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

Final boat-final day-BOOK LAUNCH DAY!

It's finally here! BOOK LAUNCH DAY! My number one & last boat of #30boatsin30days is ready to set sail! Thanks for following along this past month! Now the excitement really begins!!! #BoatsforPapa is officially out in the world! Grab a copy at your local bookstore!!!

It is also available online retailers such as Amazon and Barnes & Nobel! 

This has been such a fun project this past month as I've geared up towards the big day. I'm soooooo excited to have reached this milestone moment in my life! Today is the birth of my picture book career and the culmination of my dreams and hard work from my entire life. It's all I've ever wanted to do. It's this such special moment in time and I've made the best book I could make to start my journey. It's a part of my heart and soul and I'm honored and humbled that I get to share it with the world and leave it behind for others to experience. And if I'm dreaming, don't wake me up.

2 days until launch!

Today's#BoatsforPapa #30boatsin30days is a galley ship. It's a sailing vessel that is propelled mostly by rowing! 

 

Only 3 days left!

Today's #30boatsin30days boat is a 19th century warship called "Frigate." #BoatsforPapa

These are some of my most favorite boats. They make me think of pirates and the movie "The Goonies."

4 days to go!

Today's #30boatsin30days Boat fact: The lookout point on the upper part of the main mast on a ship is called the "crow's nest." #boatsforpapa 

I love these parts on the old ships. Though my fear of heights wouldn't make me a very good lookout.

5 days!!

Today's #30boatsin30days is a caravel- a 15th century Portuguese sailing vessel used for exploring during the Age of Discovery! #boatsforpapa

6 days!

Today's #30boatsin30days boat is a pusher boat which is designed to push barges! #BoatsforPapa

I love the big fancy ships, but some of my favorites are rusty old barges and tug boats. There is something magic In the power of these quite small boats.

9 days left!

#30boatsin30days Boat fact:If you see the nautical flag pictured here (representing the letter H) then it means a pilot is on the ship. #boatsforpapa 

Repost: 15 days

So there were some technical difficulties and I realized that day 15 didn't post. So in case you missed it on Intagram or Facebook, here it is:

I can't believe I'm halfway there.It's exactly two weeks until my book hits the shelves! #30boatsin30days #boatsforpapa

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."

11 days!

Today's #30boatsin30days boat fact:The phrase "weigh anchor" means to pull up a ship's anchor in preparation for its departure. #boatsforpapa 

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!

16 days!

Today's #30boatsin30days boat fact: The front of a ship is called the "bow" and the back of the ship is called the "stern." #boatsforpapa  

17 days left!

Today's #30boatsin30days boat fact: A cabin boy is a boy who waits on the crew and passengers of a ship! #boatsforpapa

  "Cabin Boy" is also a Chris Elliot movie I have yet to see. Something tells me I'm not missing much.

18 days to launch!

Today's #boatsforpapa #30boatsin30days is a "junk." A junk is an ancient Chinese sailing ship!   

There are many different kinds of junks and they have been used for over 1000 years!

19 days!

Boat fact:An outrigger is a beam or framework projecting from the side of a boat to stabilize it. #30boatsin30days #boatsforpapa 

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

22 days and a yo ho-ho!

Did you know in nautical terms a "fathom" is six feet? #30boatsin30days #boatsforpapa 

 

"Fathoms below" always makes me think of The Little Mermaid. Now I want to watch the little mermaid...

23 days and a bottle of rum

23 days! Boat fact: The deck that forms the roof of a cabin built in the rear of the ship is the "poop deck." #30boatsin30days #boatsforpapa

I don't know about you but I don't think I'd want to swab that deck.