Paul Kidby

'Sky Dancer'

   If you know the work of New Forest artist Paul Kidby, and I’m sure you do, you will probably think of ‘Discworld’ the incredibly popular fantasy series by Sir Terry Pratchett.  

   But – when he has time - he also draws and paints ambrosial fairies – and it’s this aspect of his art that I’d like to show you here. 

‘Le Royaume Enchanté’

  
  
  With his wife Vanessa, Paul has made an exquisitely illustrated book of the faery realm – ‘Le Royaume Enchanté’ packed full with beauty and magic. It is published in French by Daniel Maghen.

  You can find a selection of Paul's original work online at   The Art of the Imagination.

  As if all this wasn’t enough, he has an increasing reputation as a noted sculptor and his limited edition bronzes are highly sought after. See here.

More illustrations from ‘Le Royaume Enchanté’

'Spindrift'

'The Guardian'

'Evening Star'

More about ‘Le Royaume Enchanté’ here in my diaryblog for April 2012

pictures©paul_kidby
used here with his kind permission

 

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Marc Potts

Click on any picture to go to Marc's website and gallery

   Living and working on Dartmoor, Marc paints and writes of subjects pagan, faery and mythological. He is “an avid devourer of all things folkloric”  

   A founder member of the   British Visionary Artists' Group he says of his own work ……

“My subjects are the nature-spirits and elementals, manifest representations of the ancient spirits of place  ...

I use muted colours because, to me, they are the colours of the dark, wild nature I'm trying to depict.”

  I WILL have an original piece of work by Marc, hanging in pride of place in my woodland shelter - I just MUST! Pffffst!  and SOON!

See more of Marc's art in my diaryblog for November here

pictures©marc-potts
used here with his kind permission

 

 

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Julia Jeffrey - Stonemaiden Art

'Scarlet'	'Sea Warrior'

I first saw and fell in love with Julia's stunning faery and elemental artwork at the Visionary Arts event in Dartmouth last December 2010 (see more about that in my Diaryblog here). It's taken me a while, but now I am the proud owner of one of her originals :-)

'Beltane'

Julia comes from Scotland, and studied at the famous Glasgow School of Art. She is now a sought after artist and book illustrator .

In her own words she has come back closer to.....
' ..... the sense of magic in the atmosphere of the Scottish countryside, which she experienced in childhood holidays and day-trips, exploring ruined castles and clambering over cairns, and the incredible power of illustrated books to utterly transport you to another world.'

'The Zodiac  - Virgo'

'Heartwood'

See and buy Julia's work at her Etsy Shop here

And an ongoing art blog on Facebook here

 

pictures©julia_jeffrey
used here with her kind permission

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Shona M MacDonald - The Wild Wood

Gargoyling Cat

   

   Shona lives close to the sea by the headland of Tynemouth in the North-east of England.

  After an art education in graphic design, she found herself drawn back to the inspirations of earlier years – folklore, faery tales and mythology.

 

Father Winter - The Holly King

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

  

  
    Her imaginative paintings and illustrations show -  ‘those forgotten places and creatures that live on the edges of our vision and our dreams.’

Follow Shona's journal and galleries of work on her website 'The Wild Wood'

Sycamore Sprites

   The detail in the work of nature spirits, humorously strange little creatures and people,  and old pagan gods can also be seen in the care taken in her botanical illustrations.

  As if that isn’t enough, Shona also makes amazing, prize-winning miniature bears, a few of them can be found for sale on her website.

Library Shrew

 

pictures©shona_macdonald
used here with her kind permission

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Karen Cater - Hedingham Fair

Karen and Colin Cater set up Hedingham Fair in 1997.

Karen’s original linocut artwork has been made into cards, calendars, t-shirts and much more – with sections on Trees & Flowers (including Ogham Tree Cards), Green Man, jewllery, hares etc.

 

Also found here is Karen’s beautiful diary and sketchbook of Ogham seasons and Tree Lore. Click on book to buy.

 
They believe that England’s ancient heritage should be fully appreciated by anyone sympathetic to it.. They can sing and play a bit too!

                  

pictures©karen_cater
used here with her kind permission

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Wendy Andrew - Painting Dreams

   
  Wendy’s exquisite book 'Luna Moon Hare' (pub 2008)  is full of wonderfully gentle paintings, and reflects her years of wildlife painting. (Click image to buy - or buy from Hedingham Fair above)

The book is subtitled “A magical Journey with the Goddess” and is an expression of her long interest in the ‘old ways’.

Click on any image to go to Wendy's website and card, print shop

She lives and paints in the South of England, and her Goddess and mythological paintings are internationally recognized and much sought after.

Many of Wendy’s paintings can be seen and bought online as prints and seasonal cards.

 

pictures©wendy_andrew
used here with her kind permission
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Trudi Finch

Click pictures for links

Trudi works in her beautiful studio near Aberporth in West Wales surrounded by the animals, plants and objects that inspire her work.

Her work covers many techniques but pastel and watercolour are her predominant mediums. Recently she has concentrated on dry-point etchings, which she prints on her own handmade paper.
Best known for her flower and fairy studies (one of which inspired the character of Azureadore' in the Muddypond Green books), Trudy is just as much at ease with landscapes, birds, animals and children.

