Burke, Tina

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Burke, Tina

PERSONAL:

Born in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia; daughter of Ronald V. and Janet F. Burke. Education: Technical and Further Education, New South Wales, associate diploma (business); KVB College of Visual Communication, associate diploma (graphic design). Hobbies and other interests: Art, wildlife art, birds, travel, dance.

ADDRESSES:

Home—Coogee, New South Wales, Australia. E-mail—[email protected].

CAREER:

Children's author. Walt Disney Animation Australia, Sydney, New South Wales, worked as animator for six years; Willow Tree Press, Avalon, New South Wales, worked as desktop publisher for two years.

MEMBER:

Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators, Children's Book Council of Australia.

WRITINGS:

Fly, Little Bird (juvenile), Kane/Miller Book Publishers (La Jolla, CA), 2006.

It's Christmas (juvenile), Penguin Books (Camberwell, Victoria, Australia), 2006, Kane/Miller Book Publishers (La Jolla, CA), 2007.

Sophie's Big Bed (juvenile), Puffin Baby Books (Camberwell, Victoria, Australia), 2007.

(Illustrator) Meredith Costain, Rosie to the Rescue, Penguin Books (Camberwell, Victoria, Australia), 2007.

Are You Hungry? (juvenile), Penguin Books (Camberwell, Victoria, Australia), 2007.

Contributor to periodicals, including Newswrite.

SIDELIGHTS:

Tina Burke told CA: "I've loved reading and drawing since childhood and always wanted to write and illustrate children's books. That dream has never left me, so I'm thrilled to be doing it now. It feels right, and it brings me a lot of joy.

"Prior to my first book being published, I had worked in desktop publishing for a couple of years. Following this I trained and worked as an animator for the Walt Disney Animation Studio in Sydney, where I spent six years developing my skills while working with some exceptionally talented and passionate artists.

"After my time at Disney I wrote Fly, Little Bird while thinking about a small bird and some little rounded children that I had doodled in a sketchbook. I was thrilled when the book was picked up and published by Penguin Books in Australia and subsequently released in the United States.

"Aside from working on my books, I continually strive to develop as an artist by attending workshops, seminars, and classes in a variety of creative outlets of interest to me. These range from writing to dance, to fine art. They are typically a lot of fun and a great way to meet people, and they often inspire me in my own work.

"I try to write and illustrate stories from my heart. My goal is to create appealing characters that people will warm to and care about, and to tell satisfying stories that people will enjoy reading.

"My advice to aspiring writer-illustrators: continually try to improve your skills as an artist by devoting as much time as you possibly can to practice. You can learn a lot from others, but you can only improve by spending a lot of time on your own work as well. Don't try to force a style in the beginning. The combination of your own knowledge, skills, experiences, and inspirations will eventually combine and help you find your own voice."