Storylines Children’s Literature Charitable Trust of New Zealand | Te Whare Waituhi Tamariki o Aotearoa
As a child Lisa spent hours drawing in her scrapbooks. The rest of the time, her nose was in a book.
In 1987 she graduated with a Certificate of Graphic Design from ATI (now AUT). Her first job out of art school was working for a textile company under the tutelage of artist Ted Dutch – commercial designer, printmaker, ceramicist and painter – who trained her in creating artwork for screen printing and pre-press. She has worked as an in-house designer for an environmental clothing company, been involved in every aspect of textile design and for many years worked on licensed products, including all the major surf-wear, jean brands and sporting license franchises from the USA and Australia. For a brief time she worked as a magazine designer, illustrator and copywriter for an indie magazine about rodeo. Over the years she has designed everything from wine labels to theatre backdrops.
A long-held desire to illustrate for children led to her collaboration with Auckland author Glenda Kane on Mangrove. Since then she has illustrated a wide range of picture books in varied styles. Lisa occasionally paints to exhibit, with a particular interest in botanical works on paper. She now combines illustrating with her skills as a book designer and enjoys the entire process of book creation.
