Giles Laroche

The landscapes of northern New Hampshire where I was born and spent the first two decades of my life are what inspired my desire to create art and I have been doing so since I can remember. At Montserrat College of Art in the early 1980s I began experimenting with a cut paper relief illustration that involved drawing, cutting, painting, and assembly with the use of spacers to enhance the dimension. People who saw my work said “hey, you should illustrate children’s books.” I followed up on that suggestion and landed my first children’s book project in 1985. I’m lucky to have two studios to work in: one in my Salem, MA home high up on the third floor and the other in an old barn in southwestern New Hampshire. The latter has a glass wall from which I can observe moose, deer, black bears, and dozens of species of birds