my job, but please keep them simple and to the point. I don't necessarily have time to answer many long open-ended questions.

If you have eighty books in print, aren't you really rich?

Actually, illustrators often are paid a one-time fee for a book, which can vary widely. By the time the book comes out, the money was probably spent on my heating or vet bills. Other books are paid by royalty. This means I get a percentage of every book sold. This percentage is usually 2% to 5% of the cover price. That means I often get about 45cents per book. Before I pay taxes. So it is not so easy to get rich as a children's illustrator.

Are you very busy?

As a self-employed illustrator, nothing is certain. Sometimes I am booked for 6 months in advance and am working on six projects at once. Other times I have absolutely no work for several months. It is very up and down. It is subject to change on a moments notice. If you want to hire me for a project the only way to know is to call.

If you have any questions you would like to see on this FAQ, please send me an email!