As a kid growing up in southern California, Pavonis Giron dreamed of being an illustrator for the likes of Pixar and Nickelodeon. “I was trying to put together the skills I needed to work at those studios one day… drawing characters, doing background color studies, working on draftsmanship,” Giron said.
Yet it wasn’t long before the allure of Hollywood wore off and Giron found a calling in children’s book publishing. Those efforts bloomed into a three-book deal in the children’s category. Giron’s debut, “A Rainbow in Brown,” was published in 2024.
Journey to the page
“Reading has always been a favorite pastime, and illustration even more so,” said Giron, who uses they/them pronouns. “My dad was involved in the fine art scene around Pasadena, and that exposed me to the gallery work of an enormous variety of other artists.”
During the pandemic and just prior to enrolling in UW-Milwaukee in 2021, Giron said, they had more creative time on their hands. “I was able to pin down some ideas, which resulted in one fairly well-realized manuscript and a second rough outline for another concept, both with accompanying sample illustrations,” they said.
They sent these concepts to several agents, while taking part in events on social media that helped link authors with agencies and publishers. It was one of these events that brought them into contact with their agent, Jessica Saint Jean. “We hit it off… she brought my work to a number of editors,” Giron said.
One of Giron’s concepts hit home with Holt Macmillan. It was “A Rainbow in Brown,” a story about appreciating the color brown in all its forms. The book was published in 2024.
“I’ve had people reach out to tell me how meaningful it is,” says Giron. “There really is nothing better than hearing that this has made a positive impact for someone.”
On to Milwaukee
Amid the publishing deal, Giron began contemplating finishing their bachelor’s degree. “When visiting a friend in Milwaukee, I got really excited by the scene here from the Milwaukee Art Museum to UW-Milwaukee’s Arts Center Gallery. It seemed like a city where contemporary art really flourished,” they said. Giron enrolled in UW-Milwaukee’s Peck School of the Arts to study sculpture.
Giron’s well-rounded assortment of art classes widened their horizons to larger concepts in artmaking. In metalsmithing, for example, instructors like Glenn Williams and Erica Meier piqued their interest in how material lends meaning to one’s work. And in fibers classes, professor Kyoung Ae Cho taught them hands-on sewing skills and introduced them to the Midwest tradition of basket-making.
“It wasn’t only about learning; it was about getting room to fail… experiencing hang-ups as a group,” Giron said. “The frustrations felt by my peers and myself through the artistic process informed some of my storytelling in the books.”
What the future holds
Giron’s frustrations — and successes — influenced their second book, “Angel Draws a Dinosaur,” which comes out this summer. “The book is very informed by seeing myself and other artists around me having to problem-solve, especially in a school environment with deadlines,” they said. “Ultimately, it’s about having to think on your feet and ask for help.”
Giron continues to show work both regionally and nationally with a studio space at Var Gallery in the Walker’s Point neighborhood and will start grad school at Cranbrook Academy of Art in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan this fall. Whether it’s in a book or gallery, Giron is even more steadfast in their pursuit to make audiences appreciate the colorful world we live in.
