New York Times live drawing interview!

Hey everyone!
I finally get a chance to breath a little and sit down and update my blog! Phew! The past few months have been a flurry of activity and travel that I will try to catch up on in a few posts soon, but for now I wanted to share my live drawing interview that I did a few weeks ago with The New York Times Children's Book Editor Maria Russo. I still am pinching myself that it actually happened. It was such an honor and SO much fun to chat with Maria while getting to draw live in real time for Facebook. In case you missed it here's the Facebook link:

https://m.facebook.com/nytimes/posts/10151146327034999

You can see me work and learn a bit about my process, upcoming project, and which animals I DON'T like to draw!

More to come soon on my other recent activities... stay tuned!

jxoxo

PiBoIdMo!

Hey everyone
Happy fall! You might already know that November is National Novel Writing Month (nanowrimo) where you take on the challenge of writing a 50,000 word novel in the month of November. Pretty awesome I know! Well, it's also Picture Book Idea Month-or PiBoIdMo. PiBoIdMo's challenge is to come up with a picture book idea every single day for the month of November.

It's very fun and freeing to just let your ideas flow without letting them get too precious or (like me) end up stifling your creativity. So I'm participating in PiBoIdMo this year AND today (Day 7 of the challenge) I am guest blogging on the site! Check it out:

http://taralazar.com/2015/11/07/piboidmo-day-7-jessixa-bagley-activates-her-muse-plus-a-prize/


Thanks so much to Tara Lazar for asking me to chat about my inspiration!
jx

10 days:FINAL COUNTDOWN!

Only ten days to go! Today's #Boatsfor Papa #30boatsin30days Boat fact: The colorful nautical flags you see on boats are part of an alphabetical and numerical coding system for signaling to other ships.   

Each flag represents a letter or a number that communicates a specific message to other ships nearby. Like my personal favorite: J (which they call 'Juliet') means-"I am on fire and have dangerous cargo on board: keep well clear of me."

or
"I am leaking dangerous cargo."

13 days-port!

Today's #30boatsin30days Boat fact: On a boat "Port" means "left" and "starboard" means right. #boatsforpapa

You can remember this because "port" and "left" both have four letters.

14 days left!

Today's #30boatsin30days for #BoatsforPapa is a floating home called a houseboat (or a boathouse).

In parts of China, thousands of people live on houseboats permanently and they buys their goods off of supply boats. Take that land dwellers!

20 days!

Today's #30boatsin30days is a lanteen: A long triangular sail set on long yard going from one end of the boat to another. 

Sometimes they are twice as long as the length of the ship! And they were the favorite sail during the Age of Enlightenment! #boatsforpapa

24 days of boats to go!

Today's #30boatsin30days is the Viking ship! 

Most often called a longship, these mighty boats of the Scandanavian sea pirates were also called dragon ships- namely for the intricate dragon carvings found at the front of the ships. These carvings were there to help scare off the enemy!

26 days and a tugboat to prove it

Day 26: Today's addition to #30boatsin30days is a tugboat! 

Tugboats are really amazing. They are these tough stout little boats that guide ships in and out of port,tow barges, help disabled vessels, and dredge and salvage equipment. They are pretty extraordinary. Just goes to show you the power that comes from even the smallest things.

27 days to go!

Hey all

We are four days in... so 27 days until book launch day. Today's boat is a fishing boat. 

Even though I don't draw hyper-realistically I use a lot of reference material when drawing for inspiration and so I don't forget important details. For this boat I found a photograph online of a lovely and cute green fishing boat and I knew it had to be part of my #30boatsin30days fleet!

30 boats in 30 days

I can't believe it! It's almost here!!! 30 days until Boats for Papa is released!!! I would use more exclamation points but I think there is a limit on how many you can use before they cease to mean anything. 

I can't begin to describe how excited I am. There's been so much momentum as its gotten closer but to know that after 2 years (well technically 34.5 years since its my lifelong dream) my book will be on the shelves at the end of the month it too thrilling! 

So for the next month, I'lll be posting a painting of a boat a day leading up to the release! You can follow along at #30boatsin30days or you can see them here! 

Busy beaver!

Well it's been a long while since my last post. Things have been quite busy for me with having a new baby and such so I'm going to ride that excuse train on not posting sooner.

