The Author

Burns, always an artist on the inside, breaks through his trial attorney exterior at age 63, to write and illustrate his first children’s book, AND THE TREES TALKED BACK.   

Three years in the making, Burns strives to convey a world where commonalities are more important than differences, where empathy is more important than distain and where making friends is more important than creating enemies.  With no formal art training, Burns enjoys working in and learning new mediums and styles.  His art has won awards in juried competition, been displayed on billboards, in government offices, the D’Amour Museum of Fine Arts, and now graces the cover of Dave Brinnel's second CD, ALONE.  His detailed illustrations of trees using pen and ink with washes of watercolor have been compared to the fantastical illustrations of Arthur Rackham and Maurice Sendak. 

Burns lives in the Pioneer Valley of Western Massachusetts with his wife, Heather, and two dogs, where he is developing ideas for his next book.