Pages

Tuesday 22 June 2010

Illustration mini-series (Pt.1) :: Sara Fanelli

One of the loveliest things about my job is that it provides a bona fide excuse for hanging out in the children’s department of any given bookshop. The writerly part of me feels quite justified browsing and buying from the middle-grade and YA sections, while my arty parts love to do the same in picture books. Not that I don’t loiter, peruse and purchase in the grown-up sections, too, it’s just you miss out on some pretty good stuff if you don’t spread your wings.
It was in the children’s department that I first found and fell in love with a Sara Fanelli book. A re-telling of Pinocchio, the book was hardcover and in its own sleeve (just to make it even more covetable) and my very sweet boyfriend snapped up a copy for me there and then.

I was, and still am, smitten by the wonderful combination of collage, scratchy pencil, ink and painty-ness (yeah, I know what I’m talking about…), along with beautifully random hand-lettering.

As well as a bunch of other picture books, including Mythological Monsters and My Map Book, you might have spotted Sara’s work on stamps, theatre posters, a Pizza Express menu or even at the Tate.

For me, though, it’s mostly about the picture books. Unless you have a spare £200-300 to buy a print, or the chutzpah to pinch a pizza menu, they’re absolutely the best way to bag a little piece of her beautiful work for yourself.

Kirsty x

5 comments:

Sian said...

I'm very taken with that shade of blue in the first picture.

I did a special course on children's literature when I was at Library school, so I use that as my excuse for hanging round the kids dept!

Looking forward to seeing who else who you love

Carmen said...

I just use the kids as an excuse... though the 13 year old has got eye rolling down to a fine art now. She usually heads off to the adult section and leaves me happy as a pig in muck, backside hanging out of the baby book boxes in the library! :P I love the ye patched cay :P

Carmen said...

Blimey - what happened there? Promise I'm just on the tea. Meant to say: the eye patched cat!

Becky said...

Love children's literature and especially the ones with wonderful illustrations. Not seen Sara Fanelli before, but I love the colours she uses and her style of drawing. Will be looking at some of these for my nieces I think!

Unknown said...

They are seriously unusual illustrations - can't say I've ever seen them before. I shall have to keep my eye out!

Related Posts with Thumbnails