“Inspiration to draw and write comes from all that surrounds me, whether it be the infinite uplifting music, the unique placement of patterns and colours in nature, the interaction with my loving and silly dog Penny or the imaginative chatter of children. Life is fantastical if we see, hear and feel.”

       Christine Kotowycz was born in Toronto, Ontario, but spent enchanting summers at the family summer cottage on the Grafton shores of Lake Ontario. The True Story of Santa’s Sleigh takes place in the countryside surrounding the hamlet of Grafton, which is bounded by the rolling Northumberland Hills and the shores of Lake Ontario. Many years later, Christine and her husband Ihor realized the dream of living on a farm, and together they established Deerbrook Farms where they grew crops and tended to their horses. Napoleon, depicted in the story, is the draft horse who pulled the sleigh around the property across freshly fallen snow. The prominent steeple of St. Mary’s Church in Grafton can be seen for miles around. This church as well as Deerbrook Farms are portrayed in the story.

Christine Kotowycz is an illustrator, writer, teacher and quilter. She has formal degrees from the University of Toronto in Art History and Studio as well as a M.ED from the Ontario Institute of Education. Christine has spent years being an art teacher, elementary school teacher as well as a school principal and it has been life’s meandering path that has been her true teacher and inspiration.

Christine Kotowycz now lives in Pickering, Ontario, along the Rouge River Ravine. She spends her days drawing, writing, crafting, walking the conservation trails and loving her grandchildren.