Deep Dives with Merfolx: A Splashing Interview with Paul D Kellam

Deep Dive with a Merman: 

Interview with Paul D Kellam

The illustrator of countless books, ranging many genres like The Little Mermaid: Make a Splash by Ashley Franklin and You Can Be a Good Friend (No Matter What!) by Taraji P. Henson to the Coral Keeper series by Robin Yardi, Paul D Kellam has made a SPLASH on the scene with as much energy and vibrancy as his artwork. 

But before we "dive in," Paul,  tell the reader a little about yourself, in your own words.

Hi I’m Paul (insert Jimmy Neutron Monkey)! 

I’m a full-time freelance artist based in Florida. I’ve drawn for as long as I can remember, my mom often reflects on how I crayon doodled on my nursery walls and even had the nerve to sign my name. I grew up loving all things animated, with ‘The Little Mermaid’ on constant repeat; but once I discovered ‘Avatar the Last Airbender’ I knew I wanted to work in the creative field. I practiced diligently, filling stacks of sketchbooks with ink and colored pencil before teaching myself to work digitally. 

At 16 I bought my first Bamboo Tablet to illustrate my first kids book, which was horrendous but a great learning experience. I later polished my skills in college, earning my Bachelors in Media Arts and Animation; but quickly found myself more at home with book illustrations.

Your work explodes with color, movement, "flow and rhythm," something I love and am inspired by! You and I have spoken a bit about it, but I would love to hear about your process and what inspires you as an illustrator?

My process is not always streamlined, but I always aim for my art to dance off the page through movement and color. My compositions typically use a lot of “S” and triangle shapes to help lead the eyes of the viewer; as well as gradients with focal points being the most saturated bits. I’m heavily inspired by nature, haute couture, and people that I cherish. A lot of the snarky expression I draw are basically a mirror of me with my younger sisters, haha.

Bursting with color, your books also brim with a range of beautiful, colorful, and diverse characters. What are some of your thoughts and feelings when it comes to representation and why do you think it is important?

Representation is beyond important, and I’m glad I’ve had ranging opportunities to depict various ethnicities and disabled folks as well! We have so many unique people in the world who feel invisible still to this day, and it’s amazing especially for children to feel seen in media, truly. It encourages hope and possibility; showing miraculous experiences are not limited to any one specific group.

I believe community is key to a healthy and fulfilling life, no matter what area of your life it appears in. I consider you a big part of my art community or mermaid pod, if you will. Your generous spirit is such a light and I know you've cheered me on when I needed that extra push. Can you speak a bit about community, how it has shaped you and why it is essential to the process?

I’m quite the hermit crab, so finding a sense of community outside of contained spaces like school or work life can be rather difficult. Social media thankfully allowed me to connect with many like-minded creators. Specifically in the ‘Mermay’ community I’ve befriended lots of brilliantly sweet and creative people, like yourself, whom I’ve truly appreciated having in my mer-pod! It’s been such a beautiful experience bonding with artist who’ve uplifted and inspired me with their different approaches to their own art and life. I’ve had many friends show me better creative tactics I hadn’t considered, and I’m glad I’ve been able to help others as well!

To see you occupy the spaces you do, in the way you do, with style, energy and sheer joyfulness, is revolutionary on so many levels. What would you say to younger Paul and how do you think he'd feel seeing you today?

Honestly one of the greatest parts of working in children’s illustration is rediscovering the warmth and exhilaration I felt when creating as a young artist. To Lil’ Paul I’d say continue to be you, and be so much louder and bolder about it too! The ability to create authentically is such a gift and no one else will do it like you. Your art can change the world for the better, for good, even! I think he’d be overjoyed to see all the lives our work has touched throughout our journey, it’s no-longer just little anime sketchbook doodles. Though, in classic Capricorn fashion he’d wonder what’s next, lol.

Though I know you and I are merpeople in our souls, if you were to sprout a tail right this second, what would it look like?

I imagine my natural tail color would be a sort of turquoise-y jade with gold flecks, but my scales would hue shift to varied jewel tones based off my moods. I just love colors so much! What would yours be?

Thank you so much, Paul, for joining us on the Official SCBWI Blog. I'm excited to see what the future holds for you! Your art has been such a joy to witness and I'm alway SAT for what you will share next! 

