Masha D'yans

A classically trained painter and graphic designer, Masha D’yans was born in Europe, and her influences include nature, fairy tales, and Japanese art. Her vibrant watercolors have appeared on greeting cards, in calendars, and in children’s books. She currently lives in Los Angeles, California. Visit her at www.masha.com.

Interview

What was your favorite book when you were a child?

The Princess and the Pea by Hans Christian Andersen

What’s your favorite line from a book?

“Now they knew that she was a real princess because she had felt the pea right through the twenty mattresses and the twenty eider-down beds.” –Hans Christian Andersen, The Princess and the Pea

Who are your top three favorite authors or illustrators?

Maurice Sendak, Edward Gorey, Chéri Hérouard

Why did you want to become an author or illustrator?

Beautiful books, and the people who made them, seemed magical to me as a child. They still do.