Naomi Canale is a multidisciplinary artist, drawn most to visual storytelling through children’s books and portraiture. From a young age she struggled to read, but found the love of art and storytelling through the narrative art in picture books. For many years, she was self-taught, but entered college for a degree in the arts after being diagnosed with Dyslexia as an adult. The themes she uses throughout her work tie into community, memory, and lived experiences. She has mentored with some wonderful authors and illustrators through The Society of Children’s Books Writers and Illustrators (Ellen Hopkins, Susan Hart Lindquist, and C.S. Jennings), and even served as Co-Regional Advisor for SCBWI Nevada. She was also a freelance writer alongside Michael Zoumas.

Clients:

Magnolia Network’s Public Artist and Storefront Stories (including streaming platform HBO Max, Apple TV, and Discovery+). Fabled Bookshop, Salon Asylum, and Artprenticeship through Creative Waco.

Prizes and Honorable Mentions:

2024 Milkwood Residency

2024 Cynthia Leitich Smith Writing Mentor Award Nominee

2023 ARTprenticeship Mentor through Creative Waco

2023 Cynthia Leitich Smith Writing Mentor Award Nominee

2022 Grand Prize Portfolio Winner Austin SCBWI

2022 Emerging Voice Illustrator Mentorship Winner Austin SCBWI

2022 Public Artist, Magnolia Network

2017 Hood River Breakout Novel Intensive Full Scholarship Recipient

Exhibitions:

507 Gallery - 2024 solo exhibition titled The Waiting Room

Art Center Waco - 2024 juried exhibition titled Eclipse: Shining Shadows

Art Center Waco - 2024 juried exhibition titled Small Works

Children’s Books:

Tiger’s Night Out (on submission early 2025)

Fiona’s Words (currently on submission)

Naomi is a member of SCBWI and represented by Timothy Travaglini of Transatlantic Agency If you’d like to work with her on a book, you can reach out to her agent at tim@transatlanticagency.com. For other inquiries you can contact her here.