Decked out dogs

 

Dogs make me happy!  Christmas, not so much.  This makes me feel like such a Grinch, but I figure I can't be the only one.  Painting this however was fun!  What I do like about December is the twinkly lights & of course the cute decked out dogs.

Hello, World! puzzles

Do you have a young Hello, World fan in your life?  Masterpieces has licensed some of my Hello, World! art for an assortment of colorful puzzles. (ranging from age 3-5)  You can visit Masterpieces Inc online to order or if you’d like to see the puzzles look for them at JoAnn’s stores. 🧩 🎁

 

Share JOY 🌟

 

As a child I loved The Animals Merry Christmas by Richard Scarry.  I'd admire it year-round!  This is a gouache piece I made thinking about that book.  The sweet, festive animals are always up to something & this time they're putting on a Christmas concert to share some joy that I hope you find this holiday season.  Papyrus purchased this card so it's now, somewhere in their line.

Birds and Blooms Personalized Growth Chart

 It's turkey season but there's no turkeys here.  Instead a bunch of cut paper patterned birds, branches, leaves and flowers in my new personalized growth chart.  Available in my Etsy shop!

 

Here's a closer look.

 My favorite it the hummingbird!  I miss seeing them around my flowers pots throughout the day.  

Story time- take a look!

This is a print I made for an upcoming fabric collection with P & B Textiles out soon.  I enjoy making animal characters and sweet little details make me extra happy.  Did you notice... chicken drives fast? (hint check out the duck reading the red book) When you look closer there's lots to see and soak in, maybe even smile about. 🍄

 

Let's Fly

 Sharing a new print I made for Little Sleepies.  Glide, soar, or cruise into sweet dreams!

I love that they made this print in sizes for the whole family.

 

 This teeny-tiny silhouette gets me ever time!

 

 

Election DAY

⭐ If you haven't voted yet, now is the time. ⭐

IMPOSSIBLE

 

I’m a sucker for motivational stuff.  Like anything that is supposed to connect it comes across differently to each person.  For me the word IMPOSSIBLE read as I’M POSSIBLE.  Maybe this my dyslexia kicking in breaking up a word in a different way or maybe it’s some sort of inner belief to push the boundaries of what is perceived as possible.  Either way I’m running with it & turned it into an art print to hang in my home.

IMPOSSIBLE: not able to occur, exist, or be done. I’m not so sure❗❓

 

 

 

Happy HALLOWEEN

 

Here's to seeking a little magic everyday but especially on Halloween!

Here's a few painted costume choices... Which one would you pick?

 

I've updated my Etsy shop!

 

To see the image better, go ahead & give it a click.

 

 

 

I updated my Etsy shop Missjillmcdonald with lots of shiny new things.

There's personalized art prints, motivational art prints, painted pennants, growth charts, 

and my travel journals.  Wander over and enjoy taking a look, there's LOTS to see!

I hope you find something you'd like to have in your home. 

 

Here's a link to my favorite NEW art print. (it's also available as a growth chart)

 

 

Blast off!

Blast off!  I’m excited to share my next Hello, World! book with you.  Although it’s not out yet, it is available for pre-order.  Drawing rockets & machines is fun but it’s even more satisfying to learn about what these cool contraptions can do!  We’ll cover rockets, rovers, space shuttles and much more. 🚀

 

Spooky season

 

🔸 It's upon us! 🔸

It's back!

I wanted to share the meet the artist interview I did for Little Sleepies & let you know that the Around the World print I made for them is back.  Hope you enjoy learning a little more about this print and my art here.

Have you picked a pumpkin?

 So, here we are one week into October & now it feels appropriate to share a little more about my latest Hello, World! board book From Seed to Pumpkin.

 

This book shares the life cycle of a pumpkin, tells how the tradition of carving jack-o-lanterns started in the U.S. and offers a helpful tip on what to do with carved pumpkin after Halloween.  Like all my Hello, World! books I learned some new things & it's my hope/goal that you do too!

 

 

If you have a little one in your life who likes to color, this new coloring page has been added to my website.  Enjoy for some fall fun!

 

We went to the apple orchard (Red Barn Orchard in Weston Mo.) two weeks ago.  We've gone each year since my son was 3. (He's 17 now!)  This time was our hottest trip yet with a temp of 95 degrees.  Apple doughnuts didn't sound as good this year in the heat.  That said the pumpkins looked great in the bright, hot sun.  These ones with long stems caught my eye.

Did you know the art in my Hello, World! series starts out with cut paper characters & shapes?  I scan each item & continue creating in Photoshop.  I'm sharing a photo of a beginning stage.  Sometimes it feels like I'm making paper dolls.  I still like to play!

Fall flower fun

 I find making patterns so relaxing & fun.  This one is a crescendo of spicy fall color & shape.             

 

With no hard frost yet, I'm happy to report the flowers are still going strong!

Types of apples

 

I painted a few of my favorite kinds of apples.  Pink Lady apples are at the top of my list! Apples are in rose family, called Rosaceae.  I find this so cool & when you look at the calyx you can kind of see the similarities.  I can say (from experience) that painting an apple is so much easier than successfully painting a rose!

Shifting seasons

 

Mid September in my studio, where the light is soft and shining.

Labor Day weekend

 

Here’s to a fun, breezy, long weekend with some extra time to embrace the outdoors!  This watercolor painted was turned into a card for Design House Greetings.  I've mentioned it before, (and I'll do it again) I have dreams of learning to sail one day! 

All tucked in! (almost grown up)

Thanks to those who entered my Hello, World!  Bedtime book giveaway.  The winner was notified this afternoon.  Bedtime has always been special to me.  I’m fascinated by the science of sleep and some of you may or may not know I started my freelance design career working on mainly kids and baby bedding.  Primarily for The Land of Nod and Target’s Circo crib bedding. Eventually landing a brand under my own name sold in Babies-r-Us stores across the U.S.  I designed a dinosaur lamp for that collection that I still love today.  So much so I added it to the nightstand in my new book Bedtime.  Some ideas just stick with you!

 

 

 

The packaging for the Jill McDoanld baby brand had my picture holding my son.  This pulls at my heartstrings, that baby I loved to hold is turning 17 later this week.  I know that whole "time flies by" thing people tell young parents can come across as annoying, especially when you're immersed in the messy ins and outs of baby– toddler life.  Looking back now I can say this was totally true!  Another one of those lessons life teaches you with some space to breathe and a little distance.

 

Two NEW Hello, World! books

 

GIVEAWAY— to celebrate my new Hello, World! BEDTIME book out today!  I’m excited about this title, I remember when my son was a toddler wanting a book that explained the importance of sleep in a friendly, factual way.  Go to bed rarely works but a simple explanation on why our bodies need sleep, bedtime routines, dreams and what to do if you have a nightmare are helpful tools that can set them up with good habits from the start.  

 

If you'd like to enter visit my Instagram page to do so.

 

One last bit of nice news, Amazon has selected BEDTIME as one of the best books of the month for baby to age two!

 

 

 

From Seed to Pumpkin is my other new Hello, World! book available now.  With fall almost here this title explores how a pumpkin grows, visiting a pumpkin patch, how to pick a perfect pumpkin and many more fun pumpkin facts!  I plan on offering a GIVEAWAY of this title on Instagram the last week in September.  I love embracing the season and thought it would be nice to wait a month or so on this one.  That way we're all thinking crunchy fall leaves, trips to the orchard and everything pumpkin spice! (Which I'm still not sure I'm a fan of?)