Stephen Colyer
Illustrator Extraordinaire
The Little, Baby, Pink Hippopotamus in the Queen City
Stephen Colyer is a passionate and imaginative artist from Cincinnati, Ohio, who brings stories to life through painting, pencil drawing, mixed media, and digital art. A graduate of Mt. St. Joseph University with a degree in illustration, he has dedicated his career to both creating and inspiring, serving as a high school art teacher at Western Hills University High School in Cincinnati.
Stephen’s artwork has been celebrated in exhibitions across the region, including the Reds Hall of Fame, Redsfest, and Mt. St. Joseph. His talent has earned recognition, including third place at the Evendale Fine Arts Show, and his collaborations with MimsBandz and Topps on the baseball card Project 70 have showcased his ability to blend nostalgia with fresh creativity. His designs have also been featured on Cincy Shirts and Breaking T.
Most recently, Stephen turned his artistic talents to the world of children’s literature. Prior to illustrating The Little, Baby, Pink Hippopotamus in the Queen City, he illustrated The Bat Boy and The Unbreakable Bond by Robert Skead. His vibrant and expressive style captures the heart of storytelling, making characters leap off the page.
When he’s not creating, Stephen enjoys spending time with his wife and their young son, Ray, sharing his love for art, baseball, and storytelling with his family. Beyond his artistic work, he is a dedicated advocate for the arts, supporting young creatives and giving back to the community through programs like the Joe Nuxhall Miracle League, Reds Urban Youth Academy, and Western Hills Campus. Whether in the classroom or at the drawing board, he brings a spirit of creativity and mentorship to everything he does.
Julie Sneeden
Illustrator Extraordinaire
The Little, Baby, Pink Hippopotamus Wants His Mama
Inspired by the words and tales of imaginative authors, Julie Sneeden uses color, light and creativity to bring her artwork into these magical worlds. To make the character of her images come to life, she draws upon a palette of tools including watercolor, pencil, charcoal, digital illustration, photography, and oil paints.
Julie studied Fine Arts in KwaZulu Natal, South Africa, but now lives with her family in the UK. Reading stories to her children has inspired her over the years to pursue the art of illustration. She has illustrated numerous stories to amazing authors all over the world.