Bears repeating.

Time for my quarterly reminder that I have a quarterly newsletter! Client work, personal work, and an Eloise Fun Fact right in your inbox, every three months. www.eloisenarrigan.com/newsletter

Heck yes.

I find cats weirdly difficult to draw (they’re complex and mysterious, as is their right of course) so I’ve been doing little warmup thumbnails using @bodegacats.bsky.social as reference. Each one of these is about 2 and a half inches tall.

Hello Friday. 🖼️ Arnold Lobel

The Witch in the Tower by Júlia Sardà This was one of my most anticipated books for this year. It entirely lived up to my lofty, internal expectations and still surprised me, too. Also somehow even though it’s excellent, it didn’t make me want to throw all my work into a well.

roses are red gold is the key

Cannot WAIT for everyone to read Bread Days!

Doggust 21: Jobs. Just some little spot illustrations of dogs with jobs (painter, ux designer, marine biologist, landscaper.) #doggust #doggust2025

JIM! by @jerroldconnors.bsky.social I think picture book biographies are tough (not impossible! But tough!) and this book is such a beautiful high wire act of humor and heart and narrative and truth. So far I’ve cried every time I read it (I’m a soft touch but still!) #eloisereads

I’ve been going to PT (mostly just for having the body/posture of an illustrator) and it made me nostalgic for my fitness hippos painting and the (superior) image that inspired it. Please tag me if you redraw this scene because I am in a constant state of wanting to see more takes on this.

Going to the library fucking rules. You can walk in and pick your favorite things and then walk right out without paying anything. It's unbelievable and 100% the kind of thing that won't exist in the future unless you recognize the goodness now before it's too late

Day 6: Danish-Swedish farm-dog. I had two ideas so decided to just do both. ☕ #doggust #doggust2025

Also what a good time to say that ✨ I've got some some space for new clients & studios ✨ for the rest of the year! If you are looking for social strategy work in games, discord support, writing, newsletters, and things of that nature, please reach out! Website/portfolio can be found ⤵️

Going on an adventure (to the cemetery across town to draw some specific trees).

Very important question. Which possum are you today? #possum #illustration

What if this painting was a sticker? It is! I got these babies printed because this weekend I’m headed to ALA in Philadelphia! I can’t wait to meet some lovely @pbrisingstars.bsky.social friends and be a book and library nerd. If you’re going too, say hi (and get a sticker)! #ala2025

A little while ago I wanted to create a new illustration for branding and self promotion and, whoops, I have once again drawn a raccoon. But I feel very represented by raccoons, especially one with a big pile of picture books from the library.

I am equal parts a hopeful sweetie and a (mostly offline, judicious) hater and Mamdani and the NY mayoral primary has been a TREAT and a GIFT.

Getting the Freedom to Read Bill to this point took countless effort, energy, willpower, courage, resourcefulness and spirit, volunteered by so many amazing volunteers & members. We're waiting eagerly for the legislation to get through one final step before going to @govdanmckee.bsky.social!

trans people will always exist (laudatory) trans people will always exist (threatening) trans people will always exist (factual)

🐽🐽🐽🐽

Last night, we made history! After years of tireless advocacy from librarians, educators, authors, faith leaders, parents, and students — the Freedom to Read Act has passed 📚 This is a powerful victory for free expression, diverse voices, and the right to access knowledge without fear 🫶🏾📖

The Freedom to Read bill has passed out of committee & is on its way to a House floor vote!

I think a lot about book bans. How they’re nearly always about - a transparent attempt to silence marginalized voices - discomfort with real kids (and adults!) - or a complete misunderstanding of how libraries and collection management works. But my hottest take about why book bans are stupid: 🧵

The RI Freedom to Read Act (H5726A) is scheduled for a committee vote Thursday, June 12!! ⚓️🩷📚

Watercolour study by Maurice Sendak for a set piece for a production of Ravel’s opera, “L’Heure Espagnole,” that opened on 22 July 1987 at the Glyndebourne Festival Opera in England.

