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

Laundry Day Book Launch and Youthcare Drive!

Wow! It's already time to welcome my third picture book, Laundry Day, into the world! It will be held at Secret Garden Books in Seattle on February 7th at 7pm. Not only will I be doing a book reading and giving out goodies, but I am also organizing a donation drive at the launch for YouthCare, a Seattle non-profit that helps homeless youth in the city. If you plan on coming, see if you could bring one (or more) of the items below. We'll be clipping up the donated items to a laundry line in the store in conjunction with my book's theme- hanging up laundry!

Any donations will be so greatly appreciated for this truly heroic Seattle institution! Here's a current list of items that YouthCare needs:

New underwear
New socks
Backpacks
Jeans and coats
Alarm clocks
Plus sized clothing & shoes
Reusable Water Bottles
Sleeping bags
Blankets
Travel-size hygiene supplies
New razors
Dental Supplies
Gift cards (Target, Fred Meyer, QFC, etc.)
Orca cards & bus tickets

I hope you can make it to the launch!

For more info about YouthCare, visit: http://www.youthcare.org/

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

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!

Weekend sketching

Howdy folks!

This weekend has been jam packed with inspiration and drawing! Two of my favorite things. First it started off with attending Short Run. The Seattle small press show featuring mostly comics and some zines. I was there for over four hours and it wasn't enough time to see it all. I love making comics and have had a long break from making minis due to trying to devote all my comics time to my graphic novel. But I was sooooo inspired to get back into making smaller one off comics that I've got some big ideas hat I know I won't be able to shelf for long. My goal for 2013 is to have a table at Short Run with a some new comics and perhaps even segments from my graphic novel. I'm thrilled. I just need to find about 20 more hours a week to get all my stuff done! No problem though, right?

I've also been making some preliminary sketches for an illustration I'm submitting for the Tomie dePaola competition through SCBWI. This award includes a full paid trip and entrance to the winter conference in New York. I REALLLLLLLY want to go to this and would be so honored to win the award. So I'm going to try very hard to submit the best illustration possible. 

Lastly, I've been working on another picture book concept. I'm in the early stages of re-writes and thumbnails, but it feels good to be writing stories that really connect to my visual language, which I've had trouble doing in the past. I'll post more on that as it comes but I will just say this, it involves my two favorite badger brothers Tic and Tac!

I know all of this sounds like a lot, but I just can't pass up inspired ideas when they present themselves to me. I also think adding more fun and unrestricted comics work is just what I need to help with my storytelling and illustration with my picture books as well as my graphic novel. 

So much to do! But so excited to do it all!