By: Bethanie Murguia,
on 5/18/2015
This blog is moving to a new home, on my new website. Ahhh, everything in one place, finally. Please follow me there: aquapup.com/bethaniemurguia. I'll be deleting this one soon so don't dilly dally. Thank you!
By: Bethanie Murguia,
on 12/17/2014
Violet and Victor Write the Best-Ever Bookworm Book was released earlier this month, and in its honor, I made a video about creating the images. Prior to V&V, I used pen and ink and watercolor on paper for my illustrations—a style that I adore, but one that also comes with many limitations. V&V used a wide range of traditional and not-so-traditional media, all combined in Photoshop. With this new style, I had almost no limitations. It was both exhilarating and panic inducing, but mostly, it taught me to trust in the process; I spent months working on the individual bits and pieces that would eventually come together to make the images.
By: Bethanie Murguia,
on 11/6/2014
Back in August
I did an interview for Yellow Brick Road, a newsletter for parents, teachers and librarians that is edited by Joy Mosher, a professor at SUNY Cortland. I’ve been meaning to share it since its publication, and, well…here we are in November. But, my tardiness aside, Joy’s questions were insightful and probing, and I loved sharing many (MANY) thoughts about picture books. If you’re interested, that link is here.
August also marked the release of I Feel Five! from Candlewick Press—and my first attempt at a live action trailer (see below). My favorite reviews to date:
“Fritz and his Marmaduke-size dog make excellent companions on this philosophical journey, leavening big questions with kid-scaled humor.”—Publisher’s Weekly
By: Bethanie Murguia,
on 5/27/2014
Zoe’s Jungle, that is! We’re celebrating a book birthday here, although rumor has it Zoe made her debut in some stores last week (thanks for the heads up, Burlingham Books!) Zoe and Addie are back, and this time the adventure has moved out of the house and onto the playground.
The idea for this story came about as I was (once again) pondering the different ways adults and children perceive time. Specifically, I'd been thinking about how hard it is to get children to leave various activities—playdates, playgrounds, parties. I’ve come to think of it as “extraction”. Children will be happy to leave when they’ve finished what they want to do. Period. It’s not about time, and it will (almost) never coincide with an adult schedule.
I began with the first two spreads, scribbled in pencil in my sketchbook. I loved the humor and range of emotion as we turn the page from Zoe’s fantasy to her reality. Thankfully, my editor agreed.
In this first spread, we see Zoe in full explorer mode, narrating the action as she swings through the jungle.
Turn the page and we are faced with reality—an interruption by a mother that CLEARLY does not understand the importance of Zoe's quest. The shift from fantasy to reality underscores Zoe’s irritation.
The spreads alternate throughout the book between fantasy and the playground. This gave me an amazing opportunity to think about how Zoe’s fantasy emerged from the reality. Above, a jungle scene in which Zoe crosses a crocodile infested river on a log.
On the next spread, we see that the log is a balance beam, the river is a water play area, and the crocodiles are just toddlers.
So, that’s it for show and tell. But with summer just around the corner and playground time in full swing (ahem, no pun intended), Zoe’s Jungle is just the thing for your book bag. Pick one up at a book store near you. As always, I am happy to send a signed, personalized bookplate if you mail me a SASE. (Contact info is here.)
I’ll be reading Zoe’s Jungle and doing some fun activities at Diesel in the Marin Country Mart on June 6th (6:00pm). There will be cookies. And pajamas! And there’s a playground just outside for those who want to recreate Zoe’s adventure or have one of their own.
More about Zoe’s Jungle
“Zoe is full of spitfire and dash…How are young readers to resist?”—Kirkus Reviews
"Charming pen-and-ink and watercolor illustrations reveal to readers both the lush green jungle teeming with wild animals and bright flowers, as well as the impressive playground just ripe for imagining. Wonderful vocabulary introduces such words as “glimpses,” “stealthy,” “relentless,” “ingenuity,” and “unfathomable.”—School Library Journal
The trailer
By: Bethanie Murguia,
on 4/15/2014
By: Bethanie Murguia,
on 10/22/2013
I kicked off last week with a visit to Sun Valley School here in Marin. I was very impressed with the student questions. They had so many! I really enjoyed spending a morning with them in their beautiful school.
