The past in the present... Part 1

These winter months after Yule  always make me a little sad and a little nostalgic. I find myself turning to my creative equivalent of comfort food :) Delving into those artists and writers whose creations first captivated and inspired me many years ago and whose influence has remained always. They have become so dear to me. So I thought I would share just a small selection.

Going way back into the mists of time ;) I was given a copy of  'The Butterfly Ball and the Grasshoppers Feast' by Alan Aldridge as a Christmas present in 1973!

The illustrations are utterly gorgeous. If you search online you can find a fair few of them but here is a tiny taster just to tempt you:)

There were also two sequels, ' The Peacock's Party' and 'The Lion's Cavacade' All show off Alan Aldridge's  rich and astonishing illustrations perfectly. If you look around you can still pick up second-hand copies and to immerse yourself in these delicious pictures is definitely a serious winter pick me up :)

Moving forward in time a bit to the early 1980's...... I was lucky enough to discover a copy of  'Vali Myers Drawings 1949-1979', in one of those sort of discount bookshops (they used to sell end of print runs, seconds  etc) that seemed to be all over the pace in London. It cost me £2.50... still one of the best bargins I've ever had!! I'd never seen any of Vali's work before and it took my breath away with it's sheer beauty and power. I was hooked and began to try and find out all I could about this extraordinary woman.

Vali Myers

Sadly not much of her art is available to see online. And the book of her paintings is very scarce nowadays. But in 2007  'Vali Myers: A Memoir' by Gianni Menichetti was published and is well worth a read!

I can lose myself in these visions during those wonderful long winter evenings:)

There is more to come soon.............