Jill McElmurry

Jill McElmurray (1954 – August 3, 2017) was a painter, writer and illustrator.[1] She was the illustrator of numerous books for children, including the "Little Blue Truck" series written by Alice Schertle and the self-penned Mad About Plaid.[1][2] Her style features detailed gouache paintings with distinctive characters.[3] As a fine art painter, McElmurray initially worked in editorial illustration and later became known for her landscape paintings of New Mexico.[4]

McElmurray was born in Los Angeles, California[5] and moved to Taos, New Mexico with her family as a child, where they stayed for six years.[4] She came from a family of artists, including her father, a character designer for film companies including Walt Disney; her mother, a fashion illustrator; and her grandfather, an RKO Pictures scenic painter.[6] McElmurray studied briefly at SUNY Purchase and at the School of Visual Arts in New York.[1]

McElmurray lived with her husband in Taos and in Good Dog Island, Minnesota until her death from breast cancer on August 3, 2017.[1]