Malcah Zeldis, illustrator of
Martin Luther King, lives in New York City.
"For many years I secretly wanted to paint and become an artist, but I was afraid to study art because I felt I had no talent. It was only when my children were grown and away from the house and I found myself with time on my hands that I dared to begin to paint without expecting anyone else to like or approve of what I was doing. When I finally showed my work to art critics and connoisseurs, I was amazed by how eagerly it was accepted.
"After this initial acceptance I began to paint furiously, trying to make up for the lost time when I had been inhibited and unable to work. The images were flowing out of me with incredible speed. Now, some twenty-three years later, my work is in seventeen museum collections, including the Smithsonian, where one painting is on permanent display.
"Again to my amazement, these last few years my work has taken a new turn as I have been illustrating books for children. I am deeply grateful for this new means of expression I have found. It has enriched and deepened my experience, and I look forward to the continuation of my creative life."
