Tuesday 23 December 2014

Christmas 2014




An idea springs to mind and this years was, a Santa Robin.
I always like to make my own Christmas cards and I rarely start making them until I have finished work, so often they are late.
If I did not physically send you a card please accept this as my Christmas wish; that you all have a lovely time, relax, have fun and enjoy being with, or in touch with, the people you love.

Love to you all. 

(I am taking a few days off)

Monday 22 December 2014

Aiko Fukawa II





The delicate illustrations of Japanese illustrator Aiko Fukawa are full of beautiful details to adsorb your eye and curiosity. 

Sunday 21 December 2014

Keiko Shibata VII


A surreal, busy illustration by Japanese artist Keiko Shibata has that pre-Christmas panic about it, with so many characters rushing around the page, I love the sky of birds in party hats. 

Saturday 20 December 2014

Bożena Truchanowska I


Bożena Truchanowska is a master Polish illustrator who was married to illustrator and graphic designer Wieslaw Majchrzak. 
Bożena has had a very successful career as an illustrator and graphic artist, winning many awards for her work and today I wanted to share her wonderful collaged Santa.

Friday 19 December 2014

Junaida II


Junaida is a young Japanese illustrator whose illustrations are very intricate and rich with information, this piece is called hug.

Thursday 18 December 2014

Junaida I


I love these 'blue horn' reindeer by Junaida a Japanese illustrator based in Kyoto. I feel the work traverses Japanese and European illustration. The level of detail and story contained in this illustrators works is phenomenal.

Wednesday 17 December 2014

Tuesday 16 December 2014

Tetsuro Kawamoto II


Tetsuro Kawamoto is a Japanese illustrator who lives and works in Tokyo, he makes wonderful graphical illustrations and lovely models. I don't know which he makes first but they are magical and fun.

Monday 15 December 2014

Piu Sudo III


I am revisiting to some of my favorite Japanese illustrators for Christmas. This print from Piu Sudo is a favorite as the limited palette has the nostalgia of old children's books and I love the strange polar bears, all working together to decorate the Christmas cake. Have a wonderful Christmas Eve.

Sunday 14 December 2014

Ina Hattenheur II



Ina Hattenheur's lovely holiday Hedgehog. Ina is doing an advent calender and also has a Christmas themed book Das kleine Weihnachtstier by Rudolf Herfurtner published in German. 

Saturday 13 December 2014

Ina Hattenheur I

Oh! I have been waiting so long to share this joyous illustration by Ina Hattenheur with you. I cannot look at Ina's work without smiling from ear to ear and so she must be a very happy woman to create such fantastically fun works.

Friday 12 December 2014

Antonio Ladrillo I




Spanish Graphic Designer and Illustrator Antonio Ladrillo's Christmas Trees are running, running to or from Christmas? I like the idea that they are running away back to the forest, or equally that they could be running to get dressed up in all of their sparkling lights and glittery decorations.

Antonio Ladrillo's style is positive, bold, bright and humorous, as he welcomes you to his website he say's "Today is a good day :-)"

Thursday 11 December 2014

Danielle Kroll



A little different today, as I found these wonderful adapted photographs by illustrator Danielle Kroll that just made me want to go and play with old photographs and travel brochures. Danielle's range of styles is quite incredible there is something for everyone in her portfolio from textile design to editorial and humor. 

Wednesday 10 December 2014

Mirko Hanak




Mirko Hanak (1921-1971) was a Czechoslovakian illustrator and printer who worked with a wonderful balance of fluid line and soft water colour washes. You can see a great article about Mirko Hanak's drawings for Charlottes Web  commissioned by animator and illustrator Gene Deitch.

Tuesday 9 December 2014

Zbigniew Rychlicki


Zbigniew Rychlicki (1922-1989) a Polish illustrator who won the Han's Christian Anderson Illustration prize in 1982. His work has a soft style and while being representational, achieves a level of abstraction and pattern. 

Monday 8 December 2014

Zdzisław Witwicki



The frost is sharp and feathery this morning and the birds need food.
I am continuing with Polish illustrators as there is such a wealth of wonderful wintery images. Above are two illustrations by Zdzisław Witwicki born in 1921. Zdzislaw has illustrated more than 70 books, had more than 250 exhibitions and has been awarded many major illustration honours. You can find a great article about his work here.

Sunday 7 December 2014

Janusz Grabianski


Janusz Grabianski (1929-1976) beautiful benevolent moon smiling down, with a frost circle like a fur collar. Janusz had a wonderful loose flowing technique and worked mainly in watercolour, his works are very immediate and resemble monoprints. 

Saturday 6 December 2014

Zbigniew Rychlicki I

Zbigniew Rychlicki (1922-1989) was a Polish artist of illustration, graphic and stage design. Zbigniew Rychlicki is famous in Poland for the much loved character Bear Uszatek who was made into a childrens programme from books by the author Czeslaw Janczarski, illustrated by Zbigniew Rychlicki .

Friday 5 December 2014

Józef Wilkon II



These are some delicate pastel illustrations from 'Thomas and the Dove' 1989 by Józef Wilkon. This story is a variant of the Christmas story that features a shepherd boy who carves birds. He takes his carved white dove to the baby and it bursts into life. It is a self portrait story by Józef Wilkon, as he carved so many wonderful animals and birds.

Thursday 4 December 2014

Józef Wilkon I

Józef Wilkon is one of my favourite artists and so it is with joy that I add his charming work of a man feeding the birds in the snow, to this weeks snow themed works. One day I hope to get to visit Józef's ark, but for now I can enjoy reading his Christmas story 'Thomas and the Dove' to Freya.

Wednesday 3 December 2014

Christian Birmingham



Christian Birmingham is a British illustrator and painter with a classical style. Christian mainly works in pastel and has illustrated many classic children's books including the Snow Queen, A Christmas Carol, Oliver Twist, The Night Before Christmas and The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, this illustration is from the Snow Queen.

Tuesday 2 December 2014

José Sanabria II

José Sanabria is a Colombian illustrator who has lived and worked in  Buenos Aires Argentina since 1992. José's work has many qualities but in essence it has that classic feeling of Arthur Rackham or Lisbeth Zwerger. Joséswork transports you, especially in this picture, to a place of peace. A place to listen to the silence of snow fall.

Monday 1 December 2014

Sara Gimbergsson II

Apparently the snow is coming and this is the first of December, so here is a wonderful illustration by Sara Gimbergsson whose work has a lovely flow and pace, and reflects a great affinity with nature.