Tuesday, 30 September 2014

"Look What I've Got" By Anthony Browne (published by Walker Books Ltd, London 1996 - Orininally published by Julia MacRae Books 1980) Part 2

 

The wonderful and mysterious surrealism of Anthony Browne knows no boundaries.  I scanned several details from this one illustration(above) to show just how many animals and birds the artist was able to hide within one picture!  A real treat for any child's imagination.

 



 


Wednesday, 17 September 2014

"Pied Piper Salmond selling pipe dreams to Scots..." by Harris

 
 
 
Sick and tired of listening to politicians (specially the one above) patronising us for three months now: "Wouldn't it be great to take own future in our own hands", "Wouldn't it be great if we could get rid of the English oppression", "Wouldn't it be great to manage our own economy and be one of the wealthiest nations in the world(!!!?), be small but proud and respected in our own right", "Wouldn't it be great if we could be just like Norway, hunky-dory and rich..."
 
Well, Norway did not manage to defend itself against the mighty Germans during World War II while Great Britain did! The whole world's eyes are fixed on Scotland today, mainly perplexed why anyone would want to leave the security of a powerful country such as the UK and venture into the unknown! Coming from a small country myself I know all too well what it feels like to be at the mercy of powerful neighbours - being controlled, manipulated and bullied in matters of economy, defence and politics...
 

Monday, 15 September 2014

"Jack In Luck" By The Brothers Grimm, Illustrated By Eve Tharlet (published in Greek by AMMOS Publications, Athens 1994 - originally published by Michael Neugebauer Verlag AG, Zurich 1991) Part 3

 
 
There is so much attention paid to the details by the artist that you can imagine being there among the characters and these beautiful houses. The flaking plaster on the walls, the grain in the wood beams, the rustic guttering, the patchwork quilt - you could look at them for hours. Also the viewing angle from above is very interesting as it gives more depth to the pictures unlike other children's illustrations which tend to be more flat. I'd love to see these at a slightly larger scale as the book is quite small (15x15.5cm) but still, this is a true classic!
 


Wednesday, 10 September 2014

"Jack In Luck" By The Brothers Grimm, Illustrated By Eve Tharlet (published in Greek by AMMOS Publications, Athens 1994 - originally published by Michael Neugebauer Verlag AG, Zurich 1991) Part 2

 

Another one of my all time favourite children's books! The lovable characters of Eve Tharlet in beautiful traditional village settings. Every detail of the buildings meticulously drawn: the iron work on the window hinges, the hanging sign and railings, the thatched roof, slates, the tiny windows, wood work, stone work are a delight to look at! I love the colour schemes of soft whites, yellow ochre, browns and greys reminiscent of Rembrandt and Van Dyke. Here's a link to the artist's website with many more amazing illustrations and lists of her other books: http://www.evetharlet.com/en/accueil