NY NY- picture book paradise

Hey Everyone!
It's nearly a month after the fact, but I thought I would catch you up on my recent trip to New York! It was super fun and exciting. My husband and I went to meet with my editor Neal Porter to see where the magic was happening with my first book Boats For Papa (due out April-June 2015) and to talk about my next book project we are doing together. So exciting!!! It was a truly magical experience getting to go the the Roaring Brook offices (in the freaking Flatiron Building) and see where my book is going to come to life! I got to meet my AMAZING book designer Jennifer Brown and everyone in the office and they were all so nice! I couldn't have asked for a better home for Buckley and Mama. We laid out the artwork and Neal did a dramatic reading of book. I got a little misty when this was happening as one does when they get to see their dreams come true. Definitely the highlight of the trip. I even got to go to Neal's and meet his kitty, Arthur. It was love at first pet.

We were in town when the SCBWI NY Conference was going on- a sneaky plan on my part so I could see all my friends while I was there and meet with my super rad agent Alex! Alex and I hadn't formally met in person since I signed on with her last year. So it was great to see her in the flesh- not over the phone or email. We even got to have a karaoke jam together while in NY. Now that's what I call an agent.

It was sooo great to catch up with my good friends Lisa, Brooke, and Maple while in town too. I love these ladies. They make it so fun to be in the children's book community and I'm lucky to call them my friends and artistic peers. We even managed to sneak in a little hangout time in between all of the children's book madness. Hot chocolate, Books of Wonder, Pho, Wine... all the stuff that is good in life. (Please Note Aaron on the far left is the victim of a panoramic face melting in the photo and doesn't always look like this-but he loves when the camera makes him look like Sloth from Goonies.)

On my trip, I also got to meet a ton of WONDERFUL folk at Simon & Schuster, Abrams, Greenwillow Books & Little Brown and Company. All so, so lovely and fun and kind. It's a reminder when you get to me so many amazing people why I feel like the luckiest girl in the world to get to be a part of this business.

And if all of this wasn't enough, while we were in town, there were two AMAZING exhibits going on. The first was the Little Prince exhibit at the Morgan Library. They had the original manuscript and drawings from "The Little Prince"by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry on display. It was so moving to get to see the early stages of this book that is dear to my heart. Oh and, not to mention, I got to see a Guttenberg bible at the Morgan Library collection. Sort of amazing. The second exhibit we saw was at the New York Public Library called The ABC of it: Why Children's Books Matter. It was incredible. It was a retrospective on children's literature and they had so many original manuscripts and pieces of artwork from classic children's books like: Beatrix Potter, William Blake, John Tenniel- the list goes on and on. A very magical and amazing exhibit that I recommend anyone checking out if you are in NY between now and September.

Lastly, our trip ended with a walk at Highline Park. It was a lovely day and a trip I'll never forget.

Painting bears and fish

Hey all 

It snowed last night in Seattle, so it's a great excuse to stay in and paint! It's bears and fish and trees and whales today. I'd say its already a perfect day.

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!

Done!

Well I can't believe I'm saying this but I'm done with my illustrations for my first picture book "Boats For Papa." I sent off my paintings this week and they arrive safely at Roaring Brook Press (cocooned in tape and bubble wrap)! This has been an incredible experience. I still can hardly believe that it happened. I guess when i get a copy in hand I'll finally believe it. I gathered up my painting test pages when I was cleaning up my book stuff and enjoyed the view! I still think there's more laying around somewhere I overlooked...

This has been an immeasurably rewarding and fulfilling process and I can't wait to get started on the next book! But, I think I've earned the weekend off so I'm heading to the art museum to see some Franz Von Stuck and get a hamburger with Aaron! 

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!

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.

Graphic Novel Northwest

Hey all

Short Run (seattle comic/ small press festival) is just around the corner and we are getting ready for the show! In conjunction with having our comics for sale at Short Run at our booth, Gorilla House Press, Aaron and I are participating in a show about graphic novelists in the Northwest! Original pages from my first graphic novel "Diary of a Wiener" and Aaron's "Ouroboros are on display Shoreline Community college through December.

The opening reception for this exhibition of graphic novel art is on Saturday, Nov. 16, from 5 to 7 pm.

Eisner Award winner David Lasky curated the show (and made the poster) at the invitation of Shoreline CC, and he chose Seattle artists who have made (or are working on) long-form comics (the literal meaning of "graphic novel").  Original artwork is on display by:

Aaron Bagley

Jessixa Bagley

Ellen Forney

Colleen Frakes

Eroyn Franklin

Roberta Gregory

David Lee Ingersoll

David Kelly

Megan Kelso

David Lasky

Mita Mahato

Greg Stump

Tom Van Deusen

Max Badger Woodring

The exhibition will be on display through November and December in the Administration Building (1000), near the school's main gate.  Some of the work will be for sale.

Shoreline Community College is located at 16101 Greenwood Ave, North, in Shoreline, WA.  By bus, the #5 from downtown ends its route at the college.