I am not at all sure what the artist was thinking when he added this little marginal painting in a manuscript, but I love it. An angry oyster protecting a pearl? unwilling to be eaten? or just ornery from a life time of an irritating parasite giving him a silvery ulcer. Maybe a painter frustrated […]
What Is An Angry Oyster? Read More »
I am an instant fan of late 19th century illustrator Peter Newell whose work was funny, explosive, and full of hilarious details that made my husband exclaim, “He must have been on drugs.” Hahaha…well, not sure about that last bit, but he is wonderful. Above is one of Alice in Wonderland illustrations — fighting
Peter Newell’s Energetic Imagination Read More »
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 »
It’s been one of those months…distracting and demanding. So I am here now, trying to make up for all my lost time. I have a lot to say about these days…but am still wading through the need to get more done here and there. So here…a collection from my pinterest account of gorgeous foxes —
Woman Carrying A Bull by Vladimir Fokanov I like this image a lot — the wonderful cognitive dissonance between the nude female and the impossible weight of the bull carried so easily on her shoulder. She is not alone you know — there are quite a few such images of women with animals hefted on their
Women Who Shoulder Animals. Read More »
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 »
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 »
Oaxacan artist, Fernando Olivera, is perhaps better known in this country for his magnificent work in color — vibrant paintings that depict a magic realist Mexico — but I also love his smaller black and white etchings which are equally magical. I am determined this year to purchase one or two for the new house
Por Unos Ojos Negros Read More »
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 »
