Meet Stacey Peterson

The name of Stacey Peterson as the illustrator of the upcoming sequel to Madonna’s “English Roses” bestselling children’s book surfaced back in July as part of an article on Publishers Weekly about the big numbers expected for this Fall’s new release in the U.S.

Now, thanks to a Q&A with the artist courtesy of the publisher of Madonna’s children’s book series, Callaway Arts & Entertainment, we get to know more about Stacey, who lives in the Wild Wild West with a cowbov who rides airplanes, two semiadoring children, a couple of crabby cats, and a fierce cocker spaniel named Shadow.

“My mother recognized my artistic talent at a very early age and encouraged me” – Stacey says when asked about her development as an artist and about her current style.

“l remember vividly in second grade being given an assignment to create a picture from a story mv teacher read,” Stacey continues – “I loved the assignment and did six drawings. I won the teacher over, but not necessarily my classmates. I eventually went into a career in advertising for almost twenty vears before I began illustrating again.Because l work from home, l have become more creative and productive while being more available to my children.”

Madonna fans remember the fresh and original imagery created by artist Jeffrey Fulvimari for the English Roses book. Asked about what was it about the original artwork that drew her to work on the sequel, “Too Good To Be True”, Stacey Peterson says:

“Jeffrey Fulvimari’s artwork, though bolder than mv style, had a vintage vibe with a girly twist that I connected to. I found the characters to be charming and sweet, and loved having the opportunity to develop them even further.”

And asked about her reaction when she first read “The English Roses: Too Good To Be True” Stacey goes with “I loved it“.

“My career in advertising as an art director prepared me well”, Stacey explains discussing how her previous projects prepared her for the experience of illustrating the Madonna book. “You have to be able to tell a story visually in a matter of seconds or in one picture to get the main idea across. It is also important to keep organized and set small goals to stay on deadline.”

Describing the creative process of making this book with Madonna and Callaway, Stacey says “Callaway Arts & Entertainment and Madonna took great care in finding che illustrator for this project. Once they feel they have the right person, they allow you to truly express yourself as an artist.”

“Other publishing companies will give an illustrator specific direction on what image should be on each page; the editors at Callawav did not. They allowed me to have the freedom to make those decisions myself. I enjoyed the process immensely and I hope it comes through when you look at the book.

A MadonnaTribe first look at a splendid image from the new book, courtesy of Callaway Arts & Entertainment.