Phyllis Harris is an award-winning illustrator of more than 30 children’s books including On Christmas Day, written by Margaret Wise Brown, best known for Goodnight Moon and Runaway Bunny. The book was released in October 2012 by Booksamillion. In addition to picture books, her illustrations have appeared in several children’s magazines such as Highlights, Jack & Jill and Humpty Dumpty.
A little more than two years ago, Phyllis and her husband Bradley launched PhyllisHarrisDesigns.com, an online Children’s Wall Art store featuring more than 60 of Phyllis’s original illustration prints which can each be customized for any child’s room or nursery.
At the heart of Phyllis Harris Designs is the mission to give back to children in need; and children battling serious illnesses. “We started thinking about giving back from the get-go, with the online gallery and website,” Phyllis says. “What I do is for children and Brad and I knew we needed a children’s charity. St. Jude’s came to mind, but then we were determined to keep it local. We have known several children affected by childhood cancer. When a child is diagnosed with health issues such as diabetes or cancer, Children’s Mercy is that go-to place. The hospitals and clinics are a wonderful organization. We also do volunteer days there and it has become a wonderful partnership.”
Phyllis went to Longview Community College to study graphic design and art. She worked for Sun Publications as a graphic designer for about four years and then was a freelance artist for Hallmark. “Basically from that point forward, I was illustrating on my own and collaborating with authors on children’s books,” she says.
Her tagline, “Illustrating the heart of childhood,” mimics how she sees herself and her art. “There is something nostalgic to my work. It’s a bit whimsical and that is what childhood is … I treasured my childhood and the childhoods of my daughter and now granddaughter. I like to explore the imagination and draw in emotion. Many of my works have characters that appear windblown. I love the free spirit of the wind and the wind’s often peaceful nature.” Phyllis’s work is also about celebrating and treasuring the big and small accomplishments and dreams. “The joys of childhood resonate with adults too.”
Brad and Phyllis often share Phyllis’s work with grade schoolers. “In my presentation, we talk about how practice is a good thing when it comes to art. I want children, especially to draw from their own creativity. There is a beautiful individuality in not letting others tell you how to draw. I want young artists to be free and play rather than refining their own style too much. I go through the steps of my own drawing from those rough drawing, really those scribbles … we talk about how to change one or two lines and affect a facial expression. I work hard to maintain that place where I am still childlike and I can draw from my heart and soul. The less I refine my art, even with those spontaneous scribbles, I am better off.”
