Do you know someone that doodles on every scrap of paper and scribbles on all the pages of their spiral notebooks? Liz Ball is that person. Like many young creatives, Ball knew she wanted to be an artist from an early age.
“My childhood was filled with farm life, scouting, nature, art and books,” Ball said. “Imagination and creativity were encouraged and a normal part of my childhood. I loved drawing and of- ten filled the margins of my school pag- es with sketches while taking notes.” It wasn’t until many years later that she returned to that early interest.
Hidden Picture origins
“After getting married and after our two children were born, I stayed home and started pursuing my love of draw- ing. This evolved into sending puzzles to magazines, and in 1991, my first Hidden Picture puzzle was published in Hopscotch magazine.”
To date, Ball’s Hidden Pictures have appeared in over 300 publications throughout the United States and in- ternationally, including, now, in every issue of Toledo Area Parent. Since 1996, her puzzles have appeared twice weekly in the Dayton Daily News.
Ball, who resides in Tipp City, Ohio, gets her inspiration from the flower gar- dens that surround her ivy-covered stu- dio, where her German shepherd and her fluffy cat keep her company.
“When the Dayton Daily News first began publishing Hidden Pictures, we discovered it wasn’t just kids who liked finding the hidden items. They’ve become a family game in many house- holds. It’s especially nice today as a way to unplug from video and cell phones,” she explains.
Every year, Ball receives thousands of letters from fans of her puzzles. Chil- dren enjoy the fun that her puzzles pro- vide, while many adults use the puzzles to help them with memory and brain function.
“Hidden Picture puzzles are recom- mended by teachers, parents and doc- tors to help improve spatial skills, eye coordination and memory retention,” she said. “But mostly, kids and adults just think they’re fun.”
From puzzles to published books
In addition to appearing in newspa- pers and magazines, Ball has published fifteen books in her Hidden Treasures series. “I tackled self-publishing before it was popular, and truthfully, I didn’t know much about how to do it,” she said. “I read everything I could about printing and publishing and decided to go for it.”
After a lot of research and editing, she saw her first book in print in 1999.“I’d ordered 3000 books, and to say I was nervous about whether they would sell is an understatement. But in three months, I had to reorder! I’ve been blessed to now have fifteen titles in the Hidden Treasures series. My books have sold over 1,000,000 copies.”
Ball has also written and illustrated over 40 books in her career, including the book “Why America Matters” by Dr. Ben Carson.
Classroom demonstrations inspire future artists
Children often ask her about her art process when she visits them in class- room presentations. “School visits are al- ways fun and my presentations are a lit- tle different than a regular author visit.”
Her classroom sessions include two hidden picture demonstrations. The first involves a personalized theme for the teacher. The second is a hands-on lesson. “Students enjoy this step-by-step pro- cess. While drawing, I encourage creativ- ity and imagination, and can incorporate themes, shapes, and options for hidden items,” she said.
“Kids always want to know how long it takes me to draw a hidden picture. The average time is usually around three hours, and that’s from blank page to pencil sketch to the final inking. Some pages in a book can take six to eight hours.”
While Ball also enjoys hobbies such as gardening, baking, reading and traveling, she still returns to her first love. “Even when traveling, I take my clipboard and draw in airports, hotels, or when relax- ing at my destination,” she said. “I draw almost every day and I love it.”
