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Posts Tagged ‘illustration’

This is meant to be just a short little post to redirect you over to Muddy Colors for today. Watch this kinda ancient documentary short by Walt Disney on the importance of pursuing individual style.

Do not be put off by the rather dated documentary filming technique or the somewhat wooden narration of the four Disney artists involved. Instead concentrate on what they are saying; the reasons why they are all interpreting the same subject in different ways.

Also vitally important to me is how the beginning portion of the film talks about how when working as a team on a project each member must subvert their own personal style in order to make a cohesive whole. Collaboration is interesting for that very reason; sometimes we can create so very much more as a group then we would have as individuals. However, it is so very very important for all of us to make time for developing our own work. To find that voice that is entirely and uniquely our own.

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It’s cold, so cold, my feet are blocks of ice.

OK, so it’s not so cold as January used to be. Realistically it should be colder and we absolutely should have more snow (we need the water). Not so cold or so much snow as that one year when we got 15 inches of snow in two days. I’m not even remotely saying that I want anything resembling that. But my feet are still so cold; I need to dig out my poor old Harry Potter slippers (black with gold glittery stars).

I guess what I’m really saying is that I feel slumpish. Really, fold up in a heap, pull a blanket over my head and well . . . slump.

It’s a bit scary, feeling like this.

Conceptual art by Mary Blair for Disney's Alice in Wonderland

Conceptual art by Mary Blair for Alice in Wonderland

I know I need to get off my backside and get some stuff done. But I’m also fairly certain I’m not quite ready to plunge down the rabbit hole just yet. It looks damn deep and I flat out don’t have the energy needed for that sort of adventure.

Not at the moment anyway — maybe in a little bit I’ll feel braver.

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Michael Sowa -- Tigerhase

Michael Sowa — Tigerhase

Personally I am choosing to spend this Boxing Day immersed deep in an introspective meditation.

Sure, outwardly it may look like I’m just curled up on the couch, wrapped in a blanket, watching old movies but inside the wheels are spinning in furious fashion.

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Boulet Heart of the Jaguar

Welcome to a new era. Hopefully a happier, healthier, more sane era but human nature being what it is I’ll not be holding my breath.

Namaste

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Hobbit Anticipation

Hobbit-Hobbiton

Yes, The Hobbit finally opens on Friday the 14th. I can hardly wait — that said, I will be waiting as I never go the first weekend. I wait for the crush of fans to subside a bit. We’ll be going over the Christmas holidays to see what promises to be another gem from Peter Jackson and his team at WETA.

Yes, I love The Hobbit and have done since I first read it at age 11. I know for certain that I was 11 as that year the math teacher was reading it to his home room students and wouldn’t read it to the class I was in — ran out and bought my own copy, HA! John loves The Hobbit so much that it is the one book he always takes on vacation every single year. We’ve been on pins and needles ever since the announcement of the filming finally being settled on Peter Jackson. I’m definitely relieved that the book is being split into two parts as the prospect of cramming it into one film would have forced the leaving out of some of my favorite bits. Like this one:

Hobbit-Trolls

Oh, the trolls would have to be in any acceptable version, but would you get a lovely long segment about the debate over how to prepare the dwarves for consumption? Boiled, baked, or simply sat on and squashed into jelly? I think not. So I am immeasurably glad that the book part of The Hobbit will be in two parts. I should also say that we are also very much hoping for a reasonably lengthy view of Beorn’s house, as well as a short visit to Rivendell.

Yes, I know that there are now going to be three films. I confess to still being a bit nervous about the third film which is meant to comprise of appendix information/action. I will go see it absolutely, being myself in the minority of Tolkien fans who’ve actually read the appendix material.

It will be lovely, I’m certain it will . . . just still feeling a bit jittery in the tummy.

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Here’s another old friend come home at last, this time courtesy of the local library’s used book sale.

Well, a relative of an old friend as my childhood copy was in English. Spanish, English, any way you slice it this is a fantastic cook book with illustrations that scream “it’s the 60s!”. I loved this book, most probably and literally to death as it disappeared somewhere in the distant past. No matter; the crazy dog and cat team are back to cook all my old favorites.

Like Egg in a Nest.

Twice Baked Cheesy Potato.

Sausage Rolls.

and for a magnificent grand finale: Baked Alaska. I think I actually made this once and it was like a magic trick — the meringue got toasty golden brown and the ice cream didn’t melt!

