ASHA and Baz Meet Mary Anning

Patel, Dharmali: - From a very young age in Mumbai, India, Dharmali Patel knew that she would be drawing, painting, or animating for her entire life. By age 6, her parents understood that drawing, crafting and all things creative was going to light her path, and ultimately lead her to her career as a visual artist. After mastering crayons, pastels, and finger paints... Dharmali made her way to Mumbai-Rachna Sansad School of Applied Arts, majoring in Illustration. She studied further at Vancouver Film School, where she earned her Bachelors in 2D Classical animation. In the past 20 years, she has worn the hats of Animation Director, Art Director, Visual Development Artist, Designer, and Illustrator. Every day, she loves to make art that is visually pleasing and engaging for people of all ages. Dharmali is honored that authors trust her with their beautiful words, and allow her to visually conceive the world and characters that ultimately become their books. She hopes that her imagery will inspire young minds with beautiful design, provocative lighting, and emotive characterizations that encourage a love of reading and beautiful art.Currently, Dharmali lives and works in Toronto.