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It is officially August, which means fall is around the corner, and for me, my first real one in 16 years. I am beyond excited. I grew up in NYC and, after college, moved to LA, where I spent 12 years, followed by almost five in Miami. But, as you may recall, my family moved to Michigan this past January. So get ready for changing leaves, cider mills, sweater weather... all of it. We’re leaning way in, guys. Hop on board the hayride to Fall.

Moving on... I thought I’d start today by sharing a few recent drawings from my sketchbook. I’m working on my first stationery collection and, oddly enough, I’ve received a surprising number of requests for a correspondence card with a Dachshund (or two... or three) on it.

Side note: I’ve written the word Dachshund so many times now, and for the life of me, I still can’t remember how to spell it. C-H-S-H... how are those letters stitched together like that?!

Nonetheless, a few Dachshunds below.

Other sketches include:

A dog wearing glasses, eating a banana while the cat looks on in disbelief.
A few simple words that rhyme.
A man walking his dog on a rainy day.
A man knitting- and, of course, because I apparently need to torture myself, another Dachshund... named Dasher.

The sketches can be somewhat random or the beginnings of a character. (The man in the rain, perhaps?) Maybe for my next... children's book?! We shall see!

LATELY
My book officially comes out in less than six weeks. So... that's happening! I'm also finalizing book signings and tour plans. I'd love to know- what are some of your favorite book events or signings you've attended?

Even though my book is complete, I will continue to sneakily snap a photo of anyone I see worth a character study. Exhibit A & B:

I also just received a stack of strike-offs for my next wallpaper collection, and they are gorgeous. I may be biased, of course, but I think you’ll delight in the patterns and colors too. I love designing wallpaper. My drawings take on a new life once they’re translated into pattern, and I get to experiment with color in a way I don’t necessarily do when an illustration stands on its own. Here’s a little preview:

A WORD AND A THING!

So now, we have arrived at the part where we draw!

Let us start with the word. I was on a hunt for a word that embodied the feelings of Fall…so today’s word is: Petrichor - (noun) the pleasant, earthy smell that accompanies the first rain after a long dry spell.

Now, for the thing. I was deciding between a bird and an umbrella and figured- why not both?

Before I start drawing, I like to gather reference images. Pinterest is always a good place to start, but depending on what I’m looking for- an umbrella, say- I often turn to sites like Etsy, Chairish, or Ebay. For something living, like a bird, I’ll usually Google my way to a more species-specific source, like the American Bird Conservancy. The images tend to be less common, and you learn more about what you’re actually drawing- which, as you know, is always part of my process.

You never know where the next story, drawing, or pattern might come from. Though, fair warning: you may begin this exercise looking for one thing and, before you know it, spend the entire afternoon listening to recordings of wading birds.

So, I landed on the Peruvian Thick-knee - because look at this guy!

While our Thick-knee friend is technically native to South America, we’re using him as our character guide, so he can go wherever we please.

Below, you’ll find what transpired when I set out to draw a Peruvian Thick-knee experiencing petrichor on a damp fall afternoon. Spoiler: the limerick came with a fair bit of frustration, but along the way I discovered a delightful little character named Thomas. And for that, I am grateful.