HilaryEmersonLay

I was raised in Brewster, Massachusetts, on Cape Cod, in a highly creative family. I grew up in an old house with a sprawling expanse of yard, great big gardens, a spooky marsh, and a veritable circus of animals. At one point or another, my family has had dogs, cats, hamsters, rabbits, guinea pigs, gerbils, pheasant, quail, chickens, chameleons, a crayfish, a pegasus, a parakeet, and a goat.

My parents encouraged all of my artistic pursuits and odd little personality quirks, so I spent my childhood drawing pictures (of pets real and imagined), running barefoot through the dunes, making masks, climbing trees, building fairy houses in fields, building forts in the marsh, and writing and illustrating my own stories and plays. In middle school, I won a kiwi-carving contest at Stop & Shop.

From a very early age, I have held a deep love of and appreciation for books, especially picture books, and my love of words and stories has grown over the course of my life. My first job was at The Brewster Bookstore when I was thirteen years old. I went on to earn a BFA in Writing, Literature and Publishing from Emerson College, with a concentration in Children’s Writing and Illustration. From 2002–2012, I managed The Spirit of ’76 Bookstore & Card Shop in Marblehead, MA. I think printed words on a page are among the world’s most beautiful things.

I weave my love of animals, words, and color into my art. I work primarily in acrylic, gouache, pen, pencil, pastel, pages from dictionaries, and line drawings from old books and encyclopedias. In addition to my painting and collaging, I create little stuffed creatures out of socks. I like to think of my artwork as an extension of my personality: bright, energetic, imaginative, playful, and fun. With my colorful hair and tendency towards wearing stripes, I even look a little like my sock creatures. :)