In #Providence, librarians, authors, and readers are rallying behind a bill to protect the right to read. 📚 🔗 Read More: pvdeye.org/the-freedom-... ✍️ Story by @EloiseNarrigan.com 📸 Photo by Authors Against Book Bans Rhode Island @AABBRI.bsky.social #RhodeIsland #PVDEye

She’s coming! My next newsletter ships out on Thursday, featuring a new painting I did just for my lovely newsletter subscribers (and my portfolio but mostly the subscribers). Here’s a peek, with bonus pasta shapes.

Diiid you know I have a newsletter? It’s quarterly! Diiiiiid you know you can get cute digital wallpapers like this one when you sign up? Probably not because I just added them. Sign up here for wallpapery treats today and a newsletter next week (if you’d like): www.eloisenarrigan.com/newsletter

Here's something really different from me: journalism! What's the Freedom to Read Act? Who is impacted by book challenges and bans? And what do authors, librarians, and nineteen local, state, and national groups have in common?

Cranky Crabby Crow (Saves the World) by Corey R. Tabor A canonically crabby main character AND thoughtfully executed animal characters AND an escalation of stakes AND the opportunity to yell “KAW!” when reading this baby out loud. What else do you need? #eloisereads

¡Mistaco! by @elizakinkz.bsky.social Of COURSE this book is hilarious and energetic and goofy but it’s also empathetic and practical and sweet. It also has, like, the best opening line I’ve read this year, and I want to spoil it for you but I WON’T. Go read it! #eloisereads

9. There’s No Such Thing as a Silly Question Mike Rampton & Guilherme Karsten @mikerampton.bsky.social @nosycrow.bsky.social

So at #moccafest I did some commissions. Had I done commissions before? No. But did I think through how they would work? No. But did I have plenty of downtime between selling and chatting to draw? No. But was it all a scheme to get pictures of cute pets? Initially no, but by the end definitely.

Heck yeah @rihouseofreps.bsky.social this is a practical bill that protects teachers, librarians, students, and creators and has an incredible coalition and broad public support behind it. It would also make RI a leader in protecting the freedom to read. Let’s make this a LAW, shall we?

I suspect you may not be ready for just how good #BREADDAYS is. Lucky you have until September 30th to prepare.

Backing up my extremely cranky anti-AI talk with extremely cranky anti-AI action: I deleted DuoLingo a few days ago. Bet you'll never guess which Providence institution has a zero-cost, non-gamified alternative that I've switched over to.

Spreading this a little farther: please give your Rep (and your Senators) a call about this. The bill is in markup TODAY. I also shared the specific section the language is in: Title IV Energy and Commerce, Part II: AI Section, (c) moratorium Also a great chance to object to the bill as a whole!

Brownstone was also the third gn in a row I read that had some Spanish dialogue without adding an English translation: Mexikid by Pedro Martín and The Breakaways by @cathygjohn.bsky.social (Both are excellent of course) I kind of love the trust it shows in the reader (and the writing).

I’m in my “catching up on the ALA Youth Media Awards” era and seriously loved Brownstone by @samuelteer.bsky.social and @marjulia.bsky.social Every character in this book reveals complexity and softness and getting to know all of them was a treat. #eloisereads

I maybe don’t totally understand threads on here so I’m pivoting! Back to posting about books I love, now tagged with #eloisereads

6. Trouble at the Bug Hotel Kathryn Simmonds & Tor Freeman @walkerbooksuk.bsky.social

some doodles all hanging out with eachother

I got to do a bit of sketching at the @rwpzoo.bsky.social today! First time drawing from life in WEEKS, read from left to right to see me go from stiff to slightly more comfortable. (With thanks to my in-laws for waiting patiently while I scritched away and spouted animal facts.)

Teachers, librarians, book lovers, #BookSky! Join us Friday May 9th from 10AM-3PM for the Freedom Read-In, a free, all-day assembly of award-winning children's book authors reading from their own work to bring attention to and raise support for Freedom to Read bills that are active in 12 states...

1. Leave the Trees Please Benjamin Zephaniah & Melissa Castrillon @magiccatpublishing.bsky.social

It is nice to have silly good things to look forward to and one of the things I’ve been looking forward to the loudest is Hades 2.

#401GivesDay starts bright and early at 6am! If you're not an early riser, that's OK - from 9am, donations will be DOUBLED up to $13,000, thanks to our Team CLPVD Matching Fund! Please give generously! Here's the direct link to our page : loom.ly/spfftmw