La Grande Fabrique De Mots

I am in love with a new book and illustrator and I wanted to share it with you!  The book is called The Great Word Factory by Agnes de Lestrade and illustrated by Valeria Decampo.  It was originally written in French, however when they translated it to English they changed the title to Phileas's Fortune, a story about self expression.  The English title is really clunky if you ask me, however, the story and the illustrations are just as beautiful! 

I found a video of the reading of the book in it's original French which you can see below.  It's absolutely lovely and you must click on the link:)   (I tried to embed it but it didn't work, so please click on the link, you'll love it)

https://www.rtbf.be/auvio/detail_histoire-la-grande-fabrique-de-mots?id=1731395

I discovered her work through internet searches.  Every time I see artwork that speaks to me it is almost always picture book art.  Lucky me!  That means there is a whole book full of this beautiful artwork!  So of course I quickly research and figure out what titles the artwork belongs to and then I add them to my personal library.  That's how I found Valeria Decampo's work.  Her characters are sweet and whimsical and the world's she creates reminds me of something Sean Tan would imagine.  I also like her selective use of color to add emphasis to the words and the work.   Here are a few more images from Philea's Fortune.

It's a beautiful story about trying to find the right words to express ourselves to those we love.  Sometimes it's difficult to find those words, and in Philea's world it's even harder because you have to buy every word you want to say!  But in the end, the words of the heart shine through even if they aren't spoken out loud.  

This book was so popular it has sold more than 120,000 copies and was translated into over 20 languages!  Now that's a book you need to read.  I'm not sure what took me so long to discover this lovely book and this wonderful illustrator, but now that I have you can bet I will be collecting more of her work.  I hope you enjoy it as much as I do:)

Tschuss!

Rebecca Dautremer - Favorite Illustrator

The art of French Illustrator Rebecca Dautremer first captured my attention when I saw her work in Sketchtravel.  It was a simple illustration of a man riding a carriage pulled by a dachund --- I was immediately smitten with her illustrations.  Her work appeared in the first few pages of the book and the write up she provided on her thoughts about the project were so authentic, I knew I just had to learn more about this artist. 

Viewing her work is a bit like stepping into a fairytale, but her characters have a modern feeling to them.  Her illustrations feel magical are beautifully detailed.  She says her recipe for success are warm colors and precise drawings.  Below I found a short video showing her completing a painting.  Her excellence as an artist can clearly be seen in this video.       

She has had much success in illustrating picture books for children ages 3 - 11, although she is not well known in the U.S.  Many of the titles I found were published in Spanish or French language.  Two books that I own are in Spanish and although I do not speak Spanish that doesn't stop me from enjoying the illustrations!  Here are a few:

For Christmas I rewarded myself by adding two of her children's books to my collection.  I bought Nasreddine, written by Odile and illustrated by Rebecca Dautremer, and Enamorados, written and illustrated by Rebecca Dautremer.  You can see both of these books incorporated in the illustration above and I've included some of the artwork from the books in the selection of her work that I posted above.  I hope I have whet your appetite enough that you will go out and find her work for yourself.  It really is spectacular and such a great inspiration to me:)

Let me know what you think in the comments below. 

Tschüss

(The word above is the informal German word for goodbye and one of my favorite.  Embracing my heritage, I've decided to make it my new sign off for 2016)

Favorite Illustrator - Garth Williams

So it's time for me to tell you about another favorite illustrator of mine, and probably yours.  When I think of Garth Williams I think of my childhood and reading his books in the tiny bedroom of my childhood home.  I read every single one of the "Rescuers" books multiple times.  I read them for the illustrations because I loved Garth Williams pen and ink drawings.  I would copy those drawings over and over again.  Bernard and Bianca were brought to life for me by those drawings.  And their adventures took me to new places.  I knew when I read a description of a predicament that they found themselves in, Garth Williams' drawing would portray it perfectly.  I remember a description of Bernard and Bianca escaping the Black Castle through a small opening that lead to a gushing stream outside.  It was a detailed description, but I couldn't quite picture it in my mind.  Then I turned the page and the illustration showed it perfectly.  It made my enjoyment of the book complete.  I remember staring at the picture below and being amazed at how he crafted the details of a little girls face with just hatches of line.  I think it was the first time I came to appreciate the power of value.

And of course my favorite book of his was "The Cricket In Times Square".  The little world that he created for Tucker the mouse, Harry the cat, and Chester the cricket in the subway enthralled me.  Tiny matchbox beds and thimble tables.  I loved every drawing! I often copied the drawings trying to get his pen and ink style.  It was my exposure to Garth Williams' drawings that made me fall in love with drawing as a child and made me want to be an artist.  I loved that he created these magical worlds where adorable creatures lived and had these memorable adventures.  His work touched both the artist and the adventurer in me and has influenced me to this day.

Garth Williams was born in New York City to artist parents.  Like many great artists he studied art in Europe when his parents moved to England.  He studied architecture and then switched to painting and sculpture.  He graduated from the Royal Academy of Art and served briefly as the headmaster of the Luton Art School outside of London before resigning to immerse himself in art.  When he returned to the United States, he tried to become a cartoonist for The New Yorker, but his work was rejected because it was considered too wild and European.  Isn't that funny!  His work was considered too wild?  I wonder what he showed them!

He eventually found an opportunity at Haper and Row when a manuscript for a children's book came in.  It was E.B. White's "Stuart Little".  I guess he wasn't too wild for children:)  That was the beginning of a long and successful career as a children's book illustrator for Garth Williams.  And while his illustrations were the reason for the success of such books as "Stuart Little," "Charlotte's Web," and "Cricket In Times Square" at the time of their success he was often not credited.

For me, almost all of Garth Williams work sits on my bookshelf.  He is frequently a "go to" resource for me when I want inspiration.  He captures a sense of innocence and wonderment in his illustrations that I want to develop in my own work.  He has not been with us since 1996 when he passed away, but his art has left a permanent mark on me and maybe on you too.

What is your fondest memory of Garth Williams work?  Leave me a comment below.