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heatherbell37.bsky.social
Heather Bell
@heatherbell37.bsky.social
760 followers 770 following 260 posts
Artist, writer, and professional overthinker 😸 She/They 🏳️‍🌈 Rep’d by Kaitlyn Sanchez, Bradford Literary Agency. 📚SIMPLY SKYE out now

Portfolio: https://heatherbellbooks.com/
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heatherbell37.bsky.social
🍁Spooky season is almost here, and so is our agency’s Fall Art Blast! 🍂✨ Meet this brave kiddo and the not-so-scary monster in their closet!
👒
Title: They Only Come Out at Night
Medium: colored pencils on black paper
#kidlit #kidlitart 🎨
A child is putting a cowpoke hat on a purple monster emerging from a closet. A light is shining on them and they are casting shadows in a dark room. Both are enjoying playing dress-up.
September 13, 2025 at 12:34 AM
heatherbell37.bsky.social
Summer Solstice has finally come, and it's time to cool off with some ice cream. #KansasCity is blistering hot right now, but a towering cone of creamy scoops would certainly help take the edge off.

Title: A Summer Dream

#bombayinks #childrensbookillustration #kidlitart 🎨#illustrations
Frames show a girl holding an ice cream cone that is reaching out to space. An alien ship has a mechanical arm that puts a cherry on top. Text reads: It's...perfect.
June 21, 2025 at 10:50 PM
heatherbell37.bsky.social
🥳 Happy Book Birthday to Katie Finds Her Voice! 🎉✨
I’m so excited to see this story, written by the wonderful Amy McCoy, out in the world today!
Loved illustrating Katie's journey and can't wait for readers to experience her story!
#BookBirthday #Illustration #PictureBook #kidlit #kidlitart 🎨
March 25, 2025 at 7:04 PM
heatherbell37.bsky.social
It's the Holiday season! ❄️Hope everyone living in a cold climate is staying toasty and warm! Sharing my illustration for Bradford Literary's Winter Art Blast ⛄️❄️

Title: "Found Family Festivities"

Media: Watercolor ink and digital editing
#scbwi #illustrators #kidlitart 🎨 #kidlit
A group of friends and family gather in a kitchen getting food together to celebrate the holidays. A boy in front is sneaking a cookie for a puppy.
December 16, 2024 at 10:23 PM
heatherbell37.bsky.social
Kenzi and all these other adorable pets! GAH! So much cuteness! Here are my giant furbabies Vincent and Batzy <2
Two black cats, left fluffy long hair and right smooth short hair
November 18, 2024 at 3:14 PM
heatherbell37.bsky.social
It's SUMMER! So, here's my illustration for our agency's Art Blast going out next week. Whether you have fireflies or click beetles where you live, summertime is the best time for catching summer night's winged lights.

Title: Catching Hope
#bombayinks
#kidlitart
🎨 #kidlit
#illustrator
Child with glasses catching fireflies at night with the moon shining.
June 21, 2024 at 4:50 PM
heatherbell37.bsky.social
Today is our agency's Spring Art Blast! Here's my piece.
Title: "Make the Morning Last"
... a little nod to Simon and Garfunkel on this gorgeous spring morning🌞 🌱🌷

#kidlitart 🎨
#scbwiillustrators #illustration
Porch in the light of morning in the early 70s, mom rocking her baby in a yellow rocking chair. Ferns decorate the porch.
March 15, 2024 at 2:18 PM
heatherbell37.bsky.social
Happy #KidLitArtPostcard day from my creative spark!

I love portraying diverse characters and different perspectives in PBs, CBs, and MGs, and love exploring the magic in everyday life.
✨🎨
Website:  heatherbellbooks.com
Rep’d: Kaitlyn Sanchez at Bradford Literary
 
#kidlit #kidlitart #illustration
A creative spark emerging from an open book to explore the outside world.
March 7, 2024 at 2:14 PM
heatherbell37.bsky.social
My newest commission painting in honor of a gorgeous pup who has crossed the rainbow bridge 🌈 🐕‍🦺 🎨

#petportrait #artist
Large dog looking back while walking down gravel path.
March 1, 2024 at 7:38 PM
heatherbell37.bsky.social
❄️I never saw snow until I moved away for college, and I spent literal hours lying on my dorm bunk staring at it falling when it finally came 😻
"Let it Snow" 🎨

#kidlitart #scbwi #illustrator
Child staring out window where snow is falling. Holiday lights surround window. Grandma in room behind reading and dog laying down by the warm fire.
December 11, 2023 at 3:27 PM
heatherbell37.bsky.social
Hello! I’m Heather. I love to draw, paint, and write 😸 Pleasure to meet you all!
Picnic Placement is Important. Two lizards running from a ruined picnic as a bicycle zooms through. Two kids reach for the last carton of milk in the school cafeteria. Somebunny to Love. A dust bunny shares a candy conversation heart with another. Two children and a ferret try to pry a giant chained egg out of its nest. A flying creature draws near.
December 11, 2023 at 2:38 PM
heatherbell37.bsky.social
Got a bit sidetracked, but may I present—#inkvember 27 and 28. See? I didn't totally forget about these kids and their adventures.
Drawing Prompts: Beast and Sparkle
#kidlitart 🎨
Three graphic panels depicting a flying roaring beast protecting a chained egg. Two beings appear (an angel and a demon) along with three children. Two other children discuss plans in the foreground.
November 29, 2023 at 1:17 AM
heatherbell37.bsky.social
Still finishing up #inktober prompts...er....#inkvember 😅...

Here's a whole bunch in one, the story is almost done:
Daily Drawing Prompts: Scratchy, Celestial, Shallow, Dangerous, and Remove from days 22-26.

