About-Chi sono?

Short Bio

When I was a child, I spent my summer holidays by the swamp catching tadpoles and other creepy critters or running after wild animals. I wanted to become a veterinarian when I grew up. But destiny turned my life around – I moved to Italy where I obtained my BS in Environmental Sciences and Territorial Management.

Nata in Ottawa, Canada, Eleanor è cresciuta inseguendo animali selvatici nella speranza di fare nuovi amici e giocando nella palude in estate. Questa passione l’ha spinta a scrivere sulla natura e gli animali e a studiare fino a ottenere, all’età di 44 anni, una laurea in Scienze Ambientali e Gestione del Territorio. Eleanor ha svolto molte e diverse attività: addetta alle vendite e agli acquisti per un’azienda in Canada, madre, moglie, lavoro nel panificio di famiglia, in un negozio di computers ed infine in un’officina metalmeccanica. Tuttavia è sempre tornata ciclicamente al suo primo amore di raccontare ed illustrare storie.

I’m a Canadian children’s book author/illustrator residing in Italy. I am an SCBWI, CBI, CANSCAIP member, and a graduate of the Children’s Book Academy and have taken other picture book and illustrating courses.

My debut Picture Book ‘Jurassic Rat’ was published by Spork- Clear Fork Publishing on June 4th, 2019. Ecco il mio primo libro pubblicato per l’infanzia. Età 5-8 anni da una casa editrice Statunitense.

Here’s the longer biography.

I love nature and its secrets. You’ll often find me in the woods holding a basket full of herbs, admiring the trees, flowers or the blue sky, and listening to all creatures.

I love adventure. If I find a cave, I want to explore it. I love visiting castles and underground passages. I know, they may seem creepy, but as soon as the tour guide turns the other way, I’m gone, heading for the secret passages.

I have a lot of hobbies. I miei hobby.

• Ceramics, Ceramica,
• Painting, Pittura,
• Horseback riding, Equitazione,
• Scuba diving, Sub,
• Gardening, Giardinaggio,
• Hiking, Escursionismo,
• Swimming, Nuoto,
• Sowing, Cucito,

And of course, writing and illustrating books for children.

I’ve been writing for ten years. Not being able to personally attend workshops, I bought many books on creative writing and participated in online courses trying to hone my craft. It has been a long journey.

As for illustrating, I’ve been doodling since I was six years old. I took many art classes in the past 30 years – I attended community center night classes, bought a bunch of books, DVD’s and surfed the web for ‘How to’ demonstrations on YouTube.

The best courses I virtually attended, are the CBA’s Illustrating for Kids class with Dr. Mira Reisberg, and Marks and Splashes, How to be a Children’s Book Illustrator,an exciting online course by award-winning author and illustrator Mark Mitchell.

I have experimented with different art techniques and mediums. My favorite mediums are acrylics and watercolor.

If you’re not bored yet, I’ll let you know a little more about ME.

I was born in Ottawa, Canada on Christmas Day. I lived with a French family with my two sisters.

My mom was a single parent and couldn’t take care of all three of us. We moved in with our mom when we were much older.

At the age of sixteen, I had finished high school. I had skipped a few years; I guess I was a bright little girl.

My high school counselor suggested I continue my studies, but the university counselor thought I was too young to attend and suggested I go to college. We couldn’t afford college at the time. Therefore, my dream vanished of becoming a veterinarian.

I moved out when I was sixteen.

I rented a bachelors apartment, 400 kilometers from home, owned by a Vet. On weekends I would help him out in the clinic. It was like a dream come true.

I worked at a clothing store at the time, and when they had their yearly fashion show, they asked me to be a model.

Then I found a better-paid job in an Italian run business, in the sales and purchasing department, where I eventually met my Italian husband. I attended night classes in college – C.E.G.E.P. in Three Rivers – Québec, in accounting to further my career in the company.

We got married on a snowy day in November 1980 and then moved to Italy. That was a long time ago.

My hubby and I at a wedding.

In 1982 I had my first child, a girl. My little boy was born in 1986.

For twenty years I helped out at the family-run bakery. Then my hubby became allergic to flour, ironic, isn’t it? So, we opened a computer shop when there was the big boom in computer technology. Now we have a family run machine shop.

Oh! I’m a grandma. Sono una nonna!

This is about it folks.