Tove Jansson

Tove Jansson is known all over the world for her Moomin books and characters. I love her illustrations and watercolors more than Moomin... There's just so sadly few samples online :-(

If you can, go to the Moomin Valley exhibition in Tampere. It's amazing...

Here's a couple of images that remind me of Tove Jansson...

Japanese woodcut

Paula Rego 

I don't like Paula Rego's art, it's too dark, sinister, wicked and twisted to my taste, but her style, the somewhat exaggerated, caricature-like, with strong angles and shadows and light, that I like :-)

Lesley Anne Ivory and some other cat painters

The details, colors... and cats. No wonder I love her art :-D

And, again, if you mention her, you have to mention also
Charles Wysocki

and
Geoffrey Tristram

This one is by Nadia Carre

 I also have to mention Martin Leman... I don't think I had ever seen painting like his...

This one I made a copy of, and made it into a hanger for my sister who loves cats...
I love the simple, naif lines and forms, and colors... Wonderful :-)

Jill Barklem and other animal lovers

Another artist filling her pictures with details is Jill Barklem (*1951) and her Brambly Hedge.

I also adore line closets, pantries and cabinets... attics filled with interesting, old things, second hand stores, antique stores, flee markets... places filled with stuff, to explore and make discoveries among... "I Spy" pictures :-)

I am going to mention two other illustrators here; Beatrix Potter (1866-1943) and Marjolein Bastin. (1943)

 I simply love Bastin's Vera the Mouse...
I bought several scraps with Vera,
and wanted to make a little toy
with all her things and clothes and everything,
when I was young :-D

and, frankly, if you mention Beatrix, you have to mention Ernest Aris, (1882–1963)

Racey Helps (1913-1970)

and Molly Brett (1902 - 1990) too

and Jan Brett (1949)

Sven Nordqvist

Norman Rockwell's humor and odd details make me think of a Swedish contemporary illustrator, Sven Nordqvist (*1946)

I love the fact that his illustrations are filled with details... I love watching the details...  It's like "I spy" pictures. I like his lines, compositions and colors too. :-)

Norman Rockwell

I love Norman Rockwell's illustrations. There we have another illustrator, whom the world sees as a genius, but who thought less of himself. He too wanted to be a "real artist"...


Norman Rockwell was an American illustrator and artist, born 1894, died 1978, and Wikipedia says his "breakthrough" came 1913, but I'd say his best years were 40's and 50's :-)

Rudolf Koivu

One of my earliest influences was Rudolf Koivu.
He was a Finnish illustrator, born 1890, died 1946 and published his first illustrations 1911, a year after finishing art school. He wanted to be a "real artist", but had to illustrate to earn his living. His paintings aren't special, but his illustrations are amazing... in my mind ;-)

 Raul Roine: Glass bells

H.C.Andersen; Snow Queen

H.C.Andersen; The Steadfast Tin Soldier

I should have the illustration for Andersen's fairytale about the guy who traveled in a suitcase, and the New Year's feast for Raul Roine... I still remember how in the fairytale a lady was described to be the most beautiful woman in the world, "looking like your mother", and how I thought Rudolf Koivu's thin, dark-haired beauty was so much prettier than my short and blonde mother, but I'm getting him now :-D My mother IS the most beautiful woman in the world, and the older she gets, the more beautiful she gets :-)

Welcome to my newest blog :-)

I am a renaissance woman; an artist and a craftswoman. I have blogs for my other interests, and now I have a blog for my interest of illustration and art.

I hope you like it.