Tuesday 8 January 2013

Inspiration and Delight

I would like to share with you a delightful discovery that I happened upon this week in the world of internet pootlings and wanderings. I found the blog of children's illustrator Emma Chichester Clark and it is delightful and dribble-worthy. 

Many of you with small children may know her stories about the ever endearing Blue Kangaroo or the loyal and loving Melrose and Croc. Emma Chichester Clark has a very individual style of drawing that, once your eyes have alighted on them, will know her pictures anywhere. She has illustrated her own version of Alice in Wonderland, Goldilocks, and Hans Christian Andersen's Fairy Tales, as well as many other individual picture book stories that she has written herself. One of these is Will and Squill, the first of her books I ever saw, which introduces us to a sweet boy and his crazy red squirrel friend who lives in his garden.


But, as if all this was not enough, here is her blog, I do love it:
http://www.emmachichesterclark.blogspot.co.uk/


Emma Chichester Clark































This space on the internet is where Emma faithfully illustrates the happenings that occur in the life of her pet dog Plum. I must just say that Plum is an excellent name, and one that we had shortlisted for our cats. But neither of them look like a plum so it is on the shelf .. if we ever have children ... 

Emma Chichester Clark

I love the luminous quality of Emma's drawings. Although they are soft and seemingly simple they are completely believable and give you a very real setting enhanced by lovely lighting. I only discovered this gem of a blog by accident.








Through facebook I had heard about an illustration project called Bear With Me, the adventures of a travelling sketchbook.


This is a wonderful collaboration featuring the work of some of the best British illustrators around today. Each artist can add their own interpretation of a red bear, doing whatever they like and in their chosen material. The sketchbook arrived with Catherine Rayner first, back in November,  and has since been drawn and painted in by Leigh Hodgkinson, 
Sarah Warburton, Chris Haughton, Alex T.Smith and Sam Usher, and of course Emma Chichester Clark, which is how I saw the link to her blog. It appears that there is some link to the Great Ormond Street Hopsital, with various celebrity actors and authors creating a separate doodly red bear to be auctioned with the proceeds going to the children's hospital.


Alex T.Smith
Many other artists are yet to receive the sketchbook to add their artwork and you can follow its progress around Britain via the postal system on the blog and through liking the page on facebook. 

http://bearwithmebook.blogspot.co.uk/

I love the idea of something working it's way around Britain, gathering in creativity like a snowball. I am intrigued to see all the final artwork eventually; so far all they will show are snippets! Emma's contribution looks very leafy and gorgeous and I am keen to see the whole picture though I fear it may not be revealed for some time. 


Emma Chichester Clark

As for plumdogblog, I am very glad that such a beautiful and funny blog exists but I am not reading all the posts in one go. I am going to save some for days when I extra-specially need to be delighted. 


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