About the Author
As an only child of two working parents, books and story telling played a huge part in Rudell's life. Characters in books were her friends.
During summer vacations, she spent many hours putting pencil to paper, either practicing her penmanship or sketching the faces of her classmates.
Her first foray into performing on stage took place when she was eight—the role of the ugly duckling who turns into a beautiful swan.
It seems only natural for Rudell’s lifelong dream of unleashing the books that have been inside her for so long to finally take place—at the age of 62!
While raising her son in the '70s, her career path took many turns. The common thread was that it always involved creativity in some form, from puppetry on TV to advertising layout and copywriting, in addition to space planning/interior design and news-paper photography/writing.
With the goal of “making a difference in children’s lives,” at age 49 Rudell returned to college to complete the degree she started in the mid-’60s. She graduated with honors in 2000 with a self-designed program in art history, multicultural anthropology, and women’s studies.
Since that time, Rudell has been an art teacher at several private elementary schools, while continuing her studies in weaving, photography, and writing. In addition, she has been blessed with two grandchildren who play an active part in her daily life, and she has enjoyed over 27 glorious years married to the man who adopted her son when he was 13.
About the Artist
James Lynch has over 30 years of experience as a commercial artist. His grandmother, who played a huge role in his upbringing in northern Ohio, told him he was an artist even before he was school age. However, his formal education didn’t begin until age 29 when he enrolled at the Central Academy of Commercial Art in Cincinnati.
His strength is in his range. In addition to being a book illustrator, he is a designer, painter, sculptor, and manufacturer. He sculpts and manufactures art pieces in a variety of materials, including foam and fiberglass, cement, wood, bronze, and clay.
Lynch’s largest sculpture was a 62-foot image of Christ called “King of Kings.” It can be seen from Interstate 75 at the Solid Rock Church in Monroe, Ohio and has received extensive media coverage.
His list of clients is quite long, including Walt Disney World, Universal Studios, Sea World, and FAO Schwartz in Orlando, as well as Caesar’s Palace, MGM Grand, and the Luxor in Las Vegas.
Creating the characters' looks with Rudell for her book series Just Like Brothers was right up his alley, since he has experience coming up with themed rides from concept to completion in amusement parks all over the world.
Although both the artist and the author grew up in the northeast U.S., Rudell feels it was serendipity for her to find James living within walking distance of her home in Florida, just when she needed the right person to illustrate her book series.
Rudell wearing hand-sewn top of fabric she designed and wove on a loom
