Camilla Pentti is another artist/illustrator/designer from Finland.
Her work includes illustration and graphic design, as well as patterns... I just love her way with compositions, her eye for the natural world, the loose and vivid splashes of colour, and the linework: sensitively rendered yet with great freedom too.
She has also done illustrated books, and recently won the Rudolf Koivu award for her book "Lehmä jonku kiljessä oli luukku". I would love to see a translation!!
Born in 1979, Camilla studied graphic design at the University of Art and Design at Helsinki, where she still lives and works. She has even been involved in a collaboration with Napa, the fantastic Finnish gallery/publisher/agent/shop. An illustrated map created by Camilla is due out in about a month!
For her, "Working is best when it feels like play — when the joy of inventing and discovering something new is there."
Her palette and the simplicity of the forms I find soothing yet engaging, with a timeless feel to them.
As well as creating prints (in silkscreen and in monoprint), she also does posters and editorial illustrations. If you want to check out more, she has a site, a blog and a shop.
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!
Today is the Winter Solstice — the year's shortest day and longest night — so let us settle down for the duration. I don't know about you, but it is my most productive time of year.
William Blake wrote, "In seed time learn, in harvest teach, in winter enjoy."
Tzeh, the Russian illustrator's collective, is having an exhibit on the legends of Mount Ararat — stunning imagery from Armenian tales, myths and stories. It has been made into a book, and also cards! It's the crème de la crème of Russian talent, including work from Irina Troitskaya and VictoriaSemykina, among many many others. Beautiful work, definitely worth a look! Here are some that caught my eye:
Exhibit runs until 20 December in Moscow, see tzeh site for details.
I have just discovered the work of Czech illustrator Alzbeta Skálová. She does, among other things, wonderful children's books, which are published by Baobab Books.
She studied art film and illustration at the University of Prague, also doing a year in both Paris and Baltimore. She's won many prizes for her illustrated books since beginning her career.
This one, in watercolour and gouache, is from Back to Africa (Baobab Books, 2005)— a book I recently bought about animals from the Prague Zoo who escape and return to Africa.
(2009 book cover for Albatros, the legendary Czech children's book publisher and one of the founding members of the Bologna Book Fair)
She does some design on the side too— very appealing children's room items! For Sofistick.
Alzbeta is also a member of Koprbooks — an illustrator's collective in which many good artists participate. Definitely one to watch!