Check out more about Paul D Kellam, HERE and give this fabulous merperson a FOLLOW on IG! 

The US Open AND Art Making?!

 This past Saturday, I attended the 2025 US Open in Queens, NY, where thousands of fans congregated to watch the object of my latest obsession: TENNIS! Shout out to my girl, Gia, for the invitation!

In recent years, I've grown to love tennis and lately, it has been a respite for me in such a noisy world. Midday, I'll walk to the park by my apartment and I'll find myself playing wall tennis for two to three hours. There, sweat in my eyes and Beyoncé in my ears, I work out my emotions, my schedule, conversations to be had and interpersonal conflicts, all the while being driven by the monotone, and almost hypnotic lullaby of the ball popping off the wall. Spurred on by that eruptive and percussive connection; the sinewy channels of my physical, emotional and mental health, all come together with the help of a ratchet, a neon ball and a cement wall. 

I've never been a sports guy really, though I swam for a season at fourteen years old until I transferred to a school with no pool. Whomp. I was forced to run track and hated it; double whomp (sorry to all my runners) Because of this, I never though I would ever be a sports guy. But shout out to my friend, David, who invited me to play some tennis in Upper Manhattan a few years ago on a beautiful spring day. It was exciting, and athletic, and as a dancer, I felt a similar mind and body connection. 

After all these years, I never knew I would get excited about a sport. But here I am, cheering along to a game that I actually know the rules of, not just because people around me are cheering. "You can't hit a touchdown!" I, now, have a perspective, I have players I love, and the newness of it all is exhilarating. 

As I walked home, with a US Open hat and new tennis balls in my bag, I began to think: why do I love tennis so much and how does it apply to my craft? The discipline, and skill shown on the court was brilliant and in the spirit of excellence, I wanted to see how it might reflect the goals I have for myself. I've officially been in the publishing world as a professional for five years now, and I get the same giddy feeling I get when I am watching a great game of tennis.

Here is what my new obsession with tennis is teaching me about myself and my art making:

1. It's Never Too Late: It's never to late to jump in. Considered one of the healthiest sports, you can play tennis for many years (I have a good friend who played up into his 60s). I began my art journey later in life and I plan on continuing late into my life, not unlike a Quentin Blake, and Tomie dePaola. Like tennis, whether professional or recreational, you can play for many years to come. It's never too late so never stop playing! Find healthy habits and stay sharp.

2. Patience is Key: You have to let the ball bounce before you decide where to send it next. This is a lesson that I really took to heart. In a world that moves extremely fast, it is a good reminder to have patience. Don't rush it. See where the "ball" is going, and move in power. In tennis, you have to be light on your feet, and ready to go, but you have to let. the. ball. bounce. Sometimes you have to think quickly and send the ball back over the net without it but when you can, let the ball come to you and then release your powerful swing. 

3. Tennis is a Silent Game: One thing that tickles me pink is that the referee is allowed to shush the audience. "Thank you. Ssshhhhhh. Sit down." The audience isn't even allowed to move in the bleachers behind a player when it is a major point to be had. The serve is in silence. The volleys are in silence, amid a grunt or two. So... it's okay to move in silence. Sometimes the strongest move is done in the quietest of ways. Even if tons of people are watching, you stay focused and do the work. Shut out the noise, and move in silence to your victory. 

4. Unexpected Brilliance: Brilliance can come in the most unexpected ways. I saw some amazing plays this weekend, and some of them came from unexpected serves, or volleys. The ball was hit in short range or it went a little too high, or a behind the back shot wins you the set. It was exciting to witness and even more so to see a player do their best work under pressure. Don't overthink your work, and be open to the unexpected. You might discover new things about yourself, your craft and your creativity. Keep fighting, keep stretching, keep diving for that ball. 15, 30, 40, set. You have countless opportunities to make your move, so make it brilliant and surprise yourself. 

So here's to playing your own match of tennis with your writing, art and creative work. Stay flexible, stay patient, work hard, and play hard. Strengthen your skills through play, and healthy practices. Be the Serena, Venus, Coco, Naomi, Jannick, Carlos, Dustin, etc, etc, etc of your artistic dreams and keep going! The game isn't over until Match Point!