"Fairyland Annual 1969" Stories By Joan Fisher, Illustrations By Hutchings (Published by The Hamlyn Publishing Group Limited for Odham Books, 1968), Part 3

 

 

Whoever this mystery "Hutchings" designer/illustrator was, these pictures are truly classic and will have had a huge influence on generations of other artists. I love the way he - or she - is so bold with the shapes and colours. Using really strong, almost garish colours, and balancing them so effectively is not at all easy. I've seen many decent illustrations ruined by an over-ambitious use of colour but here, the colours are the strongest feature. The humour and warmth of the characters as well as the playfulness of the type and patterns make the book irresistible. Almost every scene could be a beautiful poster, a mural or postcard in its own right. 

 

 

"Fairyland Annual 1969" Stories By Joan Fisher, Illustrations By Hutchings (Published by The Hamlyn Publishing Group Limited for Odham Books, 1968), Part 2

 

 

"Fairyland Annual 1969" Stories By Joan Fisher, Illustrations By Hutchings (Published by The Hamlyn Publishing Group Limited for Odham Books, 1968)

 

Now, it's a mystery to me who this illustrator "Hutchings" might be - a man, woman or a team of artists - but the work is amazing. Here's a link to another fellow blogger who came across exactly the same problem! http://fishinkblog.wordpress.com/2011/02/08/searching-for-hutchings-in-1969/ His book is called "Nurseryland Annual 1969" ("anything...land" seems to have been quite a trend with Odham Books in 1969) and signed Hutchings. We will probably never know the artist's full identity but we can surely enjoy the pictures...