I didn’t realize how much i like autumn until today, i think i like it more then summer, i have happier memories of Autumn then i do the summer maybe thats the reason why i like it better, anyway it was nice to wake up to wonderful red leaves on the trees today down my road, its the latest i have stayed in london for 3 years the weather is so different up here compared to cornwall where i have been did my degree for 3 years. I can just about cope with the cold but my GOD my studio was so cold yesterday while i was doing the Amelia’s magazine commissions i couldn’t concentrate because it was so cold! any I hear you say why is she talking about weather has she lost her mind ha! i wish no its just this time of year inspires me to draw furry little animals and jumpers so today i have been working on a few ideas, my dream is to create wonderful warm children’s literature and illustrated book aswell as illustrated products for children. So i wanted to share with you the sorts of things that have an still inspire me. I am in essence a bit of a geek, and i have always loved books, birds, drawing and being at home. So here goes my inspirational post these are the things that i can pin point and say this is what inspired me to draw….
I don’t know if you remember Sylvanian families but i do i had a really good friend when i was little who had practically all the houses cars and figures and they were always really expensive far to expensive for my parents to afford so my friend gave me one of her figures and i was soo excited by this that i found a cardboard box and painted it white with red bricks and made a dolls house i was a no fuss child, loved playing in the mud and making things blue peter style sticky back plastic and toilet rolls!
Good old percy the park keeper, i love the illustrations and every week i would collect the animal cards and put them in my book, see i told you i was a massive geek, and considering how much i’m afraid of animals now i loved them so much as a child i actually freak out a little bit if i have to stroke a cat or if a dog comes near me i need to man up! ha
It goes without saying that one of my favorite illustrators is Beatrix potter i would be so happy if i was a modern day version of her, but i dare say i will make it to her lofty heights very twee and totally english, my boyfriend has said in the past that me and my family are the most English/British family he has ever met 🙂
My favorite story of beatrix potter is The tailor of Gloucester, There is something really magical and being able to illustrate and write really magical books that transfix children is such a wonderful skill to have. Total love of this illustration..
I know people will read this post and think wow what a rather childish thing to write about, but in all of us especially creative jobs, there has to be something that inspires you and drives you too want to be Inspirtional to others
Since i posted this earlier, i have been watching sunday television, and guess what was on, The secret garden, bought back memories of childhood, the disney film hercules and believe me i was singing every word to every song, and now I’m watching big, tom hanks is one of my favorite actors I’m television/film heaven!
I think i might make this a regular occurrence reminiscent sunday i shall call it, to end with… the old tetley characters are back in the tea adverts defo reminiscent sunday
Oh my goodness, everything on this post is me too! haha. The Tailor of Gloucester was my fave book too I recently rescued it from the depths of the attic. I spotted my old dolls house with all my Sylvanian families in too. You have inspired me to do a childhood post like this 🙂
aww thanks Kerri-ann, i could of carried on writing but i thought i would leave it at that and write a wee bit more for another post i was to poor to have a proper dolls house for Sylvanian families you lucky girl 🙂
xx
Aww this has brought back so many memories. I loved Sylvannian families! And I have almost the whole Beatrix Potter collection 🙂 Great child hood toys and stories.
Really lovely post Ella. x
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Nothing childish about this. I don't trust people who have lost touch with their childhood selves. My favourite things to do are ones I already loved to do when I was 5 years old; reading all the time, watching films, drawing and writing. I don't think this will ever change.
I absolutely loved Sylvanian families! I had the entire bathroom and it was the cutest thing ever. I also loved a Spanish TV series called "la aldea del arce". ANIMALS WITH CUTE CLOTHES AND BOWS? Hell yeah!
oh and the name of my etsy shop is after the famous five go to mistery moor, which used to be one of my fave books as a child 🙂