"Cat Squabbles" By Harris ("MAN" magazine, Nicosia, December 2002 issue)

 

Here is another one for the end of the year! I was looking through my - very old - portfolio the other day and I came across the series of comic strips I used to produce for this monthly magazine in Cyprus, 11-12 years ago. The subject, being seasonal (families, in-laws, booze and Christmas trees) should be fairly uplifting... Happy New Year to all!

"The Oxford Nursery Rhyme Book" Assembled By Iona And Peter Opie, Additional Illustrations By Joan Hassall (Oxford University Press, London 1963 - first published in 1955), Part - 3

 

The vast collection of wood engravings in this book comes mainly from chapbooks and toy books dating from the 18th and early 19th centuries. Some, are the work of Thomas Bewick (1753-1828), a renowned artist from the North-East of England ( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thomas_Bewick ) who at that time was at the peak of his career.

When this edition was produced in the fifties, Joan Hassall, R.E. (at the time considered to be one of the best wood engravers working in Britain) was brought in to create new work for the rhymes that had no existing illustrations. Her collaboration on this project lasted for two years but, unfortunately, she was not credited on the specific pieces she created so it is not possible for us to tell which is her artwork! For example, on the "Old Mother Hubbard" rhyme, below, there were three missing engravings which she had to re-create in order to complete all nine verses. Her engraving skills and talent were of such high standard that they look like they were made some two hundred years earlier! Here is the biography of Joan Hassall (1906-1988) on Wikipedia:

 

 

 

 

 

 

"The Oxford Nursery Rhyme Book" Assembled By Iona And Peter Opie, Additional Illustrations By Joan Hassall (Oxford University Press, London 1963 - first published in 1955), Part - 2

 

And now we know what happened after Jack and Jill fell down the hill...Beautiful and amusing woodcuts illustrating these ever popular nursery rhymes in this 1950's collection. The smacking of Jill would not have been allowed nowadays of course, as the Social Services would intervene and take her away!!

 

 

"The Oxford Nursery Rhyme Book" Assembled By Iona And Peter Opie, Additional Illustrations By Joan Hassall (Oxford University Press, London 1963 - first published in 1955)

 

 

 

"2013 Christmas Card" By Harris

 

By the way, this is the drawing for my Christmas cards design this year. I was unusually organised this year, finished it early, and managed to get all cards printed and sent in time! All comments are welcomed...

"Through The Garden Gate" by Susan Hill, illustrated by Angela Barrett (published by Hamish Hamilton Ltd, London 1986) Part 4

 

One more from the large selection of majestic illustrations in this book. The serenity and dreamlike quality of Angela Barrett's pictures remind me of work by the Symbolists and the Pre-Raphaelites from the late 19th century. And, of course, there's a strong element of surrealism in the strange garden landscapes, secret doorways, tall hedges, quirky objects, shadows and half-hidden figures - that are so typical in Magritte's work.

Susan Hill (born 1942, Great Britain) is the author of many other books, including detective novels, ghost stories, memoirs and children's books. Here's a link to her own website:  http://www.susanhill.org.uk/susan_hill_autobiography

"Through The Garden Gate" by Susan Hill, illustrated by Angela Barrett (published by Hamish Hamilton Ltd, London 1986) Part 3

 

Here's an interview of Angela Barrett for "Books For Keeps" an online magazine about books - written by Quentin Blake who also taught her at the Royal College Of Art: http://booksforkeeps.co.uk/issue/131/childrens-books/articles/authorgraph/authorgraph-no131-angela-barrett  It gives the reader a good insight about her work process, ideas and techniques. It also gives more information on her long career as a children's illustrator and references to other books by her.

