Meet
the Illustrator
Lara
Lombardo was diagnosed with autism at the
age of 2. Having endured a childhood full of
therapies and treatments, she can now talk
and communicate, but her speech and language
skills are still impaired. However, Lara has
always loved to draw, and since the
beginning, art has been her primary means of
expression. Unlike words, visual language
never fails her and her drawings are a
window into her soul, showing her positive
outlook on the world.
The author, Karen Putzke, recognized Lara’s whimsical drawings
as a perfect match for her children’s book
project. Being a special educator as well as
an author, Mrs. Putzke was very supportive
of Lara’s artwork. The pictures Lara drew
for Midnight the Cow Learns About Sharing
are ideal for this engaging story, because
they possess a naiveté that captures the
imaginations of a young audience.
The book
has been well received by young and old
alike. Lara has been offered other
illustration projects, and is continuing the
series for Mrs. Putzke. But most important
is the confidence Lara has gained from this
wonderful opportunity. She’s really proud of
her achievements, and very motivated to work
in this field, one in which she can excel if
encouraged by others like Mrs. Putzke and
the
HEAL Foundation, who value Lara’s
artistic abilities.
~
Lara
in the
News
Lara Lombardo: She's a budding published
illustrator
By Charlie Patton -
Jacksonville.com
Tuesday, Dec. 9,
2008
Lara
Lombardo was 15 months old when her mother "knew
something was different" about the little girl.
That
something was autism, a developmental disability
that affects a person's ability to communicate
and interact with others.
In
the case of Dave and Carol Lombardo's daughter,
language was a huge challenge.
But
Lara had a compensating talent.
She
would watch her mother, a graphic designer, at
work. It turned out Lara, now 17, had a gift for
art, as well.
The
gift blossomed when the Atlantic Beach girl
attended a program at Hope Haven Children's
Clinic.
Karen Putzke would read aloud from a children's
book on which she was working. As Putzke read
from what would become Midnight the Cow Learns
about Sharing, Lara "would visualize the
passage," her mother said.
Eventually, Lara's drawings became part of the
book. She is at work on her third Midnight the
Cow book. While others were inspiring Lara, she
was an inspiration herself.
Mary
Erikson was a University of North Florida
student when the Lombardos hired her to help
with Lara. That experience led Erikson to become
a special education teacher.
When
Mary's mom, a retired nurse, wrote her first
children's book, Kamille's Birthday Circus, she
asked Lara to illustrate it. Now Lara is at work
on Eileen Erikson's second book, Up in
Nathanael's Room.
"Lara has a promising future as a published
illustrator," she said.
That's what Lara's mother hopes. She says the
work has given Lara self-esteem, and that it has
been a source of pride - for both of them.
Lara, a junior at a New England boarding school,
understands that she is different and faces
special challenges, her mother said. But she has
typical dreams.
"She
wants to go to college," her mother said. "She
wants a job. She wants to get married. She wants
to live as independently as she is able to."
She demonstrated her growing self-reliance to
Mary Erikson just before Thanksgiving. Home for
the holidays, Lara and her mother visited
Erikson's fifth-grade classroom at Atlantic
Beach Elementary, where Carol Lombardo often
gives art demonstrations.
This
time, Lara took charge, Erikson said.
"She
just walked in and began telling the kids what
to do," Erikson said. "She did the whole lesson.
A couple of years back, she would have just sat
in the corner waiting to go home."
"She
is so much more self-confident than she used to
be," Carol Lombardo said.
It's
a self-confidence that manifests itself
especially at the drawing board.
"I'm
having a good time," Lara said.
