Brenda Harris is a graphic designer, illustrator, and art teacher. She is illustrating the Operation Aviation™ picture book series, which includes Fly with Mytai (English, March 2024), Vuela con Maytai (Spanish, March 2024), Toad the Tanker (English, June 2024), El Tanquecito (Spanish, June 2024), Moose on a Mission (English, September 2024), and La Misión de Alce (Spanish, September 2024).
A second-generation Latina, she is heavily influenced by nature and storytelling. Her eye for balance and visual hierarchy is conveyed in her illustrations. Brenda works both digitally and with traditional media. Her illustrations tell playful and engaging stories through rich color palettes, atmospheric lighting, and authentic characters.
Brenda received a Bachelor of Fine Art with a concentration in graphic design from Colorado State University in 2005. For more than fifteen years, Brenda focused on graphic design before transitioning into children’s book illustration.
Growing up in a military family and community, and later becoming an Air Force wife, she learned to be flexible, patient, observant, and to make friends wherever she goes. Brenda grew up in Colorado Springs, where she currently lives with her husband and two children.
You can find her drinking coffee and making art at her kitchen table any day of the week. She has grown very fond of sharing her love of art with others through teaching art locally and connecting with other artists around the world through hosting online communities like FridayDoodleClub on Instagram. She truly values connecting with others and celebrating creative expression.
