Have a look at Spainish illustrator Beatriz Martin Vidal’s gorgeous artwork. It features children prominently — and their effortless interaction with the natural world. The series “Birdchildren” reveals children in various states of flying, dreaming of birds, and half-winged as they hover between the two worlds. She also has a series of “Fairy Tale” images, with delicate drawings such as the Goose Girl below. The “Russian Fairy Tales” are wonderfully beautiful and ambiguous, combining the darker themes of the tales with evocative drawings, lightly colored in reds and earth tones. And I love the Commedia-style masks, so dear to my heart!
Also, have a look through her “this and that” series which illustrates a child’s magical perception of the world — flowers that bloom from a bus seat, red butterflies printed on a dress that take flight, and a child who unzippers the floor to reveal the garden beneath. Really great stuff. (via Charles Vess, with thanks!)