Brian Wildsmith XII

Brian Wildsmith's calendar produced in Japan in 1971.

Brian Wildsmith XI

Two posts for what would have been Brian Wildsmith's 90 birthday. 'Professor Noah’s Spaceship' by Brian Wildsmith published in 1980 but unfortunately horribly relevant today, beautifully illustrated, with the space ship images being very like Kandinsky paintings. 

Brian Wildsmith X

A moose with nesting birds from 'Animal Tricks' by Brian Wildsmith. Published thirty years ago in 1980. Today Brian Wildsmith would have been 90 years old and to celebrate their father's wonderful work his family has been working tirelessly for three years putting together a new website which is launching today.

Brian Wildsmith VIIII

Couldn't resist a little more magic and colour from Brian Wildsmith today, from the book 'Something Fascinating'.

Brian Wildsmith's suns

Above and below: What the Moon Saw 2000

It is that time of the year when I am missing the sun, so as a balm for winter weariness I thought I would collect some Brian Wildsmith sunshine, for a burst of exuberant pattern and brightness.

I heard this week that Moscow normally gets only 18 hours of sunshine in December, however this winter they only received 6 minutes!!!!! So I dedicate this post to the people of Moscow, may you soon have lots of sunshine to warm your winter blues away.

Above: A Child's Garden of Verses 1984.

Brian Wildsmith VI

Can You do this?

I have added to my Brian Wildsmith library 'Can You Do This?' published by Oxford University Press in 2000. A very simple book for pre-school children taking them through a series of exercises and stretches the leopard and cheetah are my favourites.

Brian Wildsmith Obituary.

"Children are all-important, and so is art ... Art is food for the soul. And books are a child's first encounter with art so I felt it was a way I could make a contribution to the world. A drop in the ocean maybe, but picture books offered a chance to communicate the importance of things such as kindness, compassion, friendship, beauty."               Brian Wildsmith

As  I searched for the link to Brian Wildsmith for yesterdays post, I made the sad discovery that he had very recently died. Brian Wildsmith illustrated over eighty books during his long career. His first book was an alphabetical creature book which instantly gained him recognition and a Kate Greenaway Medal. He went on to publish a book every year during the 1960's and 1970's encouraged by his editor Mabel George and published by his life long publisher The Oxford University Press.

‘Picture books give an opportunity for a marriage between painting and illustrating . . . I believe that beautiful picture books of the right kind are vitally important in subconsciously forming a child’s appreciation, which will bear fruit in later life.’ Brian Wildsmith

Brian was born in 1930 in Penistone, Yorkshire. He attended Barnsley Art School when he was sixteen for two years during this time he illustrated for the local paper and met his wife Aurélie Ithurbide whom he married when he was 25. He received a scholarship to attend the Slade School of Art, completing his degree just before being called up for military service, during which he was assigned to the Royal Army Education Corps teaching mathematics and music. He left the army after eighteen months and took a position as an art teacher at Sellhurst Grammar School for Boys in London. Brian gradually built his career designing book covers and commissions and managed to gave up full time teaching in 1957 to devote himself to his illustration work.

In 1971 Brian, Aurélie and their four children Clare, Rebecca, Anna and Simon settled in France. He continued to publish with OUP working with a succession of supportive editors creating award winning books with illustrations formed of a myriad of texture and colour. Vivid, exciting and beautiful Brian's books were like him, full of warmth, compassion and wisdom.

Kiyomi Saitou III

Autumn is fast encroaching with darkness closing in around our days, taking them from 18 hours of day light mid summer to often a dingy four hours in mid winter. Everyday about 20 minutes of good light is being chomped away  and I am missing it.
However the apples are swelling and it is harvest time with its colourful abundance to celebrate. In the spirit of celebrating autumn I am sharing two illustrations by Kiyomi Saito whose palette is almost as vivid and exciting as Brian Wildsmith's.

Il Sung Na I

'The Opposite Zoo' by Il Sung Na has vibrant. dynamic illustrations that reminded me of the work of Brian Wildsmith. Il Sung Na graduated from Kingston University in 2006 and I found his work in Heffers, Cambridge. 

A Leap of Salmon, Brian Wildsmith IV

Yesterdays Salmon reminded me of Fishes by Brian Wildsmith a beautiful book which has the collective nouns for various species of fish including a glide of flying fish,  a hover of trout and a party of rainbow fish.

Brian Wildsmith III

A last blast of colour to celebrate the work of Brian Wildsmith. When describing his work and working process Brian often uses the analogy of music;

"I use what I call the Mozartian method. Mozart had an idea totally impregnated on his mind. And I work like that. ForABC I didn’t make sketches or anything. I drew straight onto the page and painted on top of that in gouache. The turtle was drawn entirely in paint, without any pencil."

"When I’m painting, there often comes a stage when something isn’t happening right and I have to start again until all the music and all the notes are becoming intertwined and they make what to me is a beautiful image of what I want to present." Brian Wildsmith

Happy Birthday Brian Wildsmith II

Looking at these two examples of Brian Wildsmith's illustrations with the almost abstract/ haphazard positioning  of the elements in the white space I can understand why Brian Wildsmith is held with such high regard in Japan.These particular work have a very Japanese style of illustration that I recognise in modern Japanese illustrators work.

In Japan and bizarrely not his home land Brian Wildsmith is honoured with a museum dedicated to his work in Izukogen, a town south of Tokyo which houses eight hundred of his paintings. The museum was founded 19 years ago by Michiko Nomura, who had been an art dealer in Paris before being a freelance curator. Michiko Nomura established the Brian Wildsmith museum after falling in love with Brian's work when it was included in a group show of British Illustrators that she curated.

If I Were You by Brian Wildsmith

Illustrations from a tiny paper back book that I found this weekend by Brian Wildsmith, I like the fortress style zoo and it's random cage shapes, but Brian Wildsmith's work is always wonderful, rich and bright.

Brenden Wenzel

Brenden Wenzel's illustrations of animals and birds have a similar texture and feel to the work of Brian Wildsmith . Brenden Wenzel is an ardent conservationist and a proud collaborator with many organizations working to ensure the future of wild places and threatened species, especially within Southeast Asia.

Ryoko Ishii II

Ryoko Ishii's watercolour illustrations bring to mind many wonderful illustrators, such as Brian Wildsmith and Kveta Pacovska.

Brian Wildsmith

Today I also got a new (and as always charming) Brian Wildsmith book, Hunter and his Dog. His illustrations are magic. http://www.flickr.com/photos/hazehaze/