Taryn Skipper started writing and illustrating picture books a decade ago after a previous decade selling commissioned art and portraits in watercolor and oil. She has written, illustrated and published three childrens books and two tenth-anniversary special editions, and illustrated two others. She signed with Splinter Press for her debut novel for young adults, and continues to write for children and adults while taking limited art commissions.

She’s taught at conferences and other events and won first place in the double-blind Storymakers first chapter contest, as well as runner up in the Aurora Contest for unpublished manuscripts.

Taryn sits on the board of the Storymakers Author Guild as Finance Co-Chair for the Conference, having served previosuly as President of the Whitney Awards for two years, and webmaster for the previous two years. 

She graduated with a double bachelors in Philosophy and International Studies with a minor in Spanish and concentrations in Logic and Russian. When she’s not writing or painting, she enjoys travel, practicing martial arts, rock climbing and hiking with her family in the breathtaking Colorado mountains around her.