Natalie Pudalov

Happy Friday, everyone! Shall we start the weekend with some crazy, funky, surreal, colorful, incredibly imaginative art? Here's a selection of my favorite illustrations from brilliant Natalie Pudalov.

website

A Book From My Childhood

When I was 18 years old my family emigrated from Russia to New Zealand. We could only take a suitcase each and so naturally most of our possessions were left behind. I never regretted it, I try not to get attached to stuff anyway. However, since I've started collecting children's picture books, I've been longing for one particular book I've had. It was a story about a girl who was having a very exciting dream full of adventures, and that dream continued over a few nights. The thing I loved the most about this book was the artwork. I remember being completely mesmerized by the illustrations, they really transported me into the magical world of the story.
I tried looking for this book on Amazon and Ebay but couldn't find it. I have found a few illustrations from the book though, that's some consolation :) Here they are, wonderful illustrations by Alexander Koshkin.

Kyoko Okubo paper sculptures

Kyoko Okubo makes these sculptures from Japanese paper washi. Aren't they marvelous?

In The Nursery

I have painted these pictures for my son's room and I wanted to frame them nicely. I didn't want to use frames with glass, a panicky lady in me has horrific images of Riley breaking the glass somehow and hurting himself. But I still want to protect my illustrations. I thought it would be easy enough to find a frame with thin plastic glass. However, after raiding all nearby stationery shops, I couldn't find anything that was even close to what I've had in mind. So for now we have prints on the walls and the originals are hidden in my folders. I would still like to put the originals up though... Does anybody have any idea how I can frame these?

Prints are available here  TinyRed

Emily Winfield Martin

I came across Emily Winfield Martin's art when I opened my shop on Etsy. It was very difficult to avoid it as Emily is a legend on Etsy, I believe hers is the most successful shop there. It's easy to see why. Her art is so unique, so inspiring. I love her whimsical images, her bold colors, the charm and mystery of her characters. But the thing I admire the most is that Emily's style is so recognizable. I'm still struggling to settle down with one particular style, I'm still a bit all over the place, searching for my niche. I hope to find it one day.

Meanwhile, here's a selection of my favorite paintings by Emily.

Emily Martin's shop theblackapple and  blog

Valentine's Day Gift Ideas

So, Christmas and New Year's are over... what is there to look forward to? Valentines Day! I know, I know, Valentines Day has become one of those commercial holidays with no substance. However, I still think it's a good opportunity to treat your loved one, show them that you care. Of course, you could do it any time of the year and not when the ads on telly tell you to, but sometimes we get so wrapped up in our daily life, we simply forget to even say "I love you", not to mention get a gift for your lover. So let's play along and do the Valentine's!

Now, don't even think about buying a box of  chocolates from your nearest petrol station! Here's a selection of gorgeous hand made goodies which will make your loved one feel truly special.

Valentine's Day Gifts for Wives and Girlfriends


This raw silk purse is to die for! Husband, if you're reading this, it's a definite HINT.
Available from BoudicaBags for $78.00

This ring is so very pretty and romantic. Can you believe it's made from clay?

Available from RykhlinskaARTstudio for $70.00

My own hand painted silver pendant. Sold here TinyRed for $31.45

Rose petal scented candle will help set the mood for love.
Available here JenSanCandles for $8.25

This bear is just so charismatic! I really like his jumper as well :)
Sold here zverrriki for $166.50

Valentine's Day Gifts for Husbands and Boyfriends 


Think ties are boring? Think again! These ties are brilliant.

Available here Cyberoptix for $40.00 and $30.00

 

 How cool are these cuff links?  

Available here SecretFind for $19.50

Wrap him up in this stylish scarf.
Available from MyHobbyShop for $25.00

I hope you like my ideas!

Alice Through the Looking Glass illustrated by Helen Oxenbury

Alice in Wonderland has got to be the most illustrated book of all times. I think only lazy illustrators haven't done Alice. However, I haven't seen that many different Through the Looking Glass versions. That made me think, is the second Alice story not as good as the first one? I'm almost ashamed to admit that I haven't read it. Could it be that the overwhelming popularity of Alice has put me off?  Maybe so. When I saw Helen Oxenbury's illustrations for the Looking Glass, I fell in love with them and actually wanted to read the book. I'm half way through it now and enjoying it very much. But I think I'm enjoying the art more than the story. Have a look at these illustrations from the book. Can you judge me?