Trudi has also produced a large range
of cards and prints which can be bought online.

 

pictures©trudi_finch

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  Hannah Willow

   Simply exquisite paintings and jewellery. No wonder they are now part of private collections the world over!

Apple Tree with Sapphire necklace

  Hannah lives and works in Wiltshire, ‘surrounded by hills and ancient places, carved white hill horses and rings of standing stones’.

  Her art is full of mythical connections, magic, moons, hares and folklore. Paintings are steeped in the peace and deep love of the landscape.

  Click on any picture to vist Hannah's web site for original jewellery and paintings as well as a range of prints.

From Hannah's new range of Icons 'Cornfield Hare' with silver hare top

'Moon Watching'

'The Hidden Songs'

 
  From November 8th 2013 - Jan 5th 2014,   you can see and buy some of Hannah's latest work in the Christmas exhibition "Winter Moon Wonders" at
Obsidian Art, a lovely gallery in Buckinghamshire. (See my Dairyblog page hhere for a glimpse of an earlier exhibition).
 

  More up to date information on her work can be found on  Hannah's Facebook pages.

 pictures©hannah_willow
used here with her kind permission

 

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Wayne Anderson

    Wayne is an illustrator, an award-winning artist of long standing. His very first book – 'Ratsmagic' – originally published in 1976 was presented with the Gold Medal for ‘Best Illustrated Children’s Book' by The Society of Illustrators. (Click here to buy book)

    Using a mixture of pencils, water colour paints, acrylic inks and coloured pencils he creates strange and magical fantasies – and is well known of course for his Dragons.

   ‘The Flight of the Dragons’ book was made into a full length animated feature film, Wayne designing all the characters and the backgrounds – and Don Maclean singing the title song!

  To date he has been involved in over fifty books, his own and as an illustrator for other writers. 'Gnomes and Gardens' with Nigel Suckling is one of my favourites.

Some wonderful originals as well as prints of his work may be available here at 'Illustrators' Cupboard'.

   Read more and see many of his illustrations old and new on his website.

pictures©wayne_anderson
used here with his kind permission

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Rima Staines - The Hermitage

 I am not sure that it's possible to introduce you to Rima. The only thing you can do is to look for yourselves!

She brings her extraordinary world of  'faery', myth and nature into oils on wood, pencil and water colour whilst making clocks like these below - (one day I will own one, or perhaps an original painting!) - and wondrous things too numerous to tell you of here!

Then of course, she works to commission - and still has time for the sweetest website :
http://www.the-hermitage.org.uk/Home.htm

Not to mention her dream-like blog space with its incredible descriptions, thoughts and photography :
http://intothehermitage.blogspot.com/

Prints of Rima's work can be found in her 'etsy shop' http://www.etsy.com/shop/thehermitage

 

pictures©rima_staines
used here with her kind permission

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Milena Synek - Bramhall Publishing

Milena paints, draws and illustrates in a variety of styles and mediums and is happy to take commissions.

    She has just finished the fourth of the "Little Wolf" books, . This is a set of parallel French - English stories for children both in schools and for home use.

Click on the pictures to go to Bramhall Publishing

    
   Living with her family in Kent, Milena is familiar with all the places in the Muddypond Green books.

You can see some of her fairy tale illustration by clicking on the tag "A Book Snippet or Two", in this website.

  pictures©milena_syneks
used here with her kind permission

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Jane Tomlinson

    Jane lives and works in Oxfordshire, finding plenty of inspiration there for her paintings and drawings.

  If this isn’t enough, she also travels the world with her camera and sketchbooks! Do browse her website !

 

 

 

 

     Her subjects are gathered from a fascination with the natural world, from science, history and mythology. (See Jane's painting of the Oxfordshire Rollright Stones on my Ogham Elder page.)

   Although she is drawn to living things, landscapes and ancient monuments, Jane says that she looks at them from a scientific rather than spiritual point of view.

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  Different cultures and the natural world from her many travels also play a large part in her artwork.
On  Jane's website and gallery  you'll find prints for sale
as well as gorgeous original pieces.

pictures©jane_tomlinson
used here with her kind permission

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David Goode

Bronze Sculpture

Click pictures for links

 

Here is the garden sculpture which I have coveted for years! A fountain named 'Seedpod'.     At least I can buy a print of it !!

  Inspired by a childhood fascination with Tolkein, myths and folklore, David lives and works in Oxford, sculpting the most exquisite pieces imaginable. His work from The Goblin Collection is for sale, as are prints and cards.

Cast in bronze, using the ‘lost wax’ process, a new ceramic mould is made and then destroyed for each individual piece. This is one of the most costly methods of casting but it retains every tiny detail of the original work

Interestingly, David was for quite a while, the youngest ever portrait sculptor at the London Madame Tussauds, where his works include Freddie Mercury and Micheal Jackson!

You can visit his studio, and see his work at The Chelsea Flower Show. I stood and gazed for hours!!

 

Failing this, see his website for the shop and gallery, and a great photo diary about the making of one of the largest pieces in the collection:

       The Garden Gnome Hunter.

 

pictures©david_goode

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all content © vcsinden2010 / 20   photographs and composites © vcsinden unless otherwise stated