The Art
Esther Samuels-Davis
@dirtyliketheweeds
Esther Samuels-Davis was born and raised in Catskill, a small town in upstate New York. In 2005 she moved to Oakland, California to study at California College of the Arts, where she concentrated in printmaking and illustration. After school Esther worked as a letterpress printer at Carrot and Stick Press until 2013 when she moved to Berlin. There Esther put her focus into writing and illustrating books. Since moving she's interned for puppet maker Georg Jenisch, helped to organize the Hungry Eyes Zinefest, and illustrated for theater productions at Acker Stadt Palast, Literally Speaking Berlin, and the podcast Love and Radio. Her drawings and prose can be found in Maker's Magazine and were featured on the Maker's Movement blog.
Catherine Owens
@chalk.and.ink
Catherine Owens is a visual artist in Boston, Massachusetts. She is a tinkerer and a wanderer and casts a wide net with her creative endeavors, which currently include painting, pen and ink illustration, chalk art, calligraphy, photography, writing, cooking, textile work & natural dyes, and occasionally printmaking. She holds a bachelor's degree in Exercise Science and a Master's degree in Nutrition Science from the University at Buffalo, and a Master's degree in Sustainable Agriculture from Tufts University.
Dr. Ara Lambert
@the.doodle.life
Dr. Ara Lambert is a licensed clinical psychologist who works with kids, teens, families and everyone in between. She studied and received her degree at The Chicago School of Professional Psychology at the Washington DC campus. In the last few years, she has been training to be a shamanic practitioner and enjoys anything and everything outdoors. She spends most of her time chasing around her rambunctious toddler during her free time, but also loves making memories with close friends, laughing and making light of the world, being sarcastic, reading, doodling, binge-watching shows, and sleeping.
While her appearance and her environment change, Venus always possesses the same inner qualities such as loving-kindness and compassion – which are universal to all kids regardless of gender, race/ethnicity, age, or any other distinguishing factor.
The visual artists who have joined the Mermaid Brigade are an amazing mix of both new and experienced children’s book illustrators. Each of these women is deeply committed to using visual art as a medium for individual and social change.