AnnickPress

Chum McLeod was born in Seaforth, Ontario. She has a twin brother and several older brothers and sisters. Her family moved to Burlington when she was eleven years old. After graduating from high school, Chum attended the University of Toronto for two years, then moved to British Columbia.

She lived a rustic life with no electricity, plumbing or cars; instead, she enjoyed nature and its pleasures, such as canoeing, spring water—and bears! In 1982 she returned to Ontario and became involved in a number of different professions, from promotion for a theater company to production for a newspaper. However, Chum soon realized that her true passion was drawing, and at the age of 30 she enrolled in the Ontario College of Art.

She enjoys reading children’s books and is especially impressed by the artwork of Marie-Louise Gay, Barbara Reid, Mireille Levert and Pierre Pratt. Chum now lives in Barrie, Ontario. She loves her work as a freelance illustrator; after all her adventures, she calls it “the perfect job!”