Glue with Abandon.

And without a plan.

Hello March, Hello ducklings.

Hello monthly newsletter, let’s try out this 3 section format, where I briefly talk about life, books, and happy things from the previous month:

Coffee Talk*

The best part about February was setting aside time to play.

It started as a plan to jazz up my school presentations with spot illustrations. But then I couldn’t stop. The plans (sketches) I did have, turned out rubbish (tight and forced). So I threw those out, and I just started cutting shapes.

I let myself be very messy, and experimental with materials, without a pressure to produce (because no one asked me to do this!). Once a few came to fruition, I realized a common visual thread: how books enhance our lives.

It was great to be grounded by a thematic concept, but also glue with abandon. I overthink a lot; this was the opposite. I didn't let them sit for too long before I committed to the design/balance/color. I learned to trust that instinct (but also let go of ones that didn’t work). It brought me back to my roots of happen-stance collage, and reminded me that there isn’t one right way to draw or make. And that the more fun you have, the more obvious it is.

I’m glad they turned into the mascots for this newsletter, because at their root is joy, and I hope to keep that threaded in my future work (and here).

Book Talk

Lot’s of good news here!

1. THIS IS A WINDOW is heading to Italy! One of my art pieces from the book will be at the Bologna Children’s Book Fair (!!!!!) It was picked by the Society Of Illustrator’s to represent their Original Art Show, which is a huge honor in itself.

2. My next book, THIS IS OUR CITY, comes out April 29th!

3. I have a NEW Book Announcement coming soon! (YAAY!)

4. And I’m working on two picture book dummies: One is about a sly weasel who is definitely lying? Or is he? And one is about the sweetest mom-kid duo out on a hike. The books couldn’t be more different, which I love (more soon).

Paper Bits

(This is where I’ll just list some things I loved last month.)

• Everything But The Bagel Seasoning, Trader Joes

• The God Of The Woods, by Liz Moore (still reading, but yes?)

• Hello Day, by Charlie Mylie

• If You Run Out Of Words, by Felicity Sala

• Carlton glasses in seaweed crystal, Warby Parker

• NuttZo, 7 nut and seed butter

Happy March, Happy Daffodils and the rejuvenating signs of Spring ahead. xo

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*In January we went to Costa Rica for a friend’s wedding. They thought it would be small, but that’s what you get (100+ guests) when you ask people in January if they want to go to a WARM TROPICAL PARADISE. I was so proud that 15 of us went as adults, without kids, and fully gave into a beach vacation on day 1. It was slow, and so full at the same time. And yes, I met my first wild monkey.

I tell you all of this, because every morning, in our house of 7, we would slowly have our coffee, and talk. Brilliantly branded as “coffee talk,” which is now the heading for this newsletter’s life section.