Deborah L. Kopka

A 40-year educational publishing professional, nonfiction children's book author, and former Editorial Director with The McGraw-Hill Companies, Deborah Kopka develops educational media for major educational publishers in the United States and abroad and writes for the K-12 market.

A botanical artist since 1990, Deborah also creates unique botanical images that evoke the peace and healing of the natural world.

She studied botanical illustration in England and editorial illustration at Otis College of Art and Design in Los Angeles. She also obtained a Botanical Art Diploma, with Distinction, from London Art College in the United Kingdom, working under the tutelage of one of Great Britain’s best-known botanical artists. Committed to lifelong learning, she is currently doing further studies in botanical illustration and botany with the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh.

Today she teaches botanical illustration to students at all levels, from beginners to seasoned artists, in such venues as the internationally ranked Toledo Museum of Art, the University of Michigan Matthaei Botanical Gardens, and Owens Community College.

Deborah lives with her husband, their tabbies, and their quarter horse Noelle in the historic Ohio town of Perrysburg on the Maumee River, where she paints the flora of the gardens and farmland that surround her home and studio. She is a member of the American Society of Botanical Artists, the Guild of Natural Science Illustrators, the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators, and the Ohio Arts Council. Her botanical art is licensed internationally in the fine art print and home goods markets. She is represented by Art Licensing International.

Visit her website at www.dkdesigns.org.