Ask A Pro: Business Basics for Artists

Priscilla Alpaugh studied at MassArt and UMass Amherst, earning a BFA in Painting and Illustration, then continued her Illustration studies at Syracuse University in their MFA ISDP program. Priscilla has managed an art supply store, painted miniature mouse figurines, trained painters, driven a Council on Aging van, all while making art for kids. She works primarily in pen and ink with watercolor and colored pencil and combines traditional with digital techniques. She is a member of the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators and American Society of Bookplate Collectors and Designers.

Pamela Levy illustrated Otto’s Rainy Day, which was chosen as a “Kids’ Pick of the Lists”; The Easter Egg Escapade, which has been adapted into a feature length animation, and has received two Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators (SCBWI) Magazine Merit Awards. Some of her published credits include Here Comes Peter Cottontail, the four-book series The Adventures of Hector Fuller, and Casebook of a Private Cat’s Eye. She is a graduate of Vanderbilt University (Mathematics and Art History) and the Rhode Island School of Design.

Dawn Mitchell, a 20-year industry veteran, specializes in print and web design for all types and sizes of businesses… from small mom and pops to large international companies. In response to her clients’ requests, she began dabbling in search engine optimization about 10 years ago, developing solutions that help small businesses on a budget they couldn’t afford with larger SEO firms. She has two degrees, one in Computer Science-Business and one in Visual Communications. She hones her skills by being mentored by top professionals and avidly following industry developments.