 

 

"Through The Garden Gate" by Susan Hill, illustrated by Angela Barrett (published by Hamish Hamilton Ltd, London 1986) Part 2

 

Every book illustrated by Angela Barrett is a gem! There is so much patience, effort and talent in each illustration, large or small- and there are dozens in this book. Born in Essex in 1955, she studied illustration at the Royal College of Art. She produced editorial illustrations for publications such as The Sunday Times Magazine, The Observer Magazine, House and Gardens as well as book jackets for various publishers through out the late seventies and eighties. Some of the thirty or so titles she illustrated are: "The King, the Cat and the Fiddle"(1983) by Yehudi Menuhin and Christopher Hope, "Joan Of Arc"(1999) by Josephine Poole, "The Hidden House"(1991) by Martin Waddell - winner of the 1991 W.H. Smith Illustration Award, "Can It Be True?"(1988) by Susan Hill - category winner of the 1988 Nestle Smarties Book Prize, and many more.

 

 

 

 

"Through The Garden Gate" by Susan Hill, illustrated by Angela Barrett (published by Hamish Hamilton Ltd, London 1986)

 

 

"The Great Race" by Nathan Kumar Scott, Art by Jagdish Chitara (published by Tara Publishing Ltd., UK, 2011), Part 2

 

This is not an old book but a great one nevertheless. I bought it only last month, impressed with the exceptional quality of the pictures as well as the impeccable design and layout on every page. I've been aware of Tara Publications (http://www.tarabooks.com/tara-uk/ ) for some time now but I hadn't realised how good their books were in the flesh.

 

According to the introduction in the book, this is  "an Indonesian trickster tale" retold by Nathan Kumar Scott. The beautiful pictures are by Jugdish Chitara, a Waghari textile artist from Ahmedabad, using traditional painting techniques on cloth. There is an interesting section on the artist's background and work at the end of the book.

"The Great Race" by Nathan Kumar Scott, Art by Jagdish Chitara (published by Tara Publishing Ltd., UK, 2011)

 

 

"For Whom The Cloche Tolls" - A Scrap-Book Of The Twenties by Angus Wilson and Philippe Jullian (published by Methuen, London 1953) - Part 3

 

I tried to scan some details from the drawings in this book to show the weird expressions on their faces! These characters live in a strange party world of their own, where anything goes... The picture in colour is from the back cover.

                                

 

"For Whom The Cloche Tolls" - A Scrap-Book Of The Twenties by Angus Wilson and Philippe Jullian (published by Methuen, London 1953) - Part 2

 

Another brilliant example of French illustration from the 1950's, by Philippe Jullian (1921-1977). There are illustrations in every page of this book enveloping the text, enhancing its witty and bizarre stories. The artist's line work is playful and at times fragile but when you look closely it depicts the costumes, hairstyles and faces in some detail. Going through each page you end up spending more time admiring each character than reading the text - and there are hundreds of them! I came across this extensive article on Philippe Jullian (on John Coulthart's amazing blog) which gives a good insight on his character and work: http://www.johncoulthart.com/feuilleton/2010/12/13/philippe-jullian-connoisseur-of-the-exotic/

 

 

 

"For Whom The Cloche Tolls" - A Scrap-Book Of The Twenties by Angus Wilson and Philippe Jullian (published by Methuen, London 1953)

 

 

"Splosh!" By Philippe Corentin (published by Andersen Press, London 2002) - Part 2

 

I was a little annoyed that there isn't much information to be found on the Internet about Philippe Corentin (born in Paris, 1936) - I suspect there will be plenty in French as he is renowned for his cartoons and humorous children's books since the late sixties. The original title in French was "Plouf!"  (which sounds a lot funnier than splosh to me!), published in 1991. The style in unlike any other you'll come across. It reminds me a bit of children's book illustrations from the 30's and 40's but the colours and technique are bright and contemporary. Here's a link of the only biography I could find on the author (not much I'm afraid): http://www.answers.com/topic/philippe-corentin

 

 

"Splosh!" By Philippe Corentin (published by Andersen Press, London 2002)

 

 

 

"The Scout Badge & The Scout Standard" Written By Steve Scholes and Illustrated By Anita Mason (published by The Scout Association, London 1974)

 

 

Weird and funny illustrations by Anita Mason. Couldn't resist buying this one from a second-hand shop even though I have never been interested in any scouts' activities - too late at my age now! But the pictures are great.