Ann HessA life-long artist and native of Frederick, MD, Ann was born to talented parents who nurtured her artistic gifts by providing supplies, education and constant encouragement. Ann fondly remembers her mother taking her on multiple trips to the local library. So many children's picture books - more than Ann's little arms could carry!Ann received her B.F.A. at Ohio Wesleyan University (OWU), with additional study at the Maryland Institute College of Art (MICA), Hood College, and Georgetown University. She has served as a PreK-12 art teacher in public and private schools and enjoyed teaching adults with disabilities.Ann's paintings, public art projects, pet portraits, masks, and photos have been widely displayed and are in collections across the U.S.; her illustrations have been published in books, posters, and newsletters. She served as assistant curator of the local hospital's Women's Art Center Gallery for five years.Sam Baker's invitation to illustrate The Silly Adventures of Petunia and Herman the Worm gave her an entree into the wonderful world of children's literature. Her artwork for the book won an Honorable Mention for the Royal Dragonfly Award in the 2018 Story Monster LLC Contest.Ann lives with her husband Steve, an educator/musician/writer, the love of her life, and the father of her two adopted now-adult sons. She is eternally grateful for his support of all of her art projects, most recently as the model for Mr. Wilson - a character in the book. Read More Read Less