Spring is Here (Sort of)!

We Melburnians been kept on our toes by spring’s wayward weather almost for a couple of weeks now, but what a great feeling it was on the first day of the month to know winter was over, and to turn over the page of my Frankie calendar to see this image from German illustrator Anke Weckmann.

Weckmann’s whimsical style and light touch is a perfect choice for September. The subject and colours are fresh and certainly springlike, and there is that lovely liberating feeling evoked by the new season.

One does indeed wish to lounge under leafy trees when the sun shines – fitfully enough in Melbourne at this time of year. It can literally switch from glorious sunshine and blue skies to wind-whipped clouds and lashing rain in minutes! We might all grumble and complain, but secretly we love our temperamental climate and boast of its capriciousness to visitors.

Hope you are enjoying a happy September.

The Lost Book

A little while ago I briefly glimpsed this picture somewhere on my computer; it took a moment for the image to sink into my consciousness, and by the time I thought to pause and take it in, I had already clicked on. I searched high and low in all my folders (or so I thought) and couldn’t find it until now, when I found it by chance. So I thought I’d better share it immediately!

I have not read this book myself in fact – I just really liked this illustration. There is a lovely light touch to the pencil and ink line drawing, in nice contrast to the serious literature, and the minimal colour palette is appealing. I have a strong suspicion that the colour has been applied in Photoshop, as the watercolour brush looks a little too mechanical, and there are too many sharply defined corners, but that does not detract from its delicacy.

This book has been lurking on my computer for so long (since June 2012) and the url I saved – storybird.com, a pretty name for a blog – has unfortunately expired.

A Blast of Winter

Illustration by Cornelia LiI have been rather behind with keeping the Scrapbook running in the last few months, so here is a blast of winter Frankie calendar images all at once! (Wouldn’t it be nice if the cold months could pass by as quickly?)

I love the June calendar page, by Cornelia Li, because it is so apt for what Melbourne’s winter has been like this year. The image is titled ‘Isolation’. It’s not clear on Li’s website what medium she uses, but I suspect there is a mixture of traditional and digital media (going by the halftone dots spotted in some of her images), with brush, pencil and crayon or pastel strokes visible.

Cornelia is Toronto-based, and is interested in the interaction of people with their surroundings, seeking to capture this relationship in her drawings. See more of her work on her website.

Illustration by Sandra EterovićMelbourne illustrator Sandra Eterović specialises in painting in acrylic on wood or paper, in an unpretentious folk art style that is alive with texture and colour, which puts me somewhat in mind of Frida Kahlo. July’s fisherlady with her colourful catch is charming. Check out her blog here.

Illustration by Ashley RonningAshley Ronning, illustrator of August’s calendar page, is another Melbourne-based artist. After studying graphic design, she moved into set dressing and prop-making before she settled at last on illustration and risograph printing.

For those who don’t know, riso printing uses Japanese technology from the 80s – a digital printer that uses real ink (like an offset printer, and unlike a conventional photocopier) – which makes it a less expensive method for producing high-volume print runs than modern office photocopiers or laser and inkjet printers. Riso prints have a very distinctive and appealing look, much like Ronning’s work.

I really like the jungle atmosphere in this personal piece in Frankie’s calendar. Check out more of her work on her website.

Only one more month of winter to go – hurrah!

Alpaca Day

Today is May Day, and according to my Frankie calendar, it is also Alpaca Day! I was charmed when I turned the page over and saw this illustration by Monica Ramos. Born in Manila, Ramos now works in New York. Executed in mostly watercolour, her work is lovely and whimsical, reminiscent of yardage design (and indeed some of her work has been produced in textiles) and displaying a wonderful sense of humour. Her line work also reminds me of Henri Matisse.

The alpaca painting is such a joyful, comforting work, depicting crowds of the cuddly creatures joining a group hug with the lone human. They are social creatures, but can be aggressive, and like llamas, they also spit (sometimes at humans). A few years ago I saw a competition at an agricultural show, and it was delightful to walk amongst their pens afterwards and see them close up.

You can see more of Monica Ramos’ equally delightful work at her website, or on her blog. Have a wonderful May!

Madeline Goes Down Memory Lane

To the tiger in the zoo, Madeline just said, "Pooh-pooh…", from Madeline, 1939Amongst the many classic children’s books that I have fond memories for, one series recently came back to mind: those of Madeline, by Ludwig Bemelmans (1898–1962).

Bemelmans was born in Austria-Hungary but emigrated to America as a youth after an unfortunate incident in which he shot and seriously wounded a waiter at his uncle’s hotel! He became a US citizen in 1918, living mostly in New York. It was there in the 1930s that he began writing and publishing children’s books, and the first Madeline book – a manuscript scrawled on the back of a bar menu – appeared in 1939. He published only six stories of her, though a seventh was discovered after his death. He also wrote many books for adults, and illustrated for magazines such as The New Yorker, Harper’s Bazaar and Town & Country.

The girls in midwinter; watercolor and gouache, from Madeline, 1939I don’t actually remember the stories themselves very well, but the beautiful illustrations have always stuck with me. Bemelmans worked in watercolour, gouache, and oils, and there is a marvellous freedom of expression and lack of self-consciousness – as well as joyful humour – in the linework. It is that wonderful joie de vivre in the lighthearted drawings, as well as the feisty personality of the heroine, that is so appealing and memorable. My favourites out of this series is the drawing of the tiger, which looks absolutely and hilariously insane, and the delightful oil painting of Madeline at the flower market.

Scroll down for a trip down memory lane to childhood.

Madeline's Rescue, 1953Madeline at the Paris flower market, painting in oils from 1955Pen, ink, watercolor, and gouache of a dummy cover for the title Madeline and the Bad Hat, 1956Madeline and the Bad Hat, 1956Madeline and the Bad Hat, 1956Madeline and the Gypsies, 1959Images from Daily Mail.