Lori stands in front of a quilt made by her mom, Snip, depicting Lori (far right) and her family when Lori was about 7 years old.
Lori Mitchell, a native of Redondo Beach, California, loves to travel and sketch the world around her. As a child, she and her two sisters were encouraged to be creative by her mom, a fashion designer, who would set up an art studio in the garage and backyard art shows for all the neighborhood kids.
Lori graduated with honors from Art Center College of Design in Pasadena with a BFA in Illustration. She has since illustrated myriad projects, including 10 books. Her most famous book, Different Just Like Me, which Lori authored and illustrated, was featured on Oprah and The Today Show.
Lori is active in the local art community. She is a member of the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators, and a past-president of the Society of Illustrators San Diego. One of her favorite pastimes is sketching in locations around San Diego with her friends.
She has been teaching art since 1996. She currently teaches at Palomar College in San Marcos, for The Atheneaum in La Jolla and Barrio Logan, and through UCSD Extension.
In her free time, Lori enjoys sketching and travelling locally and abroad with her husband and daughter.