What was your childhood like?

As a kid, there were two things I loved more than anything else, and that was to be outside exploring nature and to be drawing pictures from my imagination. I loved the freedom of the woods and fields, and the smells and sounds of the creek bed. These places were vast and expansive, yet as small and intimate as I wanted to make them. And I loved all the creatures I came across and would study them intently. My visual observations regularly informed my sketching and drawing.

What are one or two indelible memories you have of where you grew up?

One of my favorite memories of my early childhood involved a Sunday in which we weren’t able to attend church for one reason or another, and my Dad got me up early to go on an adventure together. I followed him into the field across from our house, where we hiked through weeds together until we came to a large patch of bramble. Dad had me stand in front of the briars and keep still. On the opposite side, he jostled the thicket and suddenly a rabbit came darting out past my feet and into the thick brush. I got a jolt of excitement and Dad got quite a kick out of it. He then led me deep into the woods, where we came upon a limbless old tree trunk. He pointed out what he called “owl pellets” lying just inside a hole at the base of the tree, and had me stand back as he pressed against the trunk, rocking it. An owl came pulsing up out of the top of the empty trunk, then flew off into the woods. I was absolutely fascinated and hooked by Dad’s knowledge of the natural world, and his confidence to explore it.

Describe how you enjoy spending your free time and what you enjoy about it. Do you have any unique interests?

Still to this day, one of my favorite ways to spend my free time is out back in my fields and woods and in the creek that runs along the back of our property. I frequently check in on the northern watersnakes that hide out on the little grassy island, and the family of salamanders under the flat rocks in our wooded hillside. I watch and observe the herd of deer in our mulberry grove, the family of screech owls in the pines out front, and the beaver and the fish I encounter in the creek. All of these sights and sounds and smells continue to feed my imagination even today, and they find their way into the art that I make. There is so much of this natural world that has been woven into the visual fabric of Little Pilgrim’s Progress.

How do you engage with God? What is your spiritual life like?

One way that I engage with God is through worship. My wife Gina began our relationship when we were writing and performing Christian rock music in the late 90’s. After that band was no longer together, we continued to make music as a couple by joining our church worship band. Today we both still volunteer at church, singing with our current worship team. Many of these songs and lyrics stick with me as I’m out enjoying my private time in nature, and I regularly sing and hum as I walk and explore.

What is your favorite Scripture verse or passage, and why?

A favorite verse of mine for the past decade has been Ephesians 4:1, in which Paul encourages us to “live a life worthy of the divine calling to which you have been called.” As someone who has always felt this inner undying desire to be creating art of some kind, this verse puts a healthy responsibility on me—that I can’t just live my life however I see fit if I am called to do something for God and His Kingdom. I have to be conscious of my actions and how they impact those around me. A calling may be personal to each of us, but it’s not solely an internal thing to live out. A calling is generally going to enlist us into a life of serving others in some way, for the good of the Kingdom. It’s honorable to our calling when we intentionally live each day worthy of that calling.

Which men or women of faith influenced you most? Why or how?

I’ve learned a lot about honoring my calling by observing friends like Andrew Peterson and Allen Levi. Both of them write and record music and author books, and both have consistently exemplified kindness, mercy, grace, and generosity to others, even in trying circumstances. Simply observing this in them over the years has embedded a consciousness in me about how to be a Christ-like example to others.

What experiences compelled you to write your latest book?

Erik Peterson, the Creative Director at Moody Publishers, came to me about two years ago with an idea: to create a lavishly illustrated edition of Little Pilgrim’s Progress. I honestly wasn’t sure that I would be a good fit for a heavily illustrated novel about knights and peasants and giants. These just aren’t the sort of subject matter that my body of work has been made up of. So I responded by asking what work of mine led Erik to propose this project to me. He responded with a handful of fantasy-themed images I’d drawn of rabbits and mice in the natural world. He went on to elaborate on how timeless tales can be told from many visual/thematic perspectives in order to bring a fresh spin on that tale, drawing new audiences in and bringing something new to the existing audience. I was sold, say no more!

When you were writing this book, what stage of life or circumstances were you in? How did this affect your writing style and perspective?

Erik and I began by having regular FaceTime calls to discuss the visual themes, the logic behind a few character/plot adjustments, and even some rules to this world I would be creating. But once it was time for me to really dive into making the art for this book, our entire world plunged into a pandemic. Life got really challenging for every one of us. Many days we were glued to the news, trying to learn how to face this new way of living. Many days we were helping loved ones who were vulnerable to illness. I had author/illustrator friends whose publication dates were pushed back, heard tell of books being dropped, and even saw editors I worked with get let go. Every publishing person I knew was now working from home, surrounded by kids and pets, and spouses who were also working from home. For me, I found it tremendously challenging at first to get my mind out of the world of COVID and into the world of Little Pilgrim. But as time went on, and as it became clear that the pandemic wasn’t going anywhere, getting to sit at my desk and dive into this wonderful world I was creating became a refuge, and it gave me a sense of purpose each day. I looked forward to each new chapter I would illustrate, each new character I would design. And the project ultimately helped to get me through my own tough experience with the pandemic. My wife and I would talk about each new illustration I did, and looked forward to it. We were both genuinely sad for me to reach the end of the project.

What is your greatest hope for your readers?

My hope is that readers, no matter what they are going through in their own lives, can find a place and moment of refuge and encouragement as they enter this new world of Little Pilgrim’s Progress and follow along with Christian and Christiana on their journey to the Celestial City.