{"id":145957,"date":"2026-01-20T13:44:34","date_gmt":"2026-01-20T19:44:34","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/uwm.edu\/news\/?p=145957"},"modified":"2026-01-26T16:19:43","modified_gmt":"2026-01-26T22:19:43","slug":"childrens-book-illustrator-refines-their-craft-at-uwm","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/uwm.edu\/news\/childrens-book-illustrator-refines-their-craft-at-uwm\/","title":{"rendered":"Children\u2019s book illustrator refines their craft at UWM"},"content":{"rendered":"

As a kid growing up in southern California, Pavonis Giron dreamed of being an illustrator for the likes of Pixar and Nickelodeon. \u201cI was trying to put together the skills I needed to work at those studios one day\u2026 drawing characters, doing background color studies, working on draftsmanship,\u201d Giron said.<\/p>\n

Yet it wasn\u2019t long before the allure of Hollywood wore off and Giron found a calling in children\u2019s book publishing. Those efforts bloomed into a three-book deal in the children\u2019s category. Giron\u2019s debut, \u201cA Rainbow in Brown,\u201d<\/a> was published in 2024.<\/p>\n

Journey to the page<\/h2>\n

\u201cReading has always been a favorite pastime, and illustration even more so,\u201d said Giron, who uses they\/them pronouns. \u201cMy 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.\u201d<\/p>\n

During the pandemic and just prior to enrolling in UW-Milwaukee in 2021, Giron said, they had more creative time on their hands. \u201cI 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,\u201d they said.<\/p>\n

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. \u201cWe hit it off\u2026 she brought my work to a number of editors,\u201d Giron said.<\/p>\n

One of Giron\u2019s concepts hit home with Holt Macmillan. It was \u201cA Rainbow in Brown,\u201d a story about appreciating the color brown in all its forms. The book was published in 2024.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ve had people reach out to tell me how meaningful it is,\u201d says Giron. \u201cThere really is nothing better than hearing that this has made a positive impact for someone.\u201d<\/p>\n

On to Milwaukee<\/h2>\n

Amid the publishing deal, Giron began contemplating finishing their bachelor\u2019s degree. \u201cWhen visiting a friend in Milwaukee, I got really excited by the scene here from the Milwaukee Art Museum<\/a> to UW-Milwaukee\u2019s Arts Center Gallery<\/a>. It seemed like a city where contemporary art really flourished,\u201d they said. Giron enrolled in UW-Milwaukee’s Peck School of the Arts<\/a> to study sculpture.<\/p>\n

Giron\u2019s 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\u2019s 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.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt wasn\u2019t only about learning; it was about getting room to fail\u2026 experiencing hang-ups as a group,\u201d Giron said. \u201cThe frustrations felt by my peers and myself through the artistic process informed some of my storytelling in the books.\u201d<\/p>\n

What the future holds<\/h2>\n

Giron\u2019s frustrations \u2014 and successes \u2014 influenced their second book, \u201cAngel Draws a Dinosaur,\u201d<\/a> which comes out this summer. \u201cThe book is very informed by seeing myself and other artists around me having to problem-solve, especially in a school environment with deadlines,\u201d they said. \u201cUltimately, it\u2019s about having to think on your feet and ask for help.\u201d<\/p>\n

Giron continues to show work both regionally and nationally with a studio space at Var Gallery<\/a> in the Walker\u2019s Point neighborhood and will start grad school at Cranbrook Academy of Art<\/a> in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan this fall. Whether it\u2019s in a book or gallery, Giron is even more steadfast in their pursuit to make audiences appreciate the colorful world we live in.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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