Animals

In Praise of the Hedgehog

I have been madly in love with the recent offerings of hedgehog marginalia from Medieval Animal Data Network. These adorable looking creatures, are often rendered in the rich golden and red hues of fall, and harvesting grapes (despoiling the vineyards) using their spines like cocktail toothpicks. But most wonderful of all…a group of artists got

In Praise of the Hedgehog Read More »

Drunken Tengu: Masters of the Sword and Drink

Among the more celebrated Japanese tricksters are the Tengu. These peculiar half-human, half-bird (sometimes hawk-like, sometimes more vulture) creatures are famous for their love of sake and their abilities with the sword. In fact, part of their mythology is that the tengu created the unique Japanese style of kendo, and were responsible for teaching it

Drunken Tengu: Masters of the Sword and Drink Read More »

Ukiyo-e Heroes by Jed Henry and Dave Bull

I love this project by illustrator Jed Henry to take contemporary, iconic video game figures and render them in the traditional Ukiyo-e style of woodblock prints. They are beautiful — combining the exquisite technique of Japanese printmaking and modern fantasy images. The worlds are not so far apart according to Henry — who notes the

Ukiyo-e Heroes by Jed Henry and Dave Bull Read More »

A Forest Story And The Lush Illustrations of Rudolf Mates

I am swooning over these gorgeous illustrations from the Czech children's book The Forest Story," written in 1929 by Josef Kozisek and handsomely illustrated by Rudolf Mates. I would so have loved as a child to receive such a gem of of a book. (Via Will Schoenfeld's amazing 50 Watts, a website dedicated to sharing

A Forest Story And The Lush Illustrations of Rudolf Mates Read More »