
Growing up, MERRILL RAINEY spent most of his Saturday afternoons watching monster movies, drawing superheroes, and going on imaginary adventures with his brothers. Today, he is a cowboy-boot-wearing, award-winning illustrator, designer, and paper engineer. Merrill likes to experiment with tools and uses marker, cut paper, or water soluble graphite to create his illustrations. He has served on faculty at the Highlights Foundation and is currently the illustrator coordinator for the Northern Ohio chapter of the SCBWI. Merrill lives in the historic town of Maumee, Ohio, with his editor (his wife), subject matter experts (his kids), and very opinionated coworkers (two pups, two goldfish, and some crabby hermit crabs).
Awards:
• Society of Children’s Book Writers & Illustrators (SCBWI), Magazine Merit Award, Letter of Merit, 2016
• Highlights Magazine Illustrator of the Month, Pewter Plate award, June 2016
• Society of Children’s Book Writers & Illustrators (SCBWI), Magazine Merit Award, Two Letters of Merit, 2015
• Highlights Magazine Illustrator of the Month, Pewter Plate award, May 2015
Clients include:
American Greetings • Highlights Magazine • Humpty Dumpty Magazine • Houghton Mifflin Harcourt • Jack and Jill Magazine • Kellogg’s • Ladybug Magazine • Learning A-Z (Raz-Kids) • McGraw Hill Education • Picture Window Books • Pockets Magazine • Ohio Art • Scholastic • Spider Magazine • Razorbill (an imprint of Penguin Random House)