If there's voting going on in your state today, please vote! Local elections, state, federal elections, it all matters. Don't let the billionaire apologists, traitors of the poor and middle class, book banners, racists, and gay and trans phobes on the ballots squeak into power in your elections.✌️

HAPPY HALLOWEEN 🎃 #drawing #penandink #illustration #Halloween #happyhalloween

I started an ongoing series in my sketchbook, drawing (pen/ink, standard ball point pen, gel ball point pen, colored pencil) and collage-ing (using different shades of blue paper plus watercolor papers) scenes from 1982's Blade Runner. Here are the first three. 🟦 #drawing #penandink #collage #art

I love you, #Chicago ✊️

I'm just a breath away from finishing this David Bowie picture book biography that's been in the works for literal years. I'm excited about it, and it will be out in fall of 2026 from Neal Porter Books. It's called STARMAN.⚡️ #penandink #watercolor #collage #davidbowie #childrensbookillustration

Night Birding (6 of 6) #drawing #penandink #ballpointpen #art #artist #illustration #illustrator #sketchbook

Night Birding (5 of 6) #drawing #penandink #ballpointpen #art #artist #illustration #illustrator #sketchbook

Night Birding (4 of 6) #drawing #penandink #ballpointpen #art #artist #illustration #illustrator #sketchbook

Night Birding (3 of 6) #drawing #penandink #ballpointpen #art #artist #artistsoninstagram #illustration #illustrator #illustratorsoninstagram #sketchbook

Night Birding (2 of 6) #drawing #penandink #ballpointpen #art #artist #illustration #illustrator #sketchbook

Night Birding (1 of 6) #art #illustration #penandink #drawing #ballpointpen #sketchbook

Have a good weekend. Note to self (and anyone else who needs it): spend time away from phone, internet, social media. Spend time with family, friends. Go outside. Listen to music. Draw. Read. Have a good weekend.

Wondering if anyone else refers to their pen as "an a-hole" multiple times a day? #ArtDrama

Portrait of Uncle Jon of Piedmont (CA) #drawing #penandink #portrait #sketchbook #art

The future is... questionable. But in 2026, I'll be working krautrock into a picture book. ⬛️

HELLO NEW BOOK COVER ALERT! My next author/illustrator picture book, 102, will be released April 2026, and I'm excited to share the cover! Thanks to fam at Little, Brown Books for Young Readers for making this one special--esp wildly cool Mary-Kate Gaudet and Angelie Yap. #kidlit #kidlitart #booksky

Weekend sketchbook drawing, good for the soul 🖤 #penandink #watercolor #drawing #painting #art #artist #illustration #illustrator #sketchbook #davidbowie #bowie

Clocking out Friday while the ink's still wet ✌️ #workinprogress #wip #penandink #kidlitart

Still trying to get a handle on this nib I bought in Tokyo. I thought I might use it to draw my next book, but I'm a little afraid of it! I love it, but it is a wild one for real. 😬 #penandink #drawing #sketchbook

Hello! I will be at ALA Annual Conference this weekend in Philadelphia talking about TO SEE AN OWL at a few fun events. I hope you'll join me tomorrow morning (Saturday) for a signing of the book from 10:15-11:15 at the Random House Children's Books booth #1512. See you soon! ✌️ #alaac25

I've been taking my time on this sketchbook drawing, working on and off for a little over a week. Drawn all in ballpoint pen. I used, I think, 9 colors on this. Inks are scented like different candies and desserts, too, so there's also that.

Happy Pride 2025! All love, full support to my LGBTQ+ friends, family, and beyond. You are beautiful, you are strong, you inspire me all year long. ✌️❤️🎉

Just for fun, I've been working on this bigger-than-life big boy in my sketchbook. Two colors in, with more scribbling and more colors to go. This stuff is tedious and relaxing at the same time. Go figure! (One of the adult barred owls I've been observing this season) #art #illustration #drawing

Good weekend. Now more protests, now more boycotts. No time to relent.

How is anyone supposed to get anything done, when sh!t is hitting fan every waking minute in Trump's America? I'm just trying to contribute to the economy, earn money for the fam, draw some silly pictures for my next children's book. He ain't having it, man.

golden girl #sketchbook #drawing #penandink #ballpointpen #kidlitart #art #illustration

🚨 Like-minded, left-leaning Lake County (Illinois) residents! Join in peaceful protest Saturday in Gurnee at Hunt Club and Grand, 10am-noon. Or visit nokings.org to find a protest location happening near you on Saturday. Protests are scheduled throughout the US in defiance of 👎👎 Republican policy.