Then, I headed north to take part in the Humboldt County Children's Author Festival. The festival began at the Morris Graves Museum of Art where participating illustrators' original work was (and still is) on display. Over the next two days, I visited three schools, all of which were fantastically prepared. There were banners! Buglette costumes! Vegan potluck lunches! But most of all, the students were engaged and inquisitive and EXCITED. I was in heaven. I also met a lovely array of authors and illustrators. The volunteers who put this event together deserve loads of praise; it is so valuable to all involved. I have included photos below, although I am sorely remiss about taking as many shots as I should (especially at school visits where I tend to be somewhat distracted until the projector, laptop, and remote are all behaving). Thankfully, there are LOTS of photos on the official Facebook page.
And the festivities continue—in a week and a half, I will be in Las Vegas for the Vegas Valley Book Festival.
In other news, I am looking forward to the release of three new books in 2014. I am also looking forward to starting a quarterly newsletter. More details about the books and the newsletter to come soon!
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| The art show at the Morris Graves Museum of Art |
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| My art |
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| An entire bulletin board of Buglette dreams! |
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| A character inspired by my presentation, drawn on the spot! |
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| More pigs, drawn during my visit. (I am fond of them all, but I especially like the guy with the belly button.) |
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| The Carson Mansion, after our banquet dinner |
By: Bethanie Murguia,
on 5/28/2013
It's release day for Zoe's Room (No Sisters Allowed)! This story began nearly four years and three bedrooms ago. Our eldest daughter had a very elaborate bedtime ritual that involved building, jumping, singing, and creating mayhem of various sorts AFTER we put her to bed. All of this activity helped her to wind down from the day, and also, I think she reveled in having her very own space—a place where she was completely in charge. Needless to say, there were more than a few hiccups when we moved her baby sister into the room. It became very clear that the eldest was not going to give up her nighttime activities without a fight. She saw no upside to the situation. At that point, her little sister was a curiosity at best, and more often, a nuisance.
By: Bethanie Murguia,
on 4/14/2013
Hello all! I'm popping in for a quick update about appearances. With SNIPPET now released into the wild and ZOE'S ROOM coming soon, I will be out and about for the following events:
1. Sausalito Public Library, (Sausalito, CA) May 3rd at 7:30 pm. Amy Novesky and I will speak about picture books and our careers as authors (adult event).
2. Books, Inc. (Marina store, San Francisco, CA) on May 18th at 11:00 am: Story time reading for kids
3. The Reading Bug (San Carlos, CA) on May 25th at 11:00 am: Reading and activity for kids
4. Book Passage (Corte Madera, CA) on June 29th at 4:00 pm: Children's event! Amy Novesky, Deborah Underwood and I will be presenting our latest picture books.
By: Bethanie Murguia,
on 3/31/2013
...is that I can spend hours doing this and legitimately call it work. The house is overflowing with colorful snails in anticipation of events for SNIPPET. I'll be posting my Bay Area schedule soon.
By: Bethanie Murguia,
on 3/12/2013
By: Bethanie Murguia,
on 11/1/2012
Continuing on with my lists of new happenings and "firsts" from the previous month:
1. First time on the "other side" of an SCBWI conference. I participated in the debut picture book author panel along with Sue Fliess and Sandra V. Feder at the Northern California SCBWI Fall conference. I had a blast.
2. Our first Halloween in Pacific Palisades where the home decorating began in early October and has become more over the top by the day. Even my husband, who has never decorated before, could not resist a full-scale effort in the front yard. Needless to say, the anticipation level in the house has been HIGH.
