Elaine Oldham

I wanted to be writer from the day I read my first fairy tale. I started early with a children's story that I wrote and illustrated to earn a Girl Scout badge. I continued to write short stories and novels by hand -- in cursive -- all through grade school and high school.

For a while art went on the back shelf, but I still doodled, filling the margins of notepaper with dragons and fairies during meetings at work. More than a few people encouraged me to try drawing for real. I took up the challenge and entered my work in the art show at InConJunction, a science fiction convention in Indianapolis. I sold my first piece -- a wizard playing a board game with a dragon amidst his hoard -- before I hung it on the panel. Later I combined art and writing in the self-published comic book, Minstrel Fair.

I’ve shown art in convention art shows across the country and work the artist alleys and dealer’s rooms of several Midwest events. I especially love doing drawings for people onsite based on the description or photo they provide (see my gallery of show sketches and more on my website, www.dreamlightgraphics.com).

I write fantasy fiction for children and adults, as well as healthy living books for people on low sodium diets. So far – who knows what the future holds?