Isabelle Brent is an internationally known painter and illustrator who has illustrated more than two dozen children’s books, many of which are of traditional fairy tales or stories from the Bible. She has worked on two books for Wisdom Tales Press. Ms. Brent’s most recent book for WTP is The Christmas Horse and the Three Wise Men, which she wrote and illustrated. The book has won the 2016 USA “Best Book” Award in the “Children’s Religious” category. The tale follows the familiar Bible story, but is told from the point of view of the horse of one of the wise men. Isabelle Brent’s first book for us, which she illustrated, was Saint Anthony the Great, a children’s biography of an important figure in the early Christian faith. Saint Anthony the Great was written by Rev. John Chryssavgis and Marilyn Rouvelas.
Isabelle Brent was born and raised in Great Britain. After high school, she studied at Loughborough College of Art and Design, in central England, and then did further studies in France and Italy. Isabelle later assisted at a museum of decorative arts in Leicester, England, where she conducted research for the museum galleries.
Her career as a fine artist started while Isabelle was still in her twenties. When she was 23, she had an exhibit at the prestigious Royal Academy of Arts in London. Isabelle Brent’s art has been exhibited in Paris, Tokyo, New York, and many other places worldwide.
Isabelle Brent’s work as an illustrator and designer is known by many due to the many greeting cards, gift wrap, and gift bags that bear her unmistakably detailed and full-color art.
The illustrated books of Isabelle Brent, some of which she also authored, began appearing in 1990, with The Christmas Story from the King James Version. This was followed by many more volumes, including All Creatures Great and Small and wonderful versions of fairy tales from Hans Christen Andersen and the Brothers Grimm, among others. Some of these books and Isabelle Brent’s other art contain one of her signature techniques: the use of gold leaf applications. This ancient technique was used on icons and manuscripts many centuries ago, and very few people have mastered the technique in contemporary times.
Isabelle Brent lives in France.