3. I'm working on the images for my first book that will NOT be done with watercolor and pen/ink. While I've always maintained that I like the built in constraints of watercolor, I have to admit that I'm revelling in the possibilities. And to that end:
4. First time I've used acrylic paint for a book.
5. First time I've used collage for a book.
6. First time I've used (gasp) my computer for a book.
7. First time one of my books will be at Barneys New York! Beginning in November! Go Zoe!
8. First time my six year old's piano skills have exceeded my own. I am in awe of how quickly kids learn at that age.
9. First time I've gone to the beach in late October and wished I had worn a swimsuit. (Ah, Southern California...will I ever get used to you?)
10. The final first is a secret, and shall remain so for at least a little while longer. Stay tuned. :)
By: Bethanie Murguia,
on 10/1/2012
September was filled with plenty of firsts:
1. We have our first terrarium in the house, and in a strange case of life imitating art (since my next picture book is about a family of snails), the girls wanted to have snails. We now have three of them. We also had one temporary tenant: a caterpillar that became a moth and fluttered off into the September sky.
2. First look at ZOE'S ROOM! The unbound galley arrived last week. It's always a treat to page through the book and see all of the art together after many, many months of work. The colors are striking and rich.
3. First visit to the Lake Shrine here in Pacific Palisades. We explored the meditation gardens that surround an exquisite lake. Turtles, dragonflies, and koi abound. The girls don't even mind that they have to be quiet.
4. First approval of sketches from Candlewick. This is my first book with Candlewick, and the process has been so enjoyable. I'm very eager to start painting.
5. First listen to the music for the SNIPPET trailer from my brother! May I just say—awesomeness.
6. First visit to Safari West on a full moon night. Is there anything better than being serenaded by wild critters while roughing it in a tent (okay, luxury cabin) under the harvest moon?
7. First set of sketches submitted for the new project I mentioned last month. Lots of nail biting here. It is both terrifying and exhilarating since the finished pieces will be done in a style unlike any of my picture books to date.
8. First offer for a book that I have not yet written. (Again, lots of nail biting.)
9. First time at the Casa Madrona in Sausalito. It was fun to be tourists in our home town.
10. First time my purchases of vintage books can be written off for a project. I think eBay is calling me now...
Happy October!
By: Bethanie Murguia,
on 9/1/2012
As some of you have noticed, my blogging has been sporadic in recent months. This is partly due to summer and partly due to the fact we’re still adjusting to the move we made eight months ago. But mostly, I’ve been busy with work.
I’ve really missed blogging though, so I’ve come up with a simple way to keep at it. As I make my way down this author/illustrator path, my career continues to surprise me with new and wonderful things at every turn. Life, too. Let’s just call these “firsts”. So, on the first of each month, I thought I’d post a list of the past month’s “firsts”. In no particular order, here we go:
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| In many ways, Snippet was an ordinary snail. He drew on the sidewalk. |
By: Bethanie Murguia,
on 8/19/2012
Perhaps inspired by actual events.
By: Bethanie Murguia,
on 7/2/2012
A few weeks ago, I visited a bunch of schools during a trip to New York. I don't have much extra time in my schedule for school visits, but when I do, I sure LOVE them. They are fun and inspiring and humbling. Plus, I often receive the most amazing gifts, like these works of art:
By: Bethanie Murguia,
on 6/26/2012
More words about the past few weeks to come soon, but for now, here is a brief summary:
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| At one of my many school visits, feeling very tall amongst the tiny chairs and tiny people. |
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| At ALA, feeling very small amongst the towers of books and giants of the book world. |
By: Bethanie Murguia,
on 5/15/2012
I'm gearing up for some Zoe Gets Ready events; here is a comprehensive list for the next couple of months.
I'll be in San Francisco for this:
May 19th, Book Passage, Corte Madera, CA
4:00 pm: Launch Party! Cupcakes! Stickers! Come! More info here.
I will be back in my old Western New York stomping grounds in June. I'm doing a whole bunch of school visits, plus:
June 13th: Liftbridge Books, Brockport, NY
(morning activity, time TBD, please check their calendar)
June 15th: Arts Council of Wyoming County, Perry, NY
6:00 pm: Speaking and signing books. More info here.
