New website!

Hey all!
jessixa.com just got a much needed makeover. I've updated everything so it's all shiny and new! Sadly, gone are the day's of my hotdog gifs that I worked so hard to create, but life continues to move and change, so my website must change with it! So have a looksee when you can!

jessixa.com

And there is still one cute animation of a bear fishing that can entertain you while you browse my work.

Enjoy!
jx

Boats for Papa- BIG BIG NEWS!

Hey all!
It's been a whirlwind past month and half and there is sooooo much to talk about!

First off, I finished all of my art for my next picture book Before I Leave. This is the book I spent the summer lovingly toiling over about the friendship between an anteater and a hedgehog. I sort of fell in love with these animals while making this book, to the point where I would highly consider having a hedgehog as a pet. Before I Leave is due out Winter 2016, so more to come with that!

The next most recent big news is that earlier this week I got my Advance Reader's Editions of my book Boats for Papa! I was SOOO excited to receive these! It was such an awesome thing to hold my book in my own hands was sureal to say the least. It's was like holding my dream in my hands. It looks so good. I am beyond words to say how I feel about how it turned out. I can't wait for it to hit the shelves June 30th, 2015!

AND to top it off- just this morning, I received some phenomenal news: The Japanese rights to Boats for Papa was just sold at the Frankfurt Book Fair to distinguished publisher, Asunaro Shobo. SO awesome- and the book hasn't even come out yet!

And if that wasn't awesome enough- I found out Boats for Papa was selected by the Junior Library Guild!!! It is an AMAZING honor to be selected by them! They go through over 3000 books and select what they believe to be as the best ones and send them to small libraries that can't afford their own selection staff. It's a very bog honor and I am so grateful to be among the chosen "best books" that will make it into the hands of thousands of little kids.

All of this is so awesome and overwhelming, and all just before I'm about to have another dream come true- having a baby! Ahhh!!! So much to be happy, and thankful for.

Thanks to everyone for all of your support!!!
jx

MY BOOK JACKET!!!

Hey Everyone!
I've been sitting on this for a few weeks, but I got my book proofs for Boats for Papa!!! I was SO thrilled when the package made its way to my doorstep on my birthday! I couldn't have asked for a better birthday gift! Book due out JUNE 2015!!!

Here the the full final jacket:

 

I LOVE IT and can't wait for my book to come out!!!!

 

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!

Saturday sketches!

Hey everyone!

It's a rainy and overcast Saturday here in Seattle so Aaron and I are drawing and painting! I'm working up some new portfolio pieces for the upcoming Western Washington SCBWI conference.  So my woodland creatures are keeping me dry and busy today! 

I've also been working on a new design for my website. It's going to be more visually focused to my children's book illustrations so stay tuned!

Okay, back to it!

Sketching on a sunny afternoon

Happy weekend!

I for one can't be more excited its Saturday. And to start it off withe a bang, I'm doing some sketches for a joint project that I'm working on with my husband Aaron. It's always so fun to collaborate with him and I feel like each time we work together we get closer and closer to having a unified artistic voice. With out last show back in September, we did joint writing and drawing for our comics art show, 1828 Lincoln St. This time we are taking a slightly different approach, with Aaron is doing all the writing and the initial sketches while I am doing the final art. I don't want to say too much more about it, but will show more as we get more completed. 

Other than that I'm just in the process of revising my portfolio and making some new postcards for an upcoming visit to NY to meet with my super awesome agent Alexandra and my amazing editor Neal at Roaring Brook Press. So lots to do-but all art related so its very fun!!! Back to the paper!

What's up 2014?

Hey everyone
Well, sadly I succumbed to the holiday madness and haven't posted since just before Thanksgiving! So quick catch up:

My lovely husband and I did our booth at Short Run just after Thanksgiving. Short Run is a local comics festival that features self-published works as well as comics and books from small publishers. It was our first time having a booth at the show and it was super fun. We both debuted our graphic novels at the show as well! When we do work together or print up our books, we do it under the name Gorilla House Press. We have a tumblr of joint work there. Aaron is insanely prolific, so a lot of the work on the tumbler is his, but it's sort of a catch all for all of our random work.

What else? I am nearly finished with the illustrations for Boats For Papa, which I am really loving working on, so a part of me will be sad to be finished. But it just means I'm that much closer to getting it finished in hand-which is AMAZING to me! This has been the best creative project I've ever got to do in my life and I've cherished every moment of it! And also once this book is finished I'm onto book two already! What??? How did I get so lucky?! I am so over the moon I still can't believe my dream has come true! So at least I have another awesome project to look forward to! I'll keep you posted as things come up.

But that is really the bulk of what I've been up to. That and juggling a million work and holiday things. So I'm glad to see the new year come around to allow for new things to unfold!

Also, here is the front and back of my promo card I sent out this year. It features my favorite twin badger brothers, Tic and Tac, being silly as usual. So happy new year to you all! I can't wait to see what 2014 has in store.

Sunday respite

Hey everyone
I'm in the midst of moving, but I really needed a break and wanted to work up a piece I have been kicking around based up on my trip to Camp Wandawega last month. I thought I would share it with you!