He past few months I was just enjoying lots of time with my husband and baby before I had to go back to work and get started on my new book. Now everything is back in full swing and I haven't got a square to spare! But it's all good! I'm just trying to manage the life/work balance.

As for books and such, I am just getting started with my picture book "Laundry Day." I've been getting the sketched finalized and will start painting in the next week or so. I'm excited to work on this book because it's so different than my last two books. It's funny with lots of silly details making it very fun to draw and paint. I'll be spending the bulk of the year working on it, since my time is limited at the moment.

In other news, my book "Boats for Papa" is nearly out! I've just got a few months to go, but I'm already planning for the launch! My official book launch will be at Secret Garden Books in Ballard in Seattle on Tuesday June 30th at 7pm! I'm pretty excited and am thinking of fun things to do for the event. If you can't make it on Tuesday, I'm also going to be at the Urban Craft Uprising the weekend before- June 27th & 28th at the Seattle Exhibition Hall at the Seattle center. I'll be selling and signing books. Hopefully you can make it to either event!

Also in preparation for my book coming out, I've been making these little driftwood boats! They will be shipping out to various bookstores and book buyers around the country to introduce my book! I collected the driftwood on the beaches of Seattle and handmade the little flags. The flags are the letter "B" in the nautical alphabet ('B' for Buckley)!

They are really fun to make and it's gotten me extra in touch with my character.

Other than that, my second book "Before I Leave" is off at the publisher having its magic happen. Stayed tuned for more info to come,  but it should be out early 2016!

Okay! It was great to catch up. Back to the grind I go!

Jx

Happy Birthday Beatrix Potter!

Hey all!
I've been spotty about posting the last few months but for two good reasons:

1) I'm working on my second picture book for Roaring Brook Press. It's called Before I Leave. I don't want to say too much about it other than it's a story about moving and parting from friends, and that it stars an anteater and a hedgehog. Needless to say I am IN LOVE with both animals right now and they have made a special place in my heart. The book is due out sometime... in the future. Maybe winter 2016? I'm not sure. All I know is I have an October deadline and reruns of Cake Boss are getting me through the fast paced crunch!

2) I am having a baby! Woo hoo!

So that is what I'm working on right now. I've been pretty occupied with both things, hence my blogging hiatus. I can't reveal much about the book now, but I have been documenting the process pretty well this time, so I'll be able to share more about it after the book is finished and I have the  go ahead.

So much to think about and to do over the next few months. 

In other news, I am supposed to get my proofs for my book Boats For Papa this week- AHHHH!!! So I will try to post at least a snippet of the cover when they arrive. I can't wait to see the book!!! So much work and so much love went into it, it will be magic to see it getting even closer to being published!

I have to get back to work but before I do, I had to mention that today is Beatrix Potter's birthday! She has been an inspiration for me since childhood and contributed to who I am as an artist today. I love her illustrations and stories so much- she was so good at creating a world for her creatures to live. My favorite Beatrix Potter story is the Tailor of Gloucester- which was Beatrix Potter's favorite story as well. I think that we could have been kindred spirits in another time! So happy birthday to a creative hero!

Sketching day!

Hey everyone!

I've been closing in on finishing my book and sent off some of my final illustrations today! I still have to do the cover which we are working out, so while I wait for feedback, I thought I would get some sketching in. 

I'm currently working on a picture book idea that features an anteater, so I thought I'd try out some sketches of these hairy beasts and see how they feel. I really love drawing animals. They have so much personality and character in their simple gestures! It makes them ripe for drawing; and the reference material is SO fun to look at! Now I have to see if this little guy likes wearing clothing because what I love even more about drawing animals, is drawing anthropomorphic animals!

Drawing goats

Hey everyone!

Just a brief check in. I've been pretty busy the past few weeks with moving and some of my awesome SCBWI friends visiting, but I managed to squeak out some sketches for a new book idea that I have. So I've been studying goats a little. Other than that I'm working on my book as well as finishing up some  freelance projects AND preparing for a collaborative show with my husband Aaron! More updates to come!

Exciting updates!

