Thursday, 6 February 2025

William Nicholson

 


William Nicholson 1872-1949  designed the costume and set's for the original production of Peter Pan, at the Duke of York's Theatre in 1904. 









Below: the original shoes worn by Pauline Chase as Peter Pan (in the V&A London).


Below: Leather Jacket worn by Pauline Chase as Peter Pan (in the V&A London).

William Nicolson was also the father of abstract artist Ben Nicholson!

Wednesday, 5 February 2025

Disney's Peter Pan concepts

 






There is so much repugnant about Disney, I suppose it just reflects the society it is in, but it also has to be admitted that it shapes society massively, sexism, classism, racism indeed every ism are all flaunted here. Peter Pan is no innocent story with it's racism against native Indians and many other issues, I would need years to write about it,  but for now here is some of the amazing artwork created by animators including Mary Blair as concept work for Disney's Peter Pan in 1953.









Tuesday, 4 February 2025

Monday, 3 February 2025

Cartography of Peter Pan


Above :A Child's Map of Kensington Gardens, from The Little White Bird (1902)


Above: Map of Kensington Gardens by Arthur Rackham, 1907.

Above: A detailed map of Peter Pan's Kensington Gardens by Leslie MacDonald Gill, a noted early-twentieth-century British graphic designer, cartographer, artist and architect. (1923)


Above:1953 Walt Disney Map of Neverland


Above: Vintage souvenir ‘Never Never Land’ map. 1956


Above: John Hench  & Al Dempster map for Disney, 1953. 


Above: Ink and watercolour wash illustration from Joel Stewart’s artwork for the J M Barrie classic children’s story, Peter Pan, published by Alma Books in 2015

Sunday, 2 February 2025

Miraphora Mina and Eduardo Lima's Peter Pan

 


There is a new challenge by Monty Lee and a supportive band of amazing illustrators on instagram. Monty's challenges have made me so happy over the last couple of years. either as one of the mentors or just enjoying the camaraderie of participation and the joyous focus of exploration of specific subjects or elements of illustration. 

This challenge starts on the 24th of February and it is Peter Pan! So you have two weeks warning from me. 

This post celebrates the 2015 incarnation of this story illustrated by Miraphora Mina and Eduardo Lima of Studio MinaLima. Their version has a retro but very contemporary feel because of the use of silhouette and colour and the wonderful inclusion of activities such as hand claps and kite making.













There follows posts researching various aspects of Peter Pan, I'm sorry they are in no particular order as I was scheduling them in a fairly chronological order, but found too much and so have had to schedule some posts earlier than originally intended . . . all is chaos enjoy!

Friday, 31 January 2025

Anne Crahay IV


 Belgian illustrator Anne Crahay has been selected by the Bologna Book Fair this year, for "Suzie's Smile" (CotCotCot éditions, 2019). I have blogged this artists work many times over the years and I am thrilled for her.

'To reassure those around her, Susie invents a thousand paper smiles to replace her own, which has disappeared. "Every morning, as we put on our socks, I hung a smile on my ears." Everything returns to normal with these defensive smiles. Until the day when the paper smile flies away and Susie finally has the opportunity to really talk to her parents about everything she had never told them.'