The Adventures of Mayor Molly McMole

 EXAMPLES  OF MY BOOK ILLUSTRATIONS AND THAT'S  ME AT WORK IN MY STUDIO AT THE END OF HANNALEI DRIVE    Being an artist is fun but hard work when you have deadlines.  I am grateful to my mentors, Ron Pekar and Jim Gaines who taught me needed skills and Ron never tried to change me but encouraged and coached me beyond measure.  Along the way I was juried into art shows, received awards, galleries wanted my work,  and I participated in international shows in Britain, Italy, Sicily,  and France AND I survived.   When I gave up teaching business subjects in the 80s, I decided to be what I always wanted to be-- an artist, starting with oils (Jim Gaines) and then branched out to my real love--acrylics and mixed media. Little did I know that one day authors would want me to illustrate their books and that an idea I had would  become a 6-book children's adventure series starring Mayor Molly McMole.  She became my alter ego and som...

  HISTORY IS LIKE THE BIBLE,  it continues to be amazing, read/not read, and offers solutions to everyday problems. if you care to take a look. Here is Ben Franklin--as a young man--with his coonskin hat as he appeared in Versailles and the French courtesans found him charming. Here I took author's liberty, drawing him  as I thought he looked as a young man, in my book, Why Is a Spy Called a Mole, starring Master Spy Christopher McMole. Question:  What was Franklin's important role in the American Revolution? Were you taught about this extremely important role in school? Somehow, I think not, and neither was I.  I had to read an old dusty history book to  tell this story.  Hint--it involves some ships. The story is one of many in my book, which is sold on Amazon, Kindle, and Abebooks in Europe. You can reach me at strieby.org #benfranklin #americanrevolution #versailles #masterspy #whyisaspycalledamole #storyteller #americanhistory #americanforefather ...

  A few years back Ormly Gumfudgin approached me to illustrate a book that he had drafted and entertained audiences with Chapter 1 and his bazooka at Christmas time.  He described himself as the "World's Only Living Bazooka Player." He was also a member of the Western Writers of America.  He picked me out of many artists in Los Angeles to illustrate his book and I might add-- he was a kick to work with. Needless to say, he wanted a western looking Santa and I illustrated this book with Texas and Santa Fe  in mind, a Stetson cowboy hat and Tony Lama boots. I noticed that he gave me credit for also editing this book.  Ormly has passed on but it occurred to me to give him a little press todoay.  He was also a. member of AFTRA,  and.the Official Historian for the International Chili Society.   While working with  him I had no idea that a mole would pop into my mind  a few years later by the name of Mayor Molly McMole, head of her mole t...