Weekend sketchbook therapy: barred owl baby ball in ballpoint pen ✌️😑 #penandink #drawing #art #artist #illustration #kidlit #kidlitart #picturebook #childrensbook #childrensbooks #childrensbookillustration #owl #birding #birdwatching #owl #barredowl

Abandoned sketch for picture book biography in progress. Swipe to see full spread. Drop your guess-who in comments. 😄 #drawing #picturebook #sketches #pencilsketch #childrensbookillustration #childrensbooks #childrensbook #picturebook #kidlit #kidlitart

Super staged photo for promotional purposes but I really drew this and with this pen though fr fr #drawing #illustration #booksky #kidlitart #kidlit

Some of my photo highlights from the past week in barred owl nest site observations 👀🦉 #birding #barredowl #owl #photography #naturephotography

il topo #workinprogress #wip #drawing #ballpointpen #penandink #art #artist #illustration #illustrator #kidlit #kidlitart #picturebook #childrensbook #booksky #childrensbookillustration

I love the idea of Bluesky, but not so much the twitter-y format. So I haven't been using it. Instagram is my preferred way of sharing & viewing content. But Meta is the pits. I need to use bluesky more for ethical reasons. I wish it were more image-driven like instagram. I know. Dorky, whiny post.

Il ragazzo (case cover art for my spring 2026 picture book, 102) (I need to post more stuff here on bluesky) #workinprogress #wip #drawing #ballpointpen #penandink #art #artist #illustration #illustrator #kidlit #kidlitart #picturebook #childrensbook #booksky #childrensbookillustration

#PictureBook #HBReviewoftheWeek TO SEE AN OWL by @cordellmatthew.bsky.social (Random House Studio/ @randomhousekids.bsky.social): "Both compelling and informational, the story of Janie’s quest, like the experience of finally sighting a pair of owls, is 'magic.'" www.hbook.com/story/review...

No offense, but in case you weren't aware--AI art is for robots, lazies, and the unimaginative, and is disrespectful to anyone in any artistic trade. Please no and thank you. ✌️

If you aren't already, follow @aclu.org on all your socials and make donations. They are being super vigilant about pushing back against this administration in these exhausting times, and it is extremely appreciated.

Betsy Bird wrote a fun, clever, hilarious picture book manuscript about the peregrine falcons that nest at the Evanston Public Library, and I get to illustrate it! Here are some peregrine drawings I've been doing. I'm excited for this one to land in Spring 2027 from Knopf books! #booksky

If you are reading this and you are trans, I am with you. If you are the family of someone who is trans, I am with you. If you love someone who is trans, I am with you. If you are reading this and you are trans, you are loved. You are seen and heard. And you are not alone.

The house is voting tomorrow on a Republican proposed bill to try and absolutely gut Medicaid. We should all (democrats and republicans) be very vocally opposed and outraged by this. See the link provided by ACLU to very easily message your disapproval to your reps ASAP. And share this post by ACLU.

Any bookseller friends at Winter Institute this week? I'll be there tomorrow, Feb 25! I hope to see and meet some folks at the 5pm author reception and 5:30 signing. I'll be there talking up TO SEE AN OWL! 👋

The right is dismantling things at break neck speed. I'm seeing many small and splintered efforts to protest and boycott, but the left needs focus to mobilize in large numbers. Are the women's march folks still active? They were laser focused. We need focus like that immediately.

I drew a picture of myself for a thing, while waiting for and flying on airplanes to Alabama then back home, while looking at a picture of myself on my phone for reference, and if anyone saw me doing this, they did not think it was weird. #drawing #art #ballpointpen #booksky #illustration

Thank you so much to Stonebridge Elementary in Spanish Fort, AL for an amazing visit! My first school visit where I shared TO SEE AN OWL! The kids made beautiful self portraits as mice! I went birding the day before and actually found a barred owl! Thank you so much, Stonebridge friends. ❤️ #booksky

Time again to fire up the old Resistance Machine. I was going to sell these 120 prints to make some extra money for my family, but Julie and I decided all profits should go to the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU). Please support, please share. Thank you. ✌️ www.etsy.com/listing/1864...

Does anyone have a preference of patreon or substack? I saw just yesterday that there are conservative controversies attached to substack, so maybe it's an easy decision to make.

Hello! So sick of the guy(s) behind the other big socials, I'm here to try this out. Here's an owl drawing to kick things off.