Illustrations
As Seen in
About Lisa Firke
Lisa Firke creates illustrations and makes up stories in the funky modern house in Princeton where she grew up.Her father remade what originally was small gray ranch into a modernist marvel while she was still a child. He gave it gigantic windows, tipsy skylights and undulating walls.The family filled it up with all the necessities: animals and art supplies, books and typewriters, plus many now-iconic Midcentury objects that continue to influence Lisa’s aesthetic.
Self-described as an odd, dreamy child, Lisa wished animals could talk and dryads were real. She remembers placing books open on the floor and trying to step into the colorful scenes—the way the characters magically jump into the sidewalk chalk paintings in Mary Poppins. According to one family account, she told the public librarian:
When I grow up, I’m going to make pictures for books and jump into stories every day.
But first, she majored in Elementary Education, married a Latin teacher and moved to boarding school. There, the Firkes raised other people’s teenagers and then their own two children.
In 2003, she began designing and producing bespoke websites for authors and illustrators. In 2013, finally satisfied that available DIY options were good enough, she stepped away to devote more time to refining her artwork. Now, with her husband retired, she finds herself very much not retired. In fact, she says,
I’m ready and eager to jump into children’s book work! Reach out to discuss your project.
Get in Touch*
*Not open to self-published book commissions at this time.
Contents © Lisa Firke, 2025. All Rights Reserved.
