Livy Long

This is Livy Long's self-initiated project designing a new cover for James and The Giant Peach. I would really like to do this and may treat myself towards the end of the month when my current itinerary of deadlines is completed. Livy long is a graphic designer/ illustrator from Kansas City, her work is very typographic and always has a texture like block printed work.

Kate Pugsley I

I couldn't resist this sweet illustration of Roald Dahl's 'James and The Giant Peach' by Chicargo based illustrator Kate Pugsley.

Øyvind Rustad Johansen

An editorial illustration by Øyvind Rustad Johansen, I like his use of colour and layers in the finished composition, and of course having a pet wild seagull I love the top stack of gulls.

Birthday Walls

As long-term followers of this blog will remember, when my daughter Freya was five we started a tradition of painting the kitchen wall to celebrate her Birthday.
This year as it is Roald Dahl's centenary year, the theme chosen was 'James and the Giant Peach'. So, over the last two weeks, giant insects have been moving in and a peach is being pulled across the wall.
Freya is eleven today! I can't believe this is our sixth birthday wall.

We still need to catch a lot more seagulls but all is good for now and the cricket is playing Happy Birthday.

Happy Easter

We have had a great day painting eggs and then hurling them down a hill for the seagulls and crows to swoop upon. Freya made a pirate and her cat, I was going for Alice in Wonderland but ended up with an Indian style tiger, and Gordon and Finlay went for patterns, amazing how painting eggs inspires everyone.

Happy Easter

Huang Linghsing

Beetles by Huang Linghsing I do love that bottom image of the girl and a weevil, in fact I love weevils.

Zosia Dzierzawska

Illustrations from "Sto nóg stonogi Fruzi" by Polish illustrator Zosia Dzierzawska exploring the problems of footwear for a centipede.

Oren Haskins

I am sticking with my insect theme for a few more days. These digital illustrations are by London based illustrator Oren Haskins geometric, hybrid insect / alien creatures. Oren's work is Japanese in its style and he keeps to a quite muted palette.

Michelle Morin

Michelle Morin is an artist and landscape gardener from New Hampshire whose observations of nature have lead her to focus on nature as a subject.  

"I work to convey the beauty and complexities of nature using texture, pattern, and narrative elements throughout my work, which range from elaborate watercolor and gouache compositions on paper to vast and more layered paintings on canvas. Through my travels I continue to seek out inspiration from the natural world while honing in on the unique details that define each place." Michelle Morin 

Rachel Everitt

It seems I am on an insect theme this week so here is the work of Edinburgh based; animator, printer and illustrator Rachel Everitt, It is a water vole playing the harmonica to some very unimpressed looking water beetles. I would have been impressed if I were a water beetle and a vole was playing harmonica to me, but you can't please everyone.

Hairdo's for insects II

You can't not have a mohawk if making a parade of different hair styles, a fly seemed the most likely of punks.
 

Hairdoo's for Insects I

I had to go to the hairdressers yesterday, not something I enjoy, so I took a sketchbook and distracted myself by matching hairstyles to different bugs.
The bee, of course, needed a beehive. A woodlouse, has so many different names, but one that I grew up with was a 'leather jacket' so I gave him a 'ducks ass' hair style like a fifties rocker.

My poor ladybird looks a little confused, but she has a bob to match her sixties spotty mini dress. 

Hui Yuan Chang

Hui Yuan Chang's charming butterfly to welcome spring. Yesterday was a beautiful day here in Scotland, the birds were full of spring bustle and song, the soil full of busy insects earwigs and money spiders. As the days get longer it is blissful after the claustrophobic darkness and chill of winter.

Marta Madureira II

Today I am sharing TCHARAN's animated trailer for  'Livro dos Medos' (The Book of Fears) written by Adélia Carvalho and  illustrated by Marta Madureira as I love everything about it!
Have a wonderful Sunday.

Julia Pilipchatina I

Ukrainian creative Julia Pilipchatina has created this beautiful stag beetle band using print and digital imagery. Julia also makes beautiful ceramics and very polished graphic/ digital illustration work. This image appealed because, I love stag beetles and it shows more of the hand that created it.

Just keep swimming . . .

Deadlines, commitments, general madness for weeks stretching ahead. In my head, all I can hear is Dory from Finding Nemo singing 'just keep swimming, just keep swimming.'

Evgeniya Strakhova

Evgeniya Strakhova's wonderful pencil illustrations to Igor Zhukov's poems are delightful I like this idea of limiting  and challenging yourself to a single medium, and the results are charming. 

Alex T Smith

British illustrator Alex T Smith's sketchbook elephant, celebrating his favourite animal.

Tsunemasa Takahashi

A very abstract elephant created from loose washes by Tsunemasa Takahashi. in what he calls his 'teardrop style'.

Zuzanna Konieczna

Continuing with elephants Polish illustrator Zuzanna Konieczna has an elephant tiptoeing on tiny twigs or birds feet to illustrate 'weirdness'.

Manon Gauthier I

Manon Gauthier's illustration for Michaël Escoffier's 'Grumpy the Elephant' has just been published by D'eux. Full of wonderful humour and great communication about the impact of a bad mood, look at those poor birds!

Manon trained as a graphic designer and then her focus shifted to children's books. As you can see Manon usually works with collage moving elements about until she achieves the finished composition.

Time to let our hair down.

It's the weekend and time to let your hair down.
Have a great weekend.

Marianna Coppo

This is Italian artist Marianna Coppo's charming rock through the ages.