Hello...

I finally did it! After lots of encouragement and advice from some amazing friends and illustrators that I greatly admire, I decided to be brave, get "out there", and enter the blogging world myself.

My name is Suzanne Del Rizzo, and the mommy to 4 great kiddies. What can I say, my kids are my life, it's amazing how four little sticky-fingered little people can make life feels so much more "full" and now I can't imagine how life was like before they came along:)

Pre-kids, I used to work in a cancer research laboratory. But when I became a mommy my perspective on life changed, and I realized that even though I do have a passion for science, my passion for art and connecting with children was greater. I have decided to follow my dream, leave the science behind, and be an artist and hopefully(fingers crossed) one day become a Children's Book illustrator.

I love all mediums, especially watercolour and acrylic, but lately I have been totally smitten with plasticine, polymer clay, anything that I can squish and mold. I am a very tactile person, as are my kiddies, so the Playdoh gets cracked out in our house almost on a daily basis:)

I decided to try my hand at plasticine illustration after becoming inspired by the amazing plasticine illustrations of Barbara Reid. Her fabulous books really resonate with me and my children and anything that makes them want to read and turn the page is golden.

Pheewww, this is a big leap, but with the support and advice from the few illustrators I have found within the online community of Children's Book illustrators, I am going to GO FOR IT!! It is for this reason I have decided to start this blog. It will chronicle my journey, and hopefully provide a fun outlet for me when all the kids are running in circles around me.

I hope to post some works in progress and completed artwork, and would absolutely be thrilled to bits if any illustrators out there would like to share with me share their thoughts and critiques. Many thanks to Roz Fulcher, for her great advice and encouragement, and to Rachelle Anne Miller for taking the time(with a little one too) for the support and feedback.

Let me know what you think of my blog background. I had a blast, and got a little carried away with all of the funky digital papers out there to chose from- heehee. My header was created using a favorite plasticine illustration I did of the view from my Aunt Sharon's dock in Muskoka. I hope to change it periodically to share new illustrations.

Happy Easter everyone.....now to get that turkey prepped and in the oven...

Suzanne