ASTRID SHECKELS

fine art & illustration

ASTRID SHECKELS ART

 

ABOUT ASTRID SHECKELS


Astrid Sheckels cannot remember a time when she was not telling or illustrating stories, especially ones involving imaginary animals. A native of western Massachusetts and growing up in an artistic family, Astrid spent her childhood playing outside, using her imagination, and drawing. She studied Fine Art at Greenfield Community College  and now works as a full-time artist.


PUBLISHING & ILLUSTRATION

Astrid is the author/illustrator of the award-winning Hector Fox & Friends picture book series (Islandport Press). The four-book series includes Hector Fox and the Giant Quest, Hector Fox and the Raven’s Revenge, Hector Fox and the Daring Flight and Hector Fox and the Map of Mystery.


Her debut book as an author/illustrator was the award-winning Nic and Nellie (Islandport Press). As an illustrator, her other award-winning titles include The Scallop Christmas (Islandport Press) and The Fish House Door (Islandport Press). She has illustrated the picture book Hope Somewhere in America (Twin Lights Publishers) and the two chapter books, Black Cloud and Tennessee Rose, in the Horse Diaries series (Random House).


Her latest release introduces readers to the charming canine-marine world of Sea Dog (Down East Books) and will be followed by its companion alphabet book, Sea Dog Boats, in Summer 2024, and a sequel story book, Sea Dog Rescue, in Summer 2025.


Flora and the Jazzers (Waxwing Books), a Cinderella-like animal story set in the 1920s, is currently in the works and will be ariving in Fall 2025.


ART & STUDIO

Astrid is a member of The Western Mass Illustrators Guild and The Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators. She has won a number of art awards, including the prestigious Lupine Honor Award (2009), the Moonbeam Award for best picture book for all ages (2010, 2013, 2022), the Moonbeam Award for best illustrator (2022), and the Northern Lights Book Award for best author/illustrator (2021). Astrid now lives and maintains her studio in the rolling hills of Greenfield, Massachusetts. Astrid has spent much time in her mother's homeland of Denmark and her Scandinavian roots are evident in her fine art and illustrations. She describes her style as “a mix of classic realism and whimsy.”




PHILOSOPHY OF ART

Astrid explains that her art is "an outcropping of who I am. I am a Christian and my art reflects my world view. If you see any life, vitality, light, order, or beauty in my work, it is but a reflection of God, the Great Creator."


 

BOOKS:

Sea Dog

Hector Fox and the Map of Mystery

Hector Fox and the Daring Flight

Hector Fox and the Raven’s Revenge

Hector Fox and the Giant Quest

Nic and Nellie

Hope Somewhere in America

Horse Diaries #9: Tennessee Rose

Horse Diaries #8: Black Cloud

The Fish House Door

The Scallop Christmas


Coming Soon:

Sea Dog Boats, an alphabet book (2024)

Beyond Mulberry Glen (2024) illustrations

Flora and the Jazzers (2025)

Sea Dog Rescue (2025)

Sir Ursalot and the Dragon (2027)


PUBLISHERS:

Down East Books

Islandport Press

Random House

Waxwing Books

Twin Lights Publishers


AWARDS:

2023 - Gold IPPY Award, Best Picture Book-All Ages (Hector Fox/Raven’s Revenge)

2022 - Gold Moonbeam Award, Best Picture Book-All Ages (Hector Fox/Raven’s Revenge)

2022 - Gold Moonbeam Award, Best Illustrator (Hector Fox/Giant Quest)

2021 - Northern Lights Book Award, Best Author/Illustrator (Hector Fox/Giant Quest)

2013 - Gold Moonbeam Award, Best Picture Book -All Ages (Nic and Nellie)

2011 - Maine Literary Award, Best Children’s Book (The Fish House Door)

2010 - Gold Moonbeam Award, Best Picture Book -All Ages (The Fish House Door)

2010 - Maine Literary Award, Honorable Mention (The Scallop Christmas)

2009 - Lupine Honor Award  (The Scallop Christmas)


MEMBERSHIPS:

Western Massachusetts Illustrators’ Guild

The Society of Children's Book Writers

and Illustrators


RECENT EXHIBITS:

2023 - The Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art, Amherst MA (Horse Tales: Galloping into Children’s Books - group)

2022-2023- The Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art, Amherst MA (The Carle Collection: Recent Acquisitions - group)

2020-2021- The Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art, Amherst MA (Let’s Talk! Animals from the Collection - group)

2019 - The Greenfield Gallery, Greenfield MA (Narrative Art - group)

2017 - R. Michelson Galleries, Northampton MA (Cats in Hats - group)

2016-17 - D’Amour Museum of Fine Arts, Springfield MA (Cats in Hats - group)

2016 - The Greenfield Gallery, Greenfield MA (Bare Trees & Bicycles - solo)


GALLERY REPRESENTATION:

The Greenfield Gallery    

Salmon Falls Gallery


MUSEUM COLLECTION:

The Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art

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@ElizabethJoySanders

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