Ben MannBen Mann illustrated and co-published Once Upon a Parsnip with Barbara Jean Hicks at Mascot Books. In his quest for whimsical authenticity, Ben's illustrations benefit from his career in fine and commercial art arenas. The bigger surprise in his artitic development has been the influence of the grade school artists he has taught as an Art Specialist since 2000 in his hometown of Bellingham, Washington. With a style that is at once contemporary and nostalgic, he applies the credo of caricature artists: minimize this, saturate that. Not knowing exactly how it will all puzzle together is part of the fun, and the viewer is invited into that state of levity. His idyllic paint studios are in an historic building, whose weathered bricks support some 20 kindred artisans above two formidable galleries. When away from his easel, he finds joy with his partner cooking and gardening under intermittent Northwest sunshine. A passion for adventure prompts studies in foreign languages and countless tr Read More Read Less