VAL McCall
Biography
Growing up in Switzerland, Val McCall felt an unquenchable desire to travel from an early age. When she was 19, Val volunteered at a kibbutz in Israel, and then again as an English teacher in Kenya. After graduating from university, she spent six months in Asia, three of which were in China — with shorter periods spent in Thailand and Hong Kong as well — during which time Val again taught English as a volunteer. Shortly after that, Val traveled to South America, and then spent a number of years in Nepal and India, where she volunteered to conduct art workshops in collaboration with local NGOs such as SUEB (Society for the Upliftment of the Economically Backward) and the Leprosy mission.
In 2007 Val moved to Madrid where she studied graphic design and illustration. It was around this time that she became interested in organic gardening through friends and through her own internet research. The following summer, Val took a course on Food Forests given by permaculture expert Darren Doherty, which complemented and furthered the information she’d been pursuing up to that point.
Having witnessed much destruction all over the planet, Val felt deeply worried for a number of years, and emerged from that time with a realization that the earth could be redeemed. Organic gardening became a new passion for Val, which in turn, inspired her to write and illustrate her first children’s book.
Val now lives in Spain where she splits her time between artistic, and organic gardening projects. She has a B.A. in communication from Seattle Pacific University, and a degree in illustration & graphic design from Arte Neo, Madrid. She is fluent in French, English, German, Spanish, and understands a little Hebrew, and some Hindi.
Growing up in Switzerland, Val McCall felt an unquenchable desire to travel from an early age. When she was 19, Val volunteered at a kibbutz in Israel, and then again as an English teacher in Kenya. After graduating from university, she spent six months in Asia, three of which were in China — with shorter periods spent in Thailand and Hong Kong as well — during which time Val again taught English as a volunteer. Shortly after that, Val traveled to South America, and then spent a number of years in Nepal and India, where she volunteered to conduct art workshops in collaboration with local NGOs such as SUEB (Society for the Upliftment of the Economically Backward) and the Leprosy mission.
In 2007 Val moved to Madrid where she studied graphic design and illustration. It was around this time that she became interested in organic gardening through friends and through her own internet research. The following summer, Val took a course on Food Forests given by permaculture expert Darren Doherty, which complemented and furthered the information she’d been pursuing up to that point.
Having witnessed much destruction all over the planet, Val felt deeply worried for a number of years, and emerged from that time with a realization that the earth could be redeemed. Organic gardening became a new passion for Val, which in turn, inspired her to write and illustrate her first children’s book.
Val now lives in Spain where she splits her time between artistic, and organic gardening projects. She has a B.A. in communication from Seattle Pacific University, and a degree in illustration & graphic design from Arte Neo, Madrid. She is fluent in French, English, German, Spanish, and understands a little Hebrew, and some Hindi.