By Mickayla Poland
It really is never too late to try something new. Stacy Seamon, of Weedville, proves just that. Just over a year ago, Stacy took a watercolor class at Gallery 29 in St. Marys that changed everything. Even though creativity has always been part of who she is, this new medium sparked something that has grown into so much more— passionate art, storytelling, and a newfound confidence. Stacy is the artist behind Seamonster Illustrations, a whimsical collection of watercolor illustrations, a self-published children’s book, and a reminder that it’s never too late to take a leap of faith.
Like many of our makers, Stacy wears many hats. She’s a wife to her supportive husband, Gary, a mom to two energetic daughters, Abigail and Emmalene, and a science teacher who has spent the past 18 years encouraging creativity in the classroom. Art and creativity have always woven their way through her life, whether she was making handmade Christmas ornaments, crafting gifts, painting, or dreaming up new creative projects.
“I’ve always considered myself a creative person,” she says.
Stacy says that she is so drawn to watercolor because of its exciting and unpredictable nature. 
“Maybe putting just a bit too much water on the paper creates an amazing effect, or maybe it makes a disaster,” she explains. “Every time I put my brush to the paper, the paint may do something I didn’t expect.”
After taking her first watercolor class with instructor Janet Van Eerden, she returned for another. During class, Janet casually mentioned that Stacy might not want to paint on the backs of her sketchbook pages because someone might actually want to buy her artwork.
“Then I wondered if anyone would actually want my art.”
Instead of letting self-doubt win, she decided to find out. She signed up for her very first booth at a local monthly market in Weedville- the Blue Jay Market. That is how Seamonster Illustrations was born.
The business name itself has an equally fun story. While working at a middle school in Florida years ago, a fellow teacher started calling her “Seamonster,” a playful twist on her last name. The nickname stuck, and when it came time to name her illustration business, it couldn’t have been more fitting.
Creative Imagination
If you’ve seen Seamonster Illustrations’ artwork, you’ve probably noticed some common themes: whimsical animals, soft flower studies, and occasionally colorful landscapes. This is a reflection of who Stacy is, how she grew up, and what still inspires her today.
She fondly remembers growing up and spending hours with classics like Beatrix Potter, The Berenstain Bears, Winnie-the-Pooh, and Dinotopia, studying every illustration. She would then imagine stories with the animals that she was around as a child.
Now, her own children are a source of inspiration,
“My children are an unending well of inspiration,” she says. “[and] I still have all of my animals, and I use their silly personalities to make up the stories I write and what I draw.”
Stacy’s process is a combination of her creative imagination and some simple watercolor tools.
“First, I find an animal.” She explains. “One I did not too long ago was a Binturong. I look at the features of that animal, like the amount of whiskers it has, and think it would be funny if it had a mustache. Then what would that animal do if it had a hobby or job, like being a pugilist.”
From there comes a pencil sketch, followed by ink work, where all the intricate details come out, and finally, watercolor brings each character to life.
“Drawing animals doing everyday activities makes me smile,” she says. “Painting animals is my escape.”
Classroom Creativity
Teaching children every day has only strengthened her appreciation for creativity.
“Children create with abandon,” she explains. “Give a child a crayon and a blank piece of paper, and their imagination can create amazing things.”
It’s one of the reasons she believes her creativity has more of an impact on her teaching than the other way around. Whether students are drawing diagrams, acting out concepts, or creating songs to remember information, she sees imagination as one of the strongest tools for learning.
“When in doubt, draw it out,” she often tells her students.
Teaching has also shown her that there is never just one right way to create.
“Every student learns differently,” she says. “Doing that every day has allowed me to see that there’s no one set way to show and create art.”
Bringing Stories to Life
Stacy’s love for storytelling, imagination, and learning eventually inspired her biggest creative project yet, writing and illustrating her first children’s book.
Her first book, Montgomery and Basil: Market Day follows Montgomery the mouse and his best friend Basil the bunny as they explore their town of Brook Bend, help their friends, and make new ones. Stacy hopes that her books teach valuable lessons to children, like the importance of helping friends. She also hopes they inspire children to go and explore the natural world around them, and not lose that wonder.
“ In the age we live in, I believe it is incredibly important that lessons in the form of stories are created by a real person who has had real experiences.”
The story itself was born during a family camping trip.
She sketched a bunny and a mouse, imagined where they lived, and slowly imagined their world unfolding.
Creating the book became its own lesson for Stacy. Writing the story and painting the illustrations came naturally, but learning the world of self-publishing was an entirely different challenge.
“My friend has a perfect expression: ‘Like learning to drink out of a fire hose.’” She jokes.
After writing and illustrating the book, she worked with an editor, researched formatting professionals, learned the publishing process, and spent countless hours conducting independent research. It took about six months to write the story and draw the illustrations. The next six months were spent getting the story edited, formatted, and uploaded to Amazon’s Kindle Direct Publishing platform.
Stacy pointed out that creating standalone artwork and illustrating a children’s book are very different from each other. Her book required every image to be purposeful and serve the story. Each page had to reveal exactly the right moment, expression, or setting to help readers experience Montgomery and Basil’s adventure.
PAGO: Never-ending Source of Inspiration
It really is no surprise that living in the Pennsylvania Great Outdoors Region fuels Stacy’s creativity and provides a never-ending source of subjects to paint.
“What better place to live than the Pennsylvania Wilds?” she says.
With state parks, wildlife, camping, and even elk, turkeys, and black bears appearing close to home, inspiration is never far away. Stacy always has her sketchbook and paints ready to go on an adventure to Parker Dam or while camping in Kersey.
Looking Ahead
It’s always worth trying something new, but perhaps the biggest lesson this journey has taught Stacy is to believe in herself.
“I learned that I can do anything if I want to. I had always wanted to write a children’s book and draw it myself. The only thing that was stopping me was me. I took the roadblocks down and said to myself, ‘If they like it, great. If not, then I know I can do it anyway.”
It’s a message that perfectly captures both her artwork and her outlook on creativity.
“Create it anyway,” she says. “It does not have to be perfect. It does not have to be a best seller. If it means something to you, then it has value.”
Seamonster Illustrations is already hard at work on the next adventure.
The rough draft for Montgomery and Basil: The Circus Comes to Town is complete, and illustration sketches are now underway. She hopes it’s only the beginning of many more books featuring the beloved duo.
To learn more about Seamonster Illustrations, follow Stacy on Facebook and Instagram, or visit her website at tinyurl.com/mvbbfy56, where you’ll find links to her Amazon, Redbubble, and Displate shops. You can also find her artwork in person at the PA Made Shop in Weedville or meet her at upcoming events, including the Bennetts Valley Labor Day Homecoming Celebration (September 6–7) and the St. Marys Public Library Meet the Author event (September 15).
Be sure to check back each month as we continue to introduce you to the talented artists, makers, and creative entrepreneurs who call the Pennsylvania Great Outdoors Region home through our Maker of the Month series.
