Hello there!

Painting & Reading...

Happy holiday season to you!  I've been working on book projects, enjoying the wintery Colorado woods, and thinking about how I'd like to spend the year to come.

Also, the cold winter weather has inspired lots of cozy reading time.  I'm currently switching back and forth between Landline by Rainbow Rowell and Far Far Away by Tom McNeal, and am enjoying both immensely.  What are you reading these days?

Here are a few Best Books of 2015 lists that I thought you might enjoy:  NPR, Publishers Weekly, Minh Le at Huff Post, and School Library Journal.

I hope things are calm and bright wherever you are. And I hope that amidst the holiday busy-ness you'll find some time to cozy up with a good book!  xo

Snow bunnies...

Today I took a quick break from book projects to work on a design for a holiday card.  I think these bunnies are on their way to a festive holiday soiree.

Also, Baby Love (written by Angela DiTerlizzi, illustrated by me, and published by Beach Lane Books) is on Amazon's list of best books of 2015 for 0-2 year olds.  Huzzah!

And I've really been enjoying the blog of illustrator, Jessica Lanan.  I think you'll like it, too.

Happy Halloween!

Oh, hello!

Oh, dear.  I'm afraid it's been too quiet around here lately.  Behind the scenes there's been lots of drawing, inking, cross-hatching, manuscript revising, fairy sketching, website updating, and beach strolling.

After a spin around the Olympic Peninsula (which we loved), we're currently in Northern California.  Soon we'll head east towards Telluride, Colorado, where Bill will attend a photo conference and I'll attend a picture book writing workshop taught by Liz Garton Scanlon (which I'm super excited about!).  

In other news, I've been loving the web comic, Alfred, by Abigail and Emily Halpin.

And I'm a little bit obsessed with my friend, Aaron Bagley's, Sleep Comics.

Also, have you seen which books are on the Caldecott radar over on The Horn Book?  It's an interesting list.

I hope you're enjoying these first days of autumn wherever you are.  And I hope that sometime this week you'll find yourself curled up in a cozy chair with a good book.

The past few days...

Tiny sketchbook

My new, tiny sketchbook came in handy at the Buffalo Bill Center of the West a few days ago.  If you're ever in Cody, Wyoming, don't miss this great museum!

Also, I finally added a new post to The Map & The Way.

And here's a great interview with Author/Illustrator, Jon Klassen, over at Art of the Picture Book. (They have lots of other wonderful interviews, too!)

Oh, and if you haven't visited Seven Impossible Things Before Breakfast lately, go take a look!  There's lots of great stuff there!

And just one more thing... There are lots of cool book reviews over at Design of the Picture Book.  Check it out! :)

And the winners are...

Congratulations to Gina, Allison, and Beth!  You're the winners of the Summer Showers giveaway!  I'll be in touch to find out your addresses and will have your books in the mail, asap!  Hooray! 

For another chance to win some books I've illustrated, head over to Sub It Club.  They've kindly featured me on their blog and are hosting a giveaway of Baby Love, Cupcake Cousins, and Summer Showers. 

Thank you to everyone who entered the giveaway and good luck over at Sub It Club! :)

Painting outside...

Yesterday my dad, husband, and I went on a hike.  They did some fishing and I did some sketching.  A lovely time was had by all. 

Stayed tuned tomorrow for the results of the Summer Showers giveaway.  Hooray!

A Summer Showers Giveaway!

The second Cupcake Cousins book, Summer Showers, by Kate Hannigan (published by Disney/Hyperion) came out yesterday!  Hooray!  To celebrate I'm giving away a hardback copy of Summer Showers and a paperback copy of Cupcake Cousins to three people.

To enter, just leave a comment below (maybe you could mention the most recent book you read and loved - I'm always looking for book recommendations - or tell me about your favorite summer pastime).

Entry will be open through the end of this coming Friday (June 19th).  Good luck and happy reading! 

Books!

