Judy is an early childhood teacher with a fine art degree. She has always had a passion for picture books. In 2009 she began to write and illustrate full-time, gleaning her characters from the animals living around her in the hills of Maleny, Queensland. Judy handcrafts her characters and their natural environments, and combines these with photography and the computer to create her picture books.
BABY TAWNIES by Judy Paulson, published by Random House is due for release in May 2012.
WHAT CYA CONFERENCE DID FOR ME
I have CYA Conferences to thank for their encouragement and their active promotion of the work of emerging children’s writers and illustrators.
My first conference was in 2009 where I found out that there were lots of people like me just starting out on the journey of writing and illustrating for children. The presenters were enthusiastic and generous with their knowledge and skills. The most important message I received that day was persistence, to never give up.
So in 2010 I entered the competitions and received third place in the illustrated picture book category. I also appreciated the feedback given on the stories I had entered which is so important for a beginning writer. The opportunity to meet with agents and publishers was also invaluable.
In 2011 I received second place with my illustrations and this has led to a contract with Random House. So thank you Tina and Ally.
