Marie Mahler

I really like the work of Marie Mahler, a French illustrator now living and working in Brussels.

She works in oil pastels and colour pencils and collage—the originals measure about 20 x 20 cm. Best-known for her children's books (published by Didier Jeunesse, Mango, Lito, among others), she also does other illustration work, including:  editorial (including Milan), stationery and cards, and toy and game illustration for Djeco,the wonderful French toymakers.

These images are from her beautiful book Kalimagier.  This picture book, published jointly by Ricochet (France) and Lazhari Labter Editions (Algeria), was inspired by words that cross over from the French language to the Arabic and back again — indeed, "kalima" means word in Arabic, and "imagier" is French for a sort of picture dictionary. This includes words like Zarafa (giraffe), Quoton (cotton), guitar, café and so on — 100 words in all.

If you happen to be in Paris you can see the originals, now on show at Galerie Jeanne Robillard until 2 July.  

But if not, you can always look at this video, which includes a really interesting interview with Marie (in French), plus a virtual tour of the images and the gallery. Don't miss it!

Martin Jarrie headshots

Heads up!  Martin Jarrie, painter and illustrator extraordinaire, is having a one-man show in Paris!

His illustrations are equally wonderful — his Hyacinthe et Rose received the  Bologna Ragazzi Award this year.

His show — "La Fabrique Anatomique" — is up until 4 June, at  the Arsenic Galerie ... don't miss it!

Paris, ville mouvementée

A little tip of the hat to yesterday's transport strike in Paris. Good thing I like to walk so much!

It is from the cover of VOGUE magazine (the September 1949 issue), illustration by a G. Coltellacci.

Found at Lori Langille's wonderful blog

Princesse Camcam et la rentrée

Couverture pour cahier d'ecoliers (pour Marelle en Papier)

Remember stocking up on notebooks and pens, and that mixture of optimism and grim determination?

Marie de Paris (editions ABC Melody, Fév.2010)

Autumn colours everywhere...

Petite Sirene (personal work)

Remembering last summer, anticipating next summer...

Some images by French illustratrice Princesse Camcam, with a decidedly back-to-school feel.

Her portfolio and here, too.

Her blog

Lucien Boucher

Excellent illustrated map of Paris, by Lucien Boucher circa the 1940's. Found on the flickr photostream of Crossett Library (at Bennington College, Vermont), whose collection of images is well worth a visit.

As for Lucien Boucher (1889-1971) he was a poster artist and illustrator very active in the 20's, 30's and 40's. He made lithographs, engravings and painting in gouache and watercolour. Even though he is better known for his posters and maps, he's very much the poet laureate par excellence of everyday Paris in the mid-century period, with charming, evocative and droll vignettes of otherwise overlooked subjects.

For more, see:

Ma Brocante à Paris, which featured a smashing series pharmaceutical advertising in the guise of travel posters, including this one—

And A Journey Round My Skull, which includes Lucien Boucher's illustrations for children's books, in a round-up on that topic.

And, finally, Ma Galerie à Paris has a more comprehensive look at his life and work (in French). Here's an example—

Bonne journée, y'all!