Shadra Strickland is a literary agent with Painted Words. She has been a part of the Painted Words family since 2008 as an award-winning illustrator and author. She is stepping up as an agent-at-large to help develop and represent new talent within the industry. Shadra is interested in humorous character driven picture books; graphic novels and picture books that highlight unique cultural experiences; poetic texts; and unique illustration styles. Shadra also enjoys helping illustrators find their writing voice. She teaches Book Illustration at Maryland Institute College of Art and online at Craftsy.com