Hey folks!
So it's been about a month and a half since the NY SCBWI conference, and a lot has been happening. I had the flu right after so was knocked out of commission for a while, then I've been in the throws of some really fun freelance work which has been keeping me quite busy. The most exciting news just happened within the past week. Some of you might know, but I just signed with Upstart Crow Literary with the super awesome Alexandra Penfold! I'm so honored and thrilled that she will we representing me! I got the privilege to attend Alexandra's workshop at the NY conference and was very connected and impressed by her experience and her dedication to children's books. Alexandra has a great energy and a LOVE of picture books. I'm still pinching myself! I'm so excited about getting to take this next great step with her! Thanks again, Alexandra if you are reading this!!!

So this is a little plug for all of you who haven't:
A) joined SCBWI-do it. It will change your life if you are serious about children's books.
B) gone to the conferences before- they are right- magic can happen there

So after all that awesomeness, today is the first day where I've got a moment to breathe and do a could of short quick illustrations for fun. Here is one below that is a little painting of Tic and Tac hanging out in an abandoned boxcar.

I think they had a plan of going on an adventure on a train and got so caught up in the preparing for the adventure that by the time they got to the train, they just wanted to have lunch. And not really paying attention to the fact it was a non-moving train car, they called it a successful adventure, then went home! I told my husband this is something I've always wanted to do- well, jump on a train while it was moving with a bindle like a hobo- but I think the same thing would happen to me where I get so distracted with lunch I don't even mind that we didn't really go anywhere. All in all, it would be a good day.

Anyway, I'll post some work, if I can, about my freelance project I am doing. It's sort of a dream, so maybe I won't post until I'm finished- then I can wake up from the dream. Other than that, look for more little paintings of Tic and Tac and other picture book ideas!

Hope you are are doing well, and drawling lots!
jx

A perfect Saturday morning

Happy weekend!
So far the weekend is starting off great: reading Little Women in bed, Market Spice tea, Wait Wait Don't Tell Me, David Sedaris on This American Life and working on drawings for my picture book dummy of Drift. What a treat!

Now onto inking the final pages of my graphic novel before painting my Drift drawings. There will be a soup break somewhere in there too.

I hope you all are having as lovely a day as I.

Happy New Year!

Hey all!

Just a quick note to wish you all a Happy New Year!

I hope everyone had a great holiday season. Mine was out of sight and a blur of action. But I really miss it even though it was exhausting.  

I just have a couple of updates. My website has some new work up. Mostly work I've mentioned here on my blog, but hadn't made it's way to the site yet. But my wonderful husband has made it all shiny and current, so that is a good thing and I sooooo appreciate him for helping me with my website.

In some fun news, I'm featured in the January February issue of the SCBWI newsletter in the Art Spot as well as having a couple of illustrations dotting the issue. I'm very excited to get that shout our from SCBWI. Thanks again!

Also, I am officially signed up and attending the annual winter conference for the SCBWI in February. I'm VERY excited to get to attend that conference. Cross your fingers for me that I can get off the waitlist for the portfolio showcase as well as the intensives and workshops I want to take part in. Here's hoping!

Here's a quick shot of my holiday card I sent out this year featuring my badgers Tic and Tac!

Here's to a great 2013

Sunday drawing and crafting!

Hey all!
This has been a great weekend of fun with friends, hitting the Urban Craft Uprising, and now drawing! Yay!

So I'm taking another whack at the Tomie dePaola competition piece inspired by a different quote from Little Women. So here's the latest sketch! Painting to commence soon!

Illustration Friday: Tree

Hey all
I've been bad about my IF posts the last month or so. I am currently working on new picture book project though staring my precocious badgers, Tic and Tac so I decided to do some practice sketches of them based on recent IF topics. I've done a couple for this week's "tree" theme as well as the catch up entries. Enjoy!

Little Women, big boo boo

Hey thar!
Here is the piece that I was planning on submitting for the Tomie dePaola award through SCBWI.

It's based off of a passage from Little Women. It's from one of my favorite scenes in the book. I really love how it turned out! Unnnnnnnnnfortunalty, I was SO excited about the painting, I forgot that it's supposed to be in black and white! Oops! Back to the drawing board! Oh well. At least I have another really lovely painting I'm pleased with. Any thoughts before I start over in black and white?