Sanjay Patel

'Ganesha's Sweet Tooth', written by Emily Haynes and illustrated by Sanjay Patel, an animator and illustrator who also works with Pixar, has a wonderful clean modern graphic style and interpretation of tribal art.
The story is an interpretation of the myth in which Ganesha is asked (by Vyasa) to record the verses of the epic poem Mahabharata where Ganesha's pen is broken and so he breaks off his tusk and uses it to continue writing.
In this version the young Ganesha loves sweets, and bites into a particularly hard one, breaking his tusk. After trying to reattach the broken tusk Ganesha throws it away, but in doing so hits the poet Vyasa who challenges him to scribe the Mahabharata with the broken tusk as he believes the tusk is the tool for this epic task.

Kozo Kakimoto I

The 'Mr. Bear series was written by the female author; Chizuko Kuratomi and always illustrated by Kozo Kakimoto (1915-1998). They are magical kind stories about an awkward, large, shy bear and his friendship with some rabbits. 

I cannot believe that I have not featured the work of Kozo Kakimoto on this blog. It is certainly time to correct this as I have had several of his illustrated 'Mr. Bear' books for almost 20 years and they are part of my most prized collection of children's illustration. 

These illustrations are from 'Mr. Bear goes to sea' published in 1967, Kozo has wonderful use of space in his spreads and colour path through the book as well as delightful texture and fantastic detail.  

Dahlov Ipcar V

A wonderful combination of fantastical imaginings and scientific fact, Dahlov Ipcar's imagined underwater farm with merman farmer introduces different species of marine animals in a combination of aqua green and black illustrations and occasional full 1950's technicolor spreads. Deep Sea Farm was published in 1961.
Dahlov Ipcar (1917-2017) seemed to have a blessed life, she grew up in a liberal, bohemian family married her maths tutor at 19, she painted from a very young age. After a year in New York, the young couple moved to Dahlov's parent's place in Maine where they took over a disused farmhouse and started a self-sufficient farm. Here Dahlov was able to work at her art, painting, writing novels and children's books.

Linda Bleck

The King of the Sharks a Hawaiian tale illustrated by Linda Bleck for FolkTaleWeek. Linda has used procreate to make these illustrations but has achieved a wonderful delicacy and I really love the limited palette that she has chosen.

John Mckie I

The boundless creativity of John Mckie, full of ingenious use of recycled materials and fun.

Ilvira Nasreddinova

It is a strange love I know, but I love this lemon with a hairy chest, waiting for his four legs and crown! Sketchbook work by Ilvira Nasreddinova.

Magdalena Koziel-Nowak I

 Love, love, love these dynamic illustrations for Dr. Dolittle by Magdalena Koziel-Nowak.

Laurence Winram IV

My days are mainly hard graft, but on rare occasions, I have days of wearing straw in the Lothians of Scotland standing in trees and surf helping to create images and collaborating with friends.

These are the photographs of Laurence Winram an Edinburgh based photographer who with the help of costumier Rachel Frost has been making work exploring the pagan Shetland tradition of the Skeklers.

Josephine Birch I

Josephine Birch has been working on large scale monoprints that explore the themes of; ‘Traffic’ and ‘Contrails and Murmurations’., which she intends exhibiting between tiny etchings of trees, beasts, and homes. 

Andrea Antinori IV

This new anthology of poetry 'The Crazy Gardener's Song', illustrated by Andrea Antinori is just divine, the limited palette of just blue and black is sophisticated, the illustrations full of clever visual humour. Just published by Bruaá, I know what I want for Christmas!