I’m in a weird spot right now: one big project is with someone else to be edited, another big project is going to start up at any moment. I haven’t been taking too many editorial jobs these days, and I miss the quick turnarounds and (relatively) instant gratification. So when the NYT called for this piece on political sex scandals and I could actually slot it in, I was pretty thrilled. Plus, it’s for a piece by Gail Collins, one of my fave columnists.

Below are the sketches for this piece. I was pretty chuffed with the bondage mask one, but they didn’t go for it. Can’t imagine why?

Thanks to AD Aviva Michaelov.

I won two gold medals from the Society of Illustrators this year, in the Book and Institutional categories. HOORAY! This means you can see the original embroidery for Black Beauty (and The Secret Garden) at the show, which runs Jan 25- Feb 18. The opening is Feb 3.

The second gold medal is for this Croquet Poster, which was commissioned by Cramer-Krasselt to benefit the Penfield Children’s Center in Milwaukee. This image will be included in the Institutional/Advertising show, February 23, 2012 – March 17, 2012. Thank you, Society and jury!

Here is a sketch that no one was ever meant to see. it’s from a job that got killed. Boo-hoo, would have been fun. Oh well.

I will be signing at the Brooklyn Comics and Graphics Festival this weekend. Drawn + Quarterly table, 3-4. I am always happy to sign older books if you like, since if you’re reading this right now it’s likely you’ll have already bought my D+Q petit-livre.

I’m looking for someone to help me in the studio for a day or two. Organizational stuff for the most part. In exchange, I will give you coffee, lunch, optional donuts, and will happily look at your portfolio if you like. Day/Time is flexible. Email me at jill (AT) jilliantamaki (dot) com. Position filled!

The above pinecones are from a job that got killed. Too bad. I quite like them.

Here’s a new illustration for tor.com to accompany Hello, Moto, a short story by Nnedi Okorafor. I did the cover to Nnedi Okorafor’s YA novel Akata Witch last year.

Thanks, AD Irene Gallo!

This is an illustration from a few months ago that I forgot to post. It was for a short fiction piece in LA Magazine. If I recall the story was about taking the Metrolink train with a babysitter and passing all the rough parts of Los Angeles.

I volunteer weekly at a place and there were always two very cute little boys running around causing havoc. A strange bit of life imitating art: during the week I was working on this illustration the kids were abruptly uprooted by their mom who moved the family to Los Angeles– by train.

AD Byron Regej.

I did another Folio Society book!

This one is a collection of Christina Rossetti poems. Some of you may be familiar with her most famous poem, Goblin Market. It was on my first-year University reading list anyway.

Christina Rossetti’s poetry is romantic, devotional, and often very bleak. She derived a lot of her inspiration from Nature: the seasons, harvest, and death. If you’d like to read the corresponding poems to these illustrations, they are as follows:

1-3: Goblin Market
4: The World
5: Hollow-Sounding And Mysterious
6: By the Sea
7: In an Artist’s Studio
8: Passing and Glassing

There are more illustrations in the book. You can order the book here. Here is how to join the Folio Society.

Here’s a new one for PLANSPONSOR. AD SooJin Buzelli.

I received a copy of the finished book! Here are some pictures for you. Amazon says the book is coming out Oct 4, but as you can see, I’ve already spotted it in the wild:

Thanks to Christopher Moisan, Jessica Abel, Matt Madden, and Alison Bechdel.

Click here for the full NSFW pin-up poster.

Goodtime guy Ryan Sands, the brain behind the incredible horror-manga blog Same Hat and general man-about-town asked me to contribute a pin-up poster for the second edition of his erotic zine “Thickness”.

Where to order Thickness? Well if you’re in San Francisco this weekend, you can pick up a copy at APE, from the BANG GANG table #614. Or order here.