Debbie Bakker Wins Honorable Mention

Debbie Bakker won Honorable Mention in the Golden Gate Portfolio Competition at Asilomar 2011. Judged by David Weisner, Caldecott winning author-illustrator, Katherine Jacobs, Associate Editor at Roaring Brook and Namratha Tripathi, Executive Editor at Atheneum, the prize recognizes the most outstanding portfolios brought to the SCBWI conference. This year the Third Annual Award will be judged by Arthur Levine and Dan Yaccarino. All portfolios displayed at the Conference are eligible for this prize.

Following Debbie’s first career as an elementary school reading specialist, she decided to tackle children’s literature from the other side of the page – as an illustrator. Debbie enrolled in the Academy of Art University in 2007, where her work was recognized in every juried show. She was honored by having a piece selected as an exemplar of the Illustration Department at her 2012 convocation ceremony.

When she is not honing her craft and promoting herself, looking for that first book contract, she is working freelance in the San Jose/Bay Area. Debbie completed a 45-foot long natural science mural for West Valley Community College, featuring 75 native CA plants and animals. She was a featured artist in this summer’s Redwood City Art Walk. Additionally, she teaches in high school art classrooms, combining her art with her love of teaching. Jumping into SCBWI with both feet, Debbie volunteered for the 2012 Illustrator’s Day, loving every opportunity to work beside and be inspired by the amazing illustrators who share their craft with us all.

Debbie Bakker lives in San Jose, CA with her husband Greg, missing the noise of their three children who are now all attending university. You can learn more about Debbie and her art at http://www.debbiebakker.com/.