This is inspired by a row boating adventure my husband and I went on while at camp and it was the most picturesque moment in time. This captures that part of the trip and is a nice way for me to hold onto that memory.

Back to packing...

City & Color studies

Hey all
I've been pretty busy with my current book projects as well as some personal things, but I've been wanting to explore some city images lately so I made some time this week to experiment. I've been doing some small sketches in my sketchbook of my little woodland creatures hitting the city. Here is an idea that I had of a city full of foxes. (Which is getting me thinking about a story of a city of foxes and perhaps a naive chicken wanting to make it in show business decides to head to the big city to get her start...hmm, perhaps there is something there!)

Anyway, I wanted to explore some variations on color within this theme. I think  prefer the cityscape background a lot softer, with the light brown versus the blue. It feels more within my palette and feels more like it is a background instead of popping forward so much. Also, I should have toned down the green on the grass; it came out a bit brighter than I wanted. And I think in the next one, I will draw it larger so I can explore an even more complicated and chaotic scene. Then it will really feel like the big city!

 I also wanted to see how it would feel in sepia and just black and white. I think these would be fun and worth exploring by painting some similar images just in these monochromatic tones.

 

If you have any thoughts let me know! I have also been studying one of my favorite painters lately, Pieter Bruegel The Elder. I LOVE his work and have always been very inspired by his compositions, palette and details. As I study his work more, I hope to be able to invoke and bring more of his elements of fun, depth, and storytelling to my own work. Thanks for looking!

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: Eye Glasses

Hey all!
I've been out of the IF loop for a while. I've had SOOOO much going on lately, but I needed to get back into quick illo mode so I wanted to get back on the horse this week. Here are a couple of takes on this week's theme; one in black and white that is about eyeglasses, the other in color about glasses of lemonade-the word "glasses" inspired it even though it's about a different kind of glasses. Enjoy!

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.

Art spot!

Hey Folks!

It's been a busy past few weeks! I've been gearing up for the NY Conference- I was able to get into the illustrator intensive and the portfolio showcase- woo hoo! Also I am finally finishing up my first part of my graphic novel! I'll post some pages in the next few days but it's based off of my sketchbook journal Diary Of A Wiener. I'm pretty excited about it and have been working on it for several years. So stay tuned for that!

Also, I wanted to share my illustrations used in this month's SCBWI newsletter. They are of my little mole! Also, they gave a specific spotlight to me and my work in the new "Art Spot" section of the newsletter! Thanks to Sarah Baker and SCBWI!

Okay- that's all for now. I have to finish up my book dummy, edit my portfolio, finish my last graphic novel pages, layout the book, ready my postcards for the show, oh and breath!

More to come!

Jessixa

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

Illustration Friday: Explore

Hey all
For this week's theme, I'm furthering my exploration of black and white. This little guy is certainly about to explore this whale, hopefully the whale will be kind to his new visitor. He's gently going in but there is still something unsettling about his adventure and the atmosphere.

Thanks for looking!

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?

Painting Saturday!

Hey all,
Today was a sublime autumn day! Morning at the Farmer's Market, a crisp fall walk down to the Pugeot Sound and topped off with some yummy Molly Moon's Ice Cream. But in between all of that I did lots and lots of painting! Yay! The perfect day!

I wanted to share some of my recent paintings for one of my current book projects "Drift." I posted some test paintings a while back, but have some finished pieces I thought I'd post a few. "Drift" is about a little beaver, Buckley, who makes boats out of driftwood. I fell in love with getting to paint all of that wood. So take a peek and enjoy. I'm off to paint and draw some more!

Inspring week= productive weekend!

  

Hey Everyone!

Just a quick check in! I have had quite and inspired week and hopefully that will lead into an even more productive weekend! My lovely husband picked up my much needed giant watercolor paper. This stuff is so big I think I can fit at least four more cats on it. What do you think?

First a shout out to my friend Brooke Boyton Hughes for the announcement of illustrating her first picture book for famed author Angela Diterlizzi!!! Shut the front door! I'm so thrilled for Brooke. She has an amazing style and she's a pretty rad person too boot. Check out her work! And just congrats Brooke!

Last night was the monthly SCBWI meeting with great speakers! Lisa L. Owens gave a very helpful talk about finding your voice and that basically our voice of who we are was formed at a very early age. My voice age is seven and a half. I was big into Pee Wee Herman, Richard Scary, and drawing. So It was helpful to hear her advice on how to connect with that voice.

Another great speaker was the infamous Ben Clanton! How lucky was I to get to go to that, right?! He gave an AMAZING (and very funny) presentation on how to write great read aloud picture books. I was really into this topic. I have a tendency to draw more quiet illustrations but I LOVE humor and interactivity in picture books and he talked about how fusing these things into your work will make your book a for sure re-reader! Thanks for all the tips, Ben!

Okay, onto the weekend: Coffee, painting, drawing, doodling, banana bread. Repeat. 

I'll post my progress on my Tomie dePaola Award piece I'm working on, as well as my latest picture book thumbnails and some paintings from my latest complete submission!

Phew!

jx