Graziani, Maria – Writer & Illustrator
|
Maria has a degree in European & Asian Studies and an MBA from UT Austin. She is an educator with more than 20 years of experience, five of them at UT. Maria started writing professionally for a Hispanic TV Network, and later did creative work for Warner Bros. Now she writes for several
educational publishers.
Maria has written and illustrated more than 20 books geared toward the Hispanic market. She has done author visits in Public Libraries, schools, book stores and toy stores all over Texas. Her presentations promote cultural diversity and literacy.
Her stories focus on the outdoors and life in the countryside and abroad. Her artwork lets kids jump into a book’s setting in a literal way, and play with the characters. With her writing and creative workshops, children learn how a book is crafted and can visualize all the elements of a story.
Maria’s artwork is a mosaic of color that uses hundreds of little pieces of fabric to symbolize the intricacy of humanity. Because stitching is very tactile, children can feel the stitches and count all the parts that form her landscapes. Children love seeing her designs, feeling the softness of the material, and even hearing some crinkling. Her artwork helps children perceive the magical complexity of life.
Maria loves exploring art galleries in the U.S. and Europe. She periodically volunteers for relief agencies abroad or literacy projects funded by not-for-profit organizations. Her hobby is filming and enjoys producing short films for her son, Alex.
