I may not have shared this before but I have a collection of contemporary children's illustration books.
Its been an obsession developing for a while and due mainly to the most awesome bookstore nearby, Greville St Bookstore in Prahran (really the best Graphic Arts and totally QUALITY bookstore with a quirky sense of style) - SERIOUSLY, you just HAVE to go there (layby is offered...).
Thought I would make Sunday then a regular post of my obsessions that stir my soul and I will start with samples from my ever growing collection of Children's books with links to the Author where possible.
So, first cab off the ranks, Miroslav Sasek:
It is my intention to get the whole series but in the meantime I only have Paris and Rome. You can find more info on Miroslav & the "This is..." collection of books here.
Here is a pic from the book and the cover of the other I have just as a taster....
The books themselves are a large format, around A3, and the old school watercolour /ink & line work fabulously on this scale. They depict real places and situations and are a sketchbook of each location almost, all be it with some Czech panache. Nothing better to do on a Cold & Wet Melbourne Sunday than to dream of munching a croissant in some Parisienne Cafe.....
A little about Miroslav. He trained as an Architect as his Parents did not want him becoming a Painter (who KNOWS why??? heh heh.....). He studied at the Ecole Beaux Arts in Paris and commenced the 'This is...' series of books in 1959 (many have been reprinted in the last few years and can still be found). He continued to paint and made 4 films also around the book series using an Iconographic technique creating an illusion of movement by panning over the illustrations. Many original editions can be found on Ebay but thankfully, due to many reprints, you can still pick up new copies.
WoW, I have learnt more about Miroslav then I previously knew so the "Sunday Collection" posts are going to work a treat.
Thank you Miroslav for your amazing creative contribution.
Blessings
KB
