Gardner, Melissa: - "Illustrator Melissa Gardner always wanted a cat like Marlon, but sadly she is allergic to kitties. Instead, her three dogs, Redwood, Phoebe and Dilly, keep her company (and beg for scritches) while Melissa works away in her art studio.Melissa's 6 chickens once tried to join the pack in the studio too but after lots of pecking and flapping, the chickens decided they liked it better outside! When Melissa isn't wrangling pets or painting, you can find her cooking, or gardening, or reading or hanging out with her family in a beautiful, rainy forest in the Pacific Northwest.When Melissa was a kid, she spent most of her free time drawing. Some of her friends spent a lot of time drawing too but an odd thing happened when they all finished middle school- her friends stopped drawing, but Melissa never did.Some people say that Melissa is talented but she doesn't think talent is what makes her a good illustrator. She thinks she's a good illustrator because she never gave up drawing. So, if you want to make art like Melissa one day, start drawing in your free time and keep practicing until you grow-up! One day people may say you're talented too and then you can tell them the secret - just keep drawing!"