One of the things about living in an RV is that each new purchase has to be very carefully considered.  There really isn't any spare storage space and having too much stuff around makes RV life feel sort of claustrophobic. 

But, we've stopped at home in Colorado for a couple of weeks and we're reorganizing good ol' Daisy the motor home.  We'll leave behind some things that we haven't been using or that are just taking up too much space.  So, over the past few weeks, I've decided to take advantage of the situation and have splurged on some new books.  Hooray for new books!  There are still lots of books on my wish list, but for now I've started with these...

Rex Wrecks It!  by Ben Clanton, published by Candlewick Press

Home  by Carson Ellis, published by Candlewick Press

Quest  by Aaron Becker, published by Candlewick Press

Wish  by Matthew Cordell, published by Disney/Hyperion

To the Sea  by Cale Atkinson, published by Disney/Hyperion

Last Stop on Market Street  by Matt de la Pena and Christian Robinson, pub. by G.P. Putnam's Sons

and In Mary's Garden  by Tina and Carson Kugler, published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt

What new books are you reading lately?  Any books I should get my hands on before we hit the road again? 

Boys & Dogs...

The last few days...

Painting...

Drawing...

It's A Book!

Baby Love, written by Angela DiTerlizzi, published by Beach Lane Books, and illustrated by me, comes out today!  Hooray!  This is the first picture book that I illustrated and I'm very excited (and a little nervous) for Baby Love to be sent out into the world. 

Here's what Kirkus and Booklist had to say...

"Adults will want to read this again and again with baby cuddled close.  A joyful, warm and lovely bedtime story." -Kirkus

"This parent-to-child love letter in the style of Munsch's Love You Forever (1986), with its brevity, charm, and soothing rhythmic text, makes for an appealing bedtime story.  Parents and children alike will find plenty to love here." -Booklist

You can find a copy at your local bookstore! :) 

Hello again!

I'm afraid that between wrangling deadlines and getting used to life on the road, things have become a bit quiet here.  I'm hoping that will change soon.  But, in the meantime, you can head on over to The Map & The Way to see what my husband and I have been up to. 

These beach finds are from Hobe Sound Beach, one of the many places we visited on our trip around Florida.  :)

Cowgirls! (and a mouse)

I drew some cowgirls (and a mouse).  And here's a lovely video about Carson Ellis's new book, Home, over on Design of the Picture Book. :)

Monday...

We're in Florida these days where I'm working on deadlines, experimenting with a new pen nib, and taking the occasional walk on the beach.  And a few days ago I stumbled across the work of illustrator Clotilde Perrin and I've fallen deeply in love.  Maybe you'll enjoy perusing her website, too.  :)

Drawing...

Hello from New Orleans!  We arrived here last evening after spending a few days at Sea Rim State Park in Texas.  I have several quickly approaching deadlines, but hopefully I'll be able to carve out a little time in the next few days to head into the city for some beignets and chicory coffee. 

In the meantime there's lots of drawing and painting to be done, which means lots of warm-up sketches like this one of a fox and his pal.

I hope you're well, wherever you are!

Working on the road...

On January 1st, my husband, Bill, and I left Colorado for a year long journey around the country. 

Our original plan was to leave in the middle of November.  But, there were problems installing our new solar system, delays in having our towing system set up, snow and below freezing temperatures to contend with, and an unexpected surgery (everything is okay now).  So, after much shaking of fists and gnashing of teeth, we decided that we were as ready as we were going to be.  And January 1st seemed like sort of a poetic day to start a new adventure. 

My dad installed this IKEA desk for me and built shelves to go underneath.  And the new curtains are courtesy of my mom.  (Thanks Mom and Dad!)  Now we're just outside of Austin, Texas and I've been enjoying watching the cardinals and deer pass by my window while I work.  I wonder what other kinds of things I'll see during the coming year...?

We'll have our travel blog up soon in case you'd like to follow our trip.  :)