Preston Hollow neighbor Cotty Hillman is joining a long list of Preston Hollow authors and illustrators when she releases a new board book this month titled Under His Wings. The book features detailed illustrations of a bird’s interaction with wildlife in an adaptation of Psalms 91.
The book will be launched at Logos Bookstore of Dallas located at 6713 Snider Plaza on August 17 at 10:30 a.m and will be available at local retailers.
What inspired you to write a book?
Writing and illustrating a children’s book has been a bucket list item for me since college. During that time, I was struck by the beauty of illustrations in children’s books, and the fact that we typically don’t treat them as art. As a small step to change that, I hung children’s book illustrations on my walls. Now, 10 years later, I have a one-year-old son, and the chance to regularly enjoy children’s books again. In reading to my son, one of my favorite books was Found: Psalm 23, by Sally-Lloyd Jones. With this, reading the same story day after day didn’t feel repetitive – it felt like the ancient practice of meditating on Psalms. That inspired me to write a book based on a Psalm. I picked Psalm 91 due to the rich imagery. In the process of writing and illustrating the book, I realized I was writing the truths I needed to be reminded of as a mother learning to care for a newborn. For example, “When you feel alone at night, know he’s watching your long flight” came from thinking about some long, silent stretches of caring for a newborn in the middle of the night.
You have a background in hospital management and a degree in physics. How did these experiences benefit or compare to the process of creating this book?
As someone involved with medical care, I have front of my mind the hard things that children and adults can run into. This meant I had to really wrestle with the part of the Psalm that says “With long life I will satisfy him,” knowing that there is no guarantee of a positive outcome. That led me to focus the imagery and words of the book on the idea of God’s presence with us, no matter what we go through – “I will be with him in trouble” Psalms 91:15.
The book-writing and publishing process has been quite a daunting adventure, and I’ve been tempted to stop at many points along the way. I think the challenge of studying physics, and perhaps even more my cross-country running in high school helped me develop the grit to keep pushing through the tough moments.
Do you have any background in art or illustrations?
This is the most surprising part, for me. I have no background in art or illustration, and was in fact not very good at all with it growing up. After college, I started to draw some, but struggled with painting until November of last year when something flipped. Since that point, I’ve been enjoying watercoloring so much, not only with this book, but also with gifts for family and friends.
To see more of the book and its story, you can find Cotty on Instagram @whimsofwatercolor. This interview has been edited for clarity and brevity.Â