Then back to LA again:
June 23rd: ALA Convention, Anaheim, CA
Signing books from 11:00-12:00.
July 21st: Children's Book World, Los Angeles, CA
10:30 am: Reading and activities
July 22nd: Mrs. Nelson's Toy and Book Shop, La Verne, CA
Time TBD. Please check their website
And although this is not a Zoe event, I am including it here because I will be there. I'm hoping to see lots of familiar author and illustrator faces!
August 3-5: SCBWI National Conference, Los Angeles, CA
I plan to do more posts about my projects, process, etc. soon. Thanks for visiting!
By: Bethanie Murguia,
on 5/11/2012
As soon as I heard Zoe Gets Ready would be in the window of the Scholastic Store on Broadway, I HAD to go. Due to a couple of ridiculous schedules (mine, my husband's), the trip was very quick. But oh, was it worth it! My agent has already written about it on her blog; please check it out for better coverage than you'll get from me in my current, sleep-deprived state.
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| The window! That's my wonderful editor, Cheryl Klein on the left. |
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| Zoe stickers: repositionable and good for hours of fun. |
By: Bethanie Murguia,
on 5/1/2012
By: Bethanie Murguia,
on 4/25/2012
Finishing the illustrations is not the end! I have to remember to leave time to prepare the illustrations for shipping. I've experimented with a number of preparation methods. These days, I am covering the images with vellum and shipping them inside a folder. I learned how to do traditional bookbinding in art school; various aspects of that process have come in handy for the folder construction.
By: Bethanie Murguia,
on 4/10/2012
Following the previous post about the beginning of my process (stretching paper), this one is about the middle—making marks on paper.
From left to right:
Wash brush (Aqualine Raphael, XL): I thoroughly lucked out and bought this at a huge discount—squirrel hair and so thirsty! The XXL version is on my wish list. :)
Flat brush(?): I forget the technical name for this brush, but it is great for laying down water when working wet-in-wet.
Painting brushes (Winsor Newton Series 7): I finally broke down and bought these guys after being reprimanded at a workshop for using cheap brushes. They are great for many things, but I must admit that I still like my cheap brushes for certain kinds of detail work. Even though the expensive brushes can have very fine tips, I sometimes find that the softness of the hair makes detail work tougher for me. In general though, expensive brushes are worth the cost for their ability to do beautiful washes.
Waterproof ink and Speedball nib: I use this pen for most all of my line work.
By: Bethanie Murguia,
on 4/3/2012
I've been thinking a lot about process lately. The next few posts will be focused on the nuts and bolts of my illustration process. I'm always curious about the details—how people do what they do. Please feel free to share in the comments if you have any good tips or tricks.
By: Bethanie Murguia,
on 1/22/2012
But here is now Los Angeles, and I have been buried (in a good way, of course) with work. I'm realizing that I haven't even done a brief update on the blog. So, in no particular order:
1. We've moved 400 miles away from Sausalito to Los Angeles, aka The Land of the Leafblower. I have plenty of thoughts and observations about my new home, and I hope to do a series of LA impressions at some point, but that will have to wait a while, because:
2. I am in the middle of final art for not one, but two picture books. I'm hard at work on SNIPPET (Knopf), an energetic little snail who drives his family crazy by waking up too early AND another ZOE book. Zoe is back and now, she must share her room--her precious room--with her little sister. But wait, who's Zoe, you ask? That's right, I keep forgetting...
3. ZOE GETS READY (Arthur A. Levine/Scholastic) is not on shelves yet. But it will be soon (May)! And the trailer is finished. You can view it here. I'll be sharing more info as we get closer to the release date. In the meantime...
4. Back to work. *Cracks whip* I apologize for being out of touch. I miss my blogging friends and promise to post more frequently once the painting frenzy is over!
By: Bethanie Murguia,
on 11/25/2011
I've been drawing lots of birds this week. Meet Burly Bird (on the left). I haven't named the little guy yet.
By: Bethanie Murguia,
on 11/18/2011
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This is so exciting....I am thrilled for you Bethanie. Have fun, Jane x