Denise’s colorful picture book illustrations caught the eye of an art director working with Farmers Insurance. She was interested in commissioning a series of illustrations to accompany a story of a couple who were buying their first home.

The art director’s idea was to use storybook illustrations with a grown up edge to help tell the tale of a young home-buying couple — sharing their joys and fears and ups and downs. It was the story of a rite of passage that just happened to occur during a pandemic.

Denise worked closely with the art director, providing sketches of compositions using imaginative imagery and choosing a sophisticated yet fun color palette. The resulting illustrations — a blend of storybook and editorial styles — helped to perfectly convey the emotional story of the young couple’s unique first home buying experience.