I apologize for the wonky scans; this is a rather large book and it didn’t quite fit in the scanner (bit of a struggle actually). Still, you can get a very definite idea of how it looks and why I am everlastingly thankful to have this treasure (or variation thereof) back in my hot little hands.

Happy Turkey Day Everybody!

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and all day yesterday too. I can’t seem to stop leaking tears. He was amazing and brave and he changed my world and helped me to know that I was strong enough to deal with all the bad crap the world could throw at me.

“I cry a lot because I miss people. They die and I can’t stop them. They leave me and I love them more.” 

        Maurice Sendak

Neil Gaiman has already said the most essential things on his blog. Read it here. Be certain to go to the comic link at The New Yorker and READ IT!

It’s funny that he mentions In the Night Kitchen, because that is the most treasured Sendak book I own (and I have a number of his other books). Not just because it is a particularly favorite story (Read Banned Books!), and I do absolutely pick up the Little Nemo connection, but because it was Robert McKinley’s copy before it became mine.

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oddfellows book cover

Yes, I finally got around to getting my very own copy of this entirely charming book. That’s right: Entirely Charming.

It’s a story (or stories) about orphans and their adventures that made me feel all together safe and cosy and warm. I’m talking “peanut butter and honey sandwich” cosy, “wrapped up in a quilt on the couch while a storm rages outside” safe and warm.

I want to go to cryptozoology class with Professor Silas. I want to ride on a bear at a picnic. I want to hang out and do homework with a hedgehog student who’s always hungry. I want to live in a place that has bear-drawn carriages.

bear-drawn carriage

When I was a little girl I had several favorite books that were illustrated by Tasha Tudor. The softness of her pencil drawings resonated with the stories and made them more real. Emily’s drawings echo that feeling.

delia

This is a book of perfect innocence.

It’s also a book of eclectic curriculums, unusual people (including an onion headed boy), rabbit shaped pancakes, honey and, oh yes, dearies . . . bears.

It has become apparent that I share more than a few common interests with Emily Martin. Her blog Inside a Black Apple is delightful and I’ve been reading it for rather a long while. She has a terribly good eye for things both vintage and modern that have a certain sensibility; a let’s get comfortable, enjoy a nice cup of tea and talk about lovely fun things sensibility. Well, lovely fun things that are just the teensiest bit off center, perhaps just an itty bit bent. Which likely explains why I keep doing blog posts about her (here and here).

She has a new website just for Oddfellow’s Orphanage which you can read about here. To celebrate, Emily has made a new paper doll and is giving it away free at the Oddfellows website (it’s in the Diversions section). Just like last time; personal use only please.

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Cautionary Tale

Read it here*.

Obviously this person never read Instructions by Neil Gaiman . . . or at least didn’t take it seriously. One should never insult small persons encountered in the forest who are wearing only pajamas — Ha!

*Muddy Colors is a marvelous brain candy of a blog and I read it regularly even though I’m not a painter.

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Happy Leap Day!

Here’s a pretty picture to enjoy while we wait for spring. It’s by German artist Sulamith Wulfing (1901-1989).

I particularly like the way the beetle is carrying the caterpillar in two of it’s arms and propping up a blossom with the other two. Also the red socks on the elderly little fae look quite cheerful.

 

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Happy Winter Solstice!

I’m really quite too busy trying to finish up Christmas preparations (yes, the tree is up) but please visit this link to Salley Mavor’s Solstice post. It is very beautiful and I just love the poem she chose.

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Or, Danger Will Robinson . . . Danger!

Does this face look familiar to you? It reached right out and grabbed me even though it was tiny thumbnail size image on the site where I first saw it. So I clicked it.

Wow! and Ouch! Is it just me or does this doll have more than a passing resemblance to the girls in Mark Ryden’s paintings? She’s a new release named Trisha from D.I.M (Doll in Mind).

I am a huge fan of Ryden’s work and have been since my very first exposure. If you’re not familiar; do a google image search right now — I’ll wait.

It is perhaps a fortunate thing that I can’t afford to buy this girl as I’m certain I would feel an overwhelming compulsion to make her clothes to match Mark’s paintings. Which would be lovely fun and a perfect opportunity to make outfits that are simultaneously dark, twisted and massively sweet. Which would inevitably be way too time consuming.

She would certainly demand a meat ball gown for starters. Dangerous!

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