Inspiring Illustrations

One of my goals for 2012 (see previous post) is to really spend more time on my blog, building it up, redesigning it, making it prettier and generally making it more a part of my everyday.

I plan on adding one or two weekly 'features'. I have a couple ideas that I am excited about and THIS (Yes! THIS POST! ;) ) is the first!! It is called Inspiring Illustrations and weekly (or at least pretty frequently) I plan on sharing some beautiful artwork from my vintage children's book collection and learning more about the artist.

I have been collecting vintage children's books for close to 3 years now and have amassed quite the collection! I am just so drawn to the illustrations and how beautiful most are. I had started collecting them (mostly books that had some damage to them) so that I could use them in projects, collages, etc... and it just became an obsession! I will have to share a photo of my collection sometime soon.... ANYWAY.. My first choice of books to share with you is BIRDS by Brian Wildsmith.

The pictures in this book are gorgeous. Each one illustrates a group of birds and a collective term for them - an unkindness of ravens, a colony of penguins, etc... The illustrations are just full of color and curiosity. Birds was published in 1967.

Brian Wildsmith was born in Yorkshire, England in 1930. He grew up in a small mining town that was always gray and colorless. He commented once that he always had to use his imagination and draw in his head. He has deservedly earned a reputation as one of the greatest living children’s illustrators. In 1962, he published his first children’s book, ABC, for which he was awarded the Kate Greenaway Medal which is Britain’s equivalent to the Caldecott Medal.

He has also illustrated many other books including The Owl and the Woodpecker, The Little Wood Duck along with many other animal books. You can bet I will be looking for more of his books when I am out thrifting!!