Susan Catelotti has a habit of making odd creatures come to life—sometimes on paper, sometimes out of old scraps that most people would toss away. An artist, illustrator, and graphic designer from Peru, Massachusetts, she is a graduate of the Rhode Island School of Design and has illustrated more than 15 children’s books.

Inspired by the mountains and forests of the Berkshires, Susan fills her paintings and illustrations with woodland creatures, masquerading fish, and critters that are part real, part imagined, and always a little whimsical. Off the page, she builds some of these weird and wonderful beings from recycled and repurposed materials, giving them a playful second life with plenty of personality.