Sendy Santamaria is an illustrator and children’s book author from San Diego, based in San Pablo, California. She holds a BFA in Illustration with distinction from California College of the Arts. She creates paintings and stories rooted in ordinary life and Mexican American culture.

Raised between San Diego and Tijuana, Sendy’s work is shaped by life along both sides of the border. She finds inspiration in often overlooked moments—daydreaming on long commutes, sharing quiet space with strangers at the library, or people-watching at a neighborhood coffee shop. She can often be found observing local birds or zoning out in public.

Sendy is currently developing a picture book inspired by her love of thrift shops and works as a Design Coordinator at 826 Valencia.

For general inquiries, library & school visits, please email sendysantamaria@gmail.com
She is currently interested in creating illustrations for picture books, Young adult book covers, murals and public art, editorial art, educational projects with a focus on nature, wildlife, and birds.

For picture book inquiries, you can contact her literary agent Andrea Morrison at Writers House

Selected collaborations and clients include: San Francisco Public Library, The New York Times Book Review, Alameda County Health Care Services Agency, 826 National, Randall Museum, SF Office of Economic & Workforce Development, Yerba Buena Gardens.