"Through my illustrations, I hope to inspire a love of nature and a desire to protect it."
My illustrations go beyond depicting nature and natural science topics. They serve to engage people by making the topics approachable and relatable. I am particularly passionate about illustrating children's books to inspire the next generation of nature enthusiasts and conservationists.
My love of nature began as a child in San Diego, playing at the beach, canyons, and trails and fully embracing the 1970s call to end littering and pollution. I loved drawing, but drawing nature and science topics at the zoo and in biology, physiology, and oceanography classes was next level. I was excited to continue developing my art skills by studying illustration and design in college. Living at Lake Tahoe for over 35 years since has only deepened my appreciation for the natural world and the impetus to protect it through art and storytelling.
ILLUSTRATION GALLERIES:
Faery Medicine: Blending Art and Plant Conservation
From 1996 to 2010, my project, Faery Medicine, was an evolving educational exhibit in illustrated story form. It chronicled historical medicinal plant usage worldwide, using faeries and nature spirits to represent plant qualities and protect nature. Notecards featuring these images and stories were sold nationwide, further fueling my commitment to conservation and education.
Bringing Botanical Medicine to Life
The first book I illustrated from beginning to end was Medicine From the Mountains: Medicinal Plants of the Sierra Nevada by Kimball Chatfield. I had a profound interest in botanical medicine and had studied the topic extensively. The project perfectly blended my illustration skills with my interests and led to more book projects.
Mentorship with Yuyi Morales
In 2009, I had the honor of being chosen by award-winning children’s author/illustrator Yuyi Morales as one of her mentees in the Nevada SCBWI Mentor Program. Under her guidance, I wrote and illustrated my first picture book focused on environmental stewardship. This mentorship shaped my creative approach and influences every story I illustrate or write to this day.
Volunteer Leadership with SCBWI
Following the mentorship, I continued with children's illustration while managing my design business. Several years later, I served as Illustrator Coordinator and then Co-Regional Advisor for SCBWI’s California: North/Central region, creating events and content for our illustrator and writer community.
Continued Environmental Stewardship Storytelling
Then, in 2023, while developing book projects in Chris Oatley's Clockwork Heart Mentorship, I received a grant to produce my all-ages environmental stewardship book, With Love, From Tahoe, in English and Spanish. This significant milestone reinvigorated my passion for stewardship storytelling and opened the door to new book projects focused on protecting nature.
With Love, From Tahoe (Author/Illustrator) • Encounters With the Imaginary (Illustrations & Story) - Vol. 1 • A Petite Work of Heart (Illustrations) - Vol. 1 • Medicine from the Mountains: Medicinal Plants of the Sierra Nevada (Botanical Illustrations - Full Book) • When Technology Fails (Edible Plants Illustrations) • Edge Vol. 1-4 & 10 (Illustrations) • The Tale of Riverhaven (Cover Illustration)
CLIENTS
Society of Young Inklings • Alpensong Healing Arts • Thoroughweb Press • Range of Light Publishing • Author & Acupuncturist - Kimball Chatfield • Clear Light Publishers • Tahoe: Lost & Found • Grass Roots Natural Foods • Jim Stamates Wildlife Photography • Goodie Chest • Attorney George Keller • Author - Matthew Stein • Council for Responsible Nutrition
MISCELLANEOUS PUBLICATIONS & PRESS
Moonshine Ink • Tahoe Arts and Mountain Culture • Creative Brew • Tahoe Mountain News • South Tahoe Now • Tahoe Daily Tribune • Lake Tahoe Visitors Authority • SCBWI Featured Illustrator • SCBWI-CA: North/Central Acorn • Faery Medicine
Painting at five (left) and off to art school (right).
Favorite Color: Sunset
I grew up in an art gallery. (Yes, I did.)
I got into business early. For one venture, when I was 12, I made little creatures called “Nice Mice” and sold them at the India Street Art Colony Jazz Festival.
I have been using Apple computers since 1980.
In the 80s, I worked for a software company called Beagle Bros. that made games and utilities for Apple computers.
1983 SoftTalk magazine article with the Beagle Bros. crew.
That's me (aka Minnie Assembler), second from the left.
I have been living, working, and playing in South Lake Tahoe, CA, for over 30 years.
One of my first jobs after college was doing paste up for a newspaper. (If you don't know what paste up is, here's a video about this lost art.)
In the early 2000s, I developed a method for printing on raw silk and was featured in a Rochester, New York, art show with fellow art printing innovators.
I had the tremendous honor of being chosen to work with author/illustrator Yuyi Morales in the 2009 Nevada Mentor Program through the Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators.
I wasn't aware of how much I use my hands when talking until I animatedly described some illustrations during a live radio interview. I managed to unplug all the sound equipment with one enthusiastic gesture.
I wear many hats in my life, many of which are helmets.
Our grown child, a computer scientist/linguist, is a Ph.D. student studying fairness and privacy in natural language processing. (We don't understand everything, but we try!)
Our brave dog.
When we rescued our dog, she was afraid of trash cans, tree stumps, people, other dogs, and shadows. She is currently only scared of our houseguest—a cat named Wren.
The most validating thing a publishing house art director ever said to me: “You can obviously draw the hell out of anything.”
©2007-2026 KRISTEN SCHWARTZ •
