Profile
I am a representational watercolor artist and have been drawing and painting since I was a child in England. For years I have continued to pursue my love of art and enhance my natural ability by studying and taking workshops with many local, prominent and nationally known artists. Formal studies and Fine Art studio work also included New York’s Parsons School of Design and the Art Center of Northern New Jersey. National Exhibits and Award include Catherine Lorillard Wolfe Art Club, NYC, North East Watercolor Society Juried International Exhibition, New England Watercolor Society, Academic Artists Open National Exhibition of Realism, Rhode Island Watercolor Society, Cape Cod Art Museum and the Art Complex Museum Winter Juried Show, Duxbury. I am presently on the board of the New England Watercolor Society. Illustrating children's books combines my passion for painting and my love of reading. After working in oils for a number of years I fell in love with the spontaneity of watercolor and its beautiful transparency and have exhibited my paintings extensively in local, national, and museum shows, winning awards and prize recognition. My paintings are in private and corporate collections worldwide. I love children’s books and being able to illustrate them is wonderful. One of my favorite illustrators is N.C. Wyeth’s, with his dramatic visual concepts, so beautifully rendered and rich in color. When bringing stories to life visually, I always try to have as much fun as I can with lots of movement in my illustrations. The interaction between characters gives a connection that can be felt by the child reading the story. Children like to see the body language that gives the illustration more vitality and helps them understand the communication going on with characters within the story by just “seeing the picture”. The Cover of a children’s book is especially important to capture the reader. I have has illustrated four children’s books and found it a wonderful and challenging experience. My first book “E is for Empire” won the NY State Reading Association Charlotte Award. I was also a contributing illustrator to “P is for Passport” a 2003 MIPA Merit Award Winner and am currently working on three of my own children’s stories. Other publications I was invited to exhibit my work in are “100 Artists of New England” and “Artists Home & Studios”. To see more of my paintings and sample illustrations please go look at my blogs: http://storybookart.blogspot.com and http://maureenbrookfield.blogspot.com 24
Style/Techniques
Caricature, Cartoon, Conceptual, Figurative, Fine Art, Line, Line with Color, Painterly, Pen & Ink, Realism, Watercolor, Whimsical, Concept Art
Subject/Specialties
Humor, Adventure, Animals, Architecture, Book Covers, Children, Children's Books, Children's Products, Education, Food, Greeting Cards, Historical, Holidays, Landscape, Nature, People, Portrait, Still Life, Travel, Americana, Feminine, Youth, Ethnic