#kidlitart 🎨 #illustrator
www.instagram.com/heather.bell...
A ferret and two children attempt to remove a giant egg in chains from a shallow nest. In the background it is snowy and night with large planets and a mythical beast swooping in from the sky.
November 5, 2023 at 3:39 PM
heatherbell37.bsky.social
The journey is almost over! Here's a piece for #Inktober days 20 and 21.
Daily Drawing Prompts: Frost and Chains 🎨
*mini-movie @ www.instagram.com/heather.bell...

#kidlitart #childrensillustration #scbwi
Two children riding a ferret through a snowy landscape with a castle in the background, climbing a mountain, and finding a chained object in a nest.
October 29, 2023 at 8:38 PM
heatherbell37.bsky.social
So, other things took priority making #inktober day 19 incredibly late.
But...I can't let time stop me...which means? Here we come #inkvember!!! 😅😆

Daily Drawing Prompt: Plump...and pie is something I'll happily get plump on—any day.

#kidlitart 🎨
Comic-style panels of an argument between an angel and demon with three small children lowering a pie from a rope. The angel and demon share the pie and shake hands agreeing to work together.
October 24, 2023 at 4:29 PM
heatherbell37.bsky.social
Today's combo is for #Inktober days 14-18.
Daily Drawing Prompts: Castle, Dagger, Angel, Demon, and Saddle.
🕌🎨
Less than half a month to go!
😸
#kidlitart #inktober2023 #scbwi #childrensbookillustration
www.instagram.com/heather.bell...
Graphic panels of five children moving through clouds to a castle. An angel and demon are arguing when the kids come in the front arch. The children spot an empty next between the giant angel and demon's feet. A hamster points out a bird-like shadow and the group of kids split up. Two ride off on a ferret.
October 19, 2023 at 1:54 AM
heatherbell37.bsky.social
Happy Friday! Here's a combo for #Inktober days 11-13.
The Drawing Prompts were: Wander, Spicy, and Rise.

"Spicy" threw me for a bit, but then I remembered—cayenne pepper stalks have always been faster growers than giant bean stalks. 😜🌶️

#kidlitart #childrensillustration 🎨#scbwi
A giant cayenne pepper plant (like a twirling beanstalk), grows past a pirate ship and into the sky, with five children going up it into the clouds.
October 14, 2023 at 2:25 AM
heatherbell37.bsky.social
Decided to combine #Inktober Days 7, 8, 9, and 10. 😅 So, here are the Drawing Prompts: Drip, Toad, Bounce, and Fortune!🎨

And head over to my Instagram for mini-movies with each one 😆 www.instagram.com/heather.bell...

#kidlitart #kidlit #scbwi #scbwiillustrators #graphicnovelart #childrensbooks
Comic-style panels of children bringing a coin to a giant toad who is blocking a hole in the wall. Children sneak by as the toad pounces on the coin. Five children find out their fortune from an old wise mouse.
October 10, 2023 at 6:34 PM
heatherbell37.bsky.social
"Technically" I finished this just minutes before midnight (which means I made it in time) but was too tired to post 😅 So, better late than never?

Days 5 and 6: #inktober Drawing Prompts: Map and Golden

#kidlitart #illustrator #scbwi
Five tiny children on a giant pirate's table filled with gold doubloons, pearls, and a gem. Laughing giant animal pirates in the background. Two children are studying a map.
October 7, 2023 at 2:22 PM
heatherbell37.bsky.social
Looks like I'll have to skip a day (or a few) of the #Inktober drawing prompts (ya know, because of that "life" thing).

But here's Day 4: Drawing Prompt "Dodge" from #inktober2023

There are also mini-videos for each one. You can check 'em out here:
www.instagram.com/heather.bell...

#kidlitart
Tiny children in pajamas running past the boots of giant pirates.
October 4, 2023 at 8:17 PM
heatherbell37.bsky.social
Saw it on an end cap, the cover caught my eye, the title piqued my interest, and the first page made me buy it. So happy I did.

Everything Sad is Untrue by Daniel Nayeri.
Book cover of Everything Sad is Untrue by Daniel Nayeri. Cover features a rainbow tornado swirling with images above a little plain house.
October 3, 2023 at 9:57 PM
heatherbell37.bsky.social
Day 3: Drawing Prompt is "Path" from #Inktober

#inktober2023path
#scbwiartober #kidart #kidlitart #childrensbookillustration #kcartists
October 3, 2023 at 2:10 PM
heatherbell37.bsky.social
Today is Day 2: Drawing Prompts are "Spiders" from #inktober and "Mystery" from #scbwiArtober by #scbwi

#inktober2023day2 #inktober2023spiders
#scbwiartobermystery #kidart #kidlitart #childrensbookillustration
A small boy riding a jumping spider with other smaller spiders in the background, surrounded by leaves.
October 2, 2023 at 1:54 PM
heatherbell37.bsky.social
October means #inktober, #artober, and ALL the Autumn Art challenges. Doubt I’ll keep up, but at least going to try.

Today is Day 1: Prompts are "Dream" from #inktober and "Fur" from #scbwiArtober by #scbwi

#inktober2023day1 #inktober2023dream #kidlitart #picturebookart #childrensillustration
A fish in a tea cup points to a child in a bedroom while talking to a bear with a spider on her shoulder and a lizard in a sweater.
October 1, 2023 at 2:18 PM
heatherbell37.bsky.social
The first day of #Autumn is tomorrow! And Fall is my all time favorite season 🍁 Here’s a piece I painted for our agency’s Fall Art Blast.

Title: A Perfect Pumpkin Picking Day
Medium: pen and Bombay ink with digital touch up

#kidlitart
A grandmother and grandchild riding in the back of a hay wagon holding a freshly picked pumpkin.
September 22, 2023 at 1:08 PM