Tjitske Kamphuis I

 

Some seasonal trees by Tjitske Kamphuis

Polina Kalashnikova I

 

I'm sharing the wonderfully awkward illustration of Polina Kalashnikova, it is just magic, often the characters in her drawings look like they have been caught dancing. This image is called 'The Bait is worried'. 

Oamul Lu

 

Chilean Desert by Oamul Lu a beautiful bright soothing image to take us into the weekend. 

Nils Gustaf Håkansson

 

It is a busy week so please forgive my absence yesterday. I have snatching at time to work on a little book about Nils Gustaf Håkansson (1885-1987) a Swedish man who loved to cycle his whole (long, he died aged 101) life. 

Aged 66 he was deemed too old to compete in the endurance race, 'Haparanda to Ystad' that traverses the length of Sweden. Most of the competitors were half his age or younger. Each of the competitors was given a new bike and transported to the start of the race. 

Gustaf cycled to the race starting point (over 600 miles) on an old bike complete with mudguards and he wore his own number bib of '0'. 

He was late starting leaving after the official competitors some say by just a minute, others say by an hour. However, he did not have to follow the official rules as he was not an official competitor and so when the young competitors slept Gustaf cycled through the night on many nights.

It was this endurance and strength of character that meant he arrived at the finish a full day ahead of the race leader. He became known as 'Stalfarfar', Steel Grandfather. I love this story and this twinkly-eyed, determined man. You can see me read this book here.

Stacy Innerst

 

It's world book week and I am going to celebrate using this illustration by Stacy Innerst of a Ruth Bader Ginsburg in a library.

"Reading is the key that opens doors to many good things in life. Reading shaped my dreams, and more reading helped me make my dreams come true." Ruth Bader Ginsburg

Gwen Milward

 

Gwen Milward's wonderful 'Tiger Wild' from 2016. what a delightful Palette and mix of line, with a beautiful happy tiger.

Gwen Millward I

 

Gwen Millwar's 'leafy' from last years Inktober, a wonderful autumn character.

Pietro Antolini

 

Today I share Italian artist Pietro Antolini's paper cut creations. 

Mikel Casal

The trauma of news continues its relentless path through our times. The only possible good news for the world could arrive in November, but history indicates otherwise. Here, there is no good news, starvation, floods, riots, civil war look inevitable to me in the dark winter, mixed with horrific covid deaths as the governments play games with statistics and make some people believe there is no threat (to them!). 

But maybe I am not an optimist . . . I used to be, or at least I saw ways of progressing through problems, currently, I am beyond perplexed.

Meanwhile, I found 'This is the Dictatorship', one of four books originally published in the 1970's and republished by  Media Vaca in 2015 with bright, stylish, new illustrations by Mikel Casal an illustrator from San Sebastián. 

"When searching for the right tone for the book, I couldn’t help being inspired by the Ernst Lubitsch film, ‘To Be or Not to Be’, and Chaplin’s ‘The Great Dictator’. I never considered a serious and harsh look for the illustrations, despite the seriousness and harshness of the subject matter. I wanted to emphasise the almost theatrical, tragicomic aesthetics of every dictatorship, full of ridiculous lies." Mikel Casal 

'Plasticus Martimus' An Invasive Species

 

'Plasticus Martimus' published 2019 by Planeta Tangerina, is available in most country's now and in the UK from October. 

This important children's book was created by three passionate Portuguese artists. Ana Pêgo, a marine biologist and artist who combines science and art to create environmental education projects.  Isabel Minhós Martins and Bernardo P. Carvalho, illustrators who I have featured here before, and co-founders of the publishing house Planeta Tangerina.

A compelling book about our plastic pollution, made bright and accessible by Bernardo P. Carvalhos characteristic full-colour palette illustrations. Ana gives an accessible account of the situation and practical ways of cutting down and interacting with plastic. 

Anna Süßbauer I

 

I have been watching the work of Anna Süßbauer for a while, admiring her octopi and other sea-dwelling creatures, but when this crab appeared I could not ignore him, what a wonderful thing! 

Paloma Corral

 

I love the delightful, joyful, warm, rosy pallet of Paloma Corral's reworking of the award-winning 'La Fuerza de la Gacela' written by Carmen Vázquez-Vigo which was awarded Lazarillo Prize in 1973. Paloma worked in a mixture of acrylics, waxes, tempera, and pencils and you can see the enjoyment of her work in these illustrations.

Kori Song

 

Two delicious portraits of Spanish shops by Kori Song.

Alain Signori

 

This is 'Metal Circus' by Alain Signori, created using scrap metal, full of character, and yet somehow quite threatening and totally wonderful. It reminded me of the inventiveness and creativity of Calder and Klee