Artie Sandstone was born and raised in Miami, and always-loved making up names, rhyming and scribbling down characters. Drawing and painting did not fully become a part of his life until about the age of 20, and since then, it has evolved into a real passion, well more so, the creation of new characters that will hopefully make you stop, smile and tap into your imaginative side. But after his daughter was born in 2013, he was inspired to bring some of his favorite illustrations to life. They were no longer just doodles, as his teachers once said. They were a family called the Schwellberries, here to delight both young and old—as original paintings, and as a new series of preschool-aged children’s books about learning, having fun and being comfortable in your own skin – blue, green, squiggly or wiggly. The first character you’ll meet in Artie’s books is Wally Schwellberry, a one-eye-browed, bowtie-for-a-nose blue fella who just can’t sit still.