by Jaime Zollars

In January, we invited illustrators to apply for a six-month mentorship with one of our Published and Listed members. This year’s mentor, Jaime Zollars, joins us to announce the winner and share some of the submission highlights.

It was a wonderful experience reading the entries for this year’s mentorship contest. It made me realize just how much I have missed my teaching days among so many promising students, and how exciting it is to share in the process of creating lasting stories. I loved reading the entrants’ goals, ideas, and thoughtful answers to my questions.

And while each entry was worthy of exploration, one edged out the others in terms of skill, work ethic, potential, and fit. Kristin Marine’s character-driven and otherworldly work captures the imagination and demonstrates professional level skills that feel right on the cusp of being representation—and publication—ready. Her trajectory includes years of training and work in several creative industries, focusing in recent years on building a body of work suitable for children’s publishing while establishing a following for her graphic novel in production. Kristin’s imagined worlds and creatures are wholly her own and will no doubt enthrall young readers when she finds willing industry collaborators. Sometimes success comes down to fit, and Kristin has yet to find hers in an agent or editor. In the interim, her work and heartfelt responses to my queries are an ideal fit for this mentorship.

I personally struggled for years to “fit” properly in this industry. I came close to giving up after 12 years of illustrating; I researched new and unrelated careers regularly. In 2014, I decided to embark on one last effort to find an agent who could help me bridge the gap between my authentic voice and the needs of the market (something I wasn’t sure was possible). I researched for months, finally queried, and found my fit. My new agent helped me thread the needle successfully by guiding me to write my own stories and make impactful connections with the right people, eventually selling my first authored book to a major publisher. It feels like Kristin is similarly stuck, and I believe her work has the same potential. Kristin’s optimism and drive to unapologetically create—whether the industry deems her fitting or not—shows determination, and I believe I can advise her as she authentically develops work and ideas and finds her place in this rewarding field.

Though I’m excited to get to work, this was not an easy decision. I’d like to throw out an honorable mention to Jessica Woo, whose application showed similar determination in her pursuits alongside charming characters and story ideas that I believe will also find their rightful place in the market.

I look forward to working with Kristin and her world of creatures as we unearth more of their stories!

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Jaime Zollars has illustrated ad campaigns, magazines, gallery walls, product lines, and of course, books! In addition to her illustrious illustration career, Jaime has taught at the Maryland Institute College of Art, spoken at art colleges and regional SCBWI events, and judged various illustration contests. She currently serves as illustrator coordinator for the SCBWI Central-Coastal California region.

Kristine Marine is an illustrator of kids stories and comics. She lives in the greater Los Angeles area. Kristin can often be found in her garden or along the shoreline recording and illustrating various stories from the creatures she encounters. She has an MFA in painting, and through the years has made use of her creative skills in professional settings, through work as a graphic designer and product illustrator at brands like Patagonia.