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Friday, July 20, 2007

Influences (Score!!)

A short while back, I went on a used-Trina Schart Hyman book-buying bender. (Isn't abe.com great?)


Trina is one of my earliest illustrative influences (right after Maxfield Parrish and Adrienne Segur). I was first exposed to her when my parents subscribed to Cricket Magazine from its first issue and she was the art director. I have childhood sketchbooks filled with copies of her pen and ink work from those magazines. It wasn't until college that I bought my first book of hers and discovered how prolific she was. I'm still enamoured of her work.

These are probably the most influential of her books for me. And I had either nearly worn out my own copies or was tired of checking them out of the library multiple-multiple times. From the first time I read her "Self Portrait", I wanted to *be* her. What artists did you want to *be* when you grew up?


Another fun acquisition this month came from a critique group exchange. One of my POBL members was giving away this first edition, beautifully illustrated by Walter Crane, garden-verse book. I was completely drooling, and very happy it ended up coming home with me.

Gorgeous printing. Very dated verse....


And one last little grouping - this is the collaged cover on my most recent journal/notebook, all currently symbolic to me - art/beauty, journey, nature and spirit. (And you photo-wiz's out there - how do you take pictures of glossy things without the glare? argh!)

Who are your influences?

7 comments:

Gretel said...

I have the glossy problem when taking pics of my rfe cards, I simply kill the flash and take it in natural light, or with a couple of lights from different angles so that it is well light but not from a direct source which may make a shiny reflection. If that makes any sense.

Lucky lucky you with the Walter Crane, although I have a fair idea of what the verse is like..

xxxxx said...

Thanks for your visit Tara. I thought you might like those pics :-) If I'm around when you visit Glastonbury, I'd love to meet you there!

Thanks also for your kind words about the move (again!). Yes, we will stay in the area, hopefully in the same neighborhood.

Those books are gorgeous and I'm particularly intrigued by the Witch Poems and Fairy Poems. I'll have to check these out!

Unknown said...

Great post, Tara. I am now inspired to get going on an "early infulences" post over at the POBL blog. I'll just need to gather some pictures and scan or photo. :)

natural attrill said...

I love that Walter Crane book, beautiful cover.
Penny.

Miss Robyn said...

your journal cover is gorgeous...I would say mine would be very similar.

Parisbreakfasts said...

Oh Trina went to my high school and was married to a neighbor a block away :O
Her work is wonderful!

Anonymous said...

The Old Garden looks like a magical book!