Thread, Paper & Feather

Catherine Frere-Smith

Soft sculptures are one of the trends in animal art I am always drawn to,

wheter they be made of felt, fabric or paper; and stitched, knitted or glued 

to form sweetly simple or stunningly intricate creations.

Women artists have been the most active in exploring these creative paths,

and with this avian gallery I want to honor some of my favorites  – but I am still 

on the lookout for more, so if an artist you love is missing, please let me know!

Emma Hall

 Ann Wood

 Emily Sutton

Alice Wolfe

 Anna-Wili Highfield

Elsa Mora

Abigail Brown

 Diana Beltran Herrera

 Swig

 The Makerie Studio

Amy Switzer

WIld Tapestries

Eaux profondes, 1960

Jean Picart le Doux was a French painter, illustrator and one of the most productive tapestry designers

 of the 20th century. He was born in Paris in 1902, the son of painter Charles Picart le Doux,

 and after studying art made his debut in bookbinding and publishing. During the 1930s he turned to advertising 

and graphic design, working in a style influenced by Cassandre and other great French poster artists

 of the time. In 1942 he won the Grand Prix of the theater poster. 

 In 1939 Picart le Doux met Jean Lurçat, the most important figure in the renaissance of French tapestry

 in the early 20th century (blog post to follow). At the time Lurçat had settled in Aubusson

 at the request of the French Ministry of National Education to create a new center for tapestry design

 and production. The two men became close associates, and in 1943 le Doux created his first tapestry cartoons

  for the passenger ship “la Marseillaise”. In 1947, together with Marc Saint-Saëns, they founded

 the Association of Tapestry Cartoon-Painters to promote the revival of tapestry design. 

Le Chalut, 1952 

This group of artists shared the same theories and aesthetics. They believed that tapestries

 should be original works of art rather than copies of paintings. Their works utilized a limited color palette

 and symbolic subject matter. They were conceived for hanging on walls and specific architectural spaces,

 and were often commissioned by the state to be showcased in in embassies, museums, schools and public buildings.

1962

Flore des Tropiques, 1961

Le Chant du Matin, 1965 ca.

Picart le Doux designed over four hundred original tapestries during his lifetime. He also continued

 to work as a commercial artist, and during the 1950s designed a series of posters for the French Tourist Office.

 In 1951 he was one of the founding fathers of ​​the Alliance Graphique Internationale with Jean Colin,

 Jacques Nathan Garamond, Fritz Bühler and Donald Brun, and became the association's first president. 

He also produced lithographs, and Illustrated deluxe editions and artist books by major French authors 

including Jean Cocteau, Verlaine, Baudelaire Apollinaire, and Colette. Picart le Doux had many exhibitions

 throughout his life (he died in 1982), and his works can be found in the collections 

of numerous museums in France and abroad.

Aquarium, lithograph

La Tortue, lithograph, 1962 

Owl from Apollinaire's Bestiaire

Birds & Beasts

Mark Hearld is a York-based artist and designer known for his prints and collages 
inspired by his love for the beauty of the British countryside and its wildlife.

I have been a fan of Mark's work for a while, and would love to be able to visit 

 Birds and Beasts, his ongoing exhibition at the Yorkshire Sculpture Park. 

 (love his lettering, by the way)

Hearld studied illustration at Glasgow College of Art and natural history illustration 

at the Royal College of Art. Now a successful and prolific artist, he exhibits around the UK, 
and receives design commissions ranging from movie sets to fabrics and ceramics. 

"The briefest glance around Mark Hearld’s York flat tells you that this is the home 

of an artist, an animal lover and, clearly, a hoarder". (BBC Homes and Antiques, 2010)

I appreciate all these qualities, and also love the fact that Mark somehow reminds me

of many other quintessentially British things and people I love...

This was a very productive year for Hearld: among other projects, he illustrated the children's book
 A First Book of Nature, his first wallpaper Harvest Hare received the Elle Decoration British Design Award, 
and Merrell published his first monograph, the gorgeous Work Book.

Harvest Hare

This latest show features collages in hand-painted frames, 
wooden animals decorated by hand, ceramics, limited edition lithographs, 

linocuts, and a collection of found objects.

Hearld always works closely with skilled craftsmen to realise his ideas, 

and for this event he has collaborated with a Stoke-based mould maker 

to produce a series of limited edition ceramic hares.

Photos courtesy of the Yorkshire Sculpture Park and St.Jude.

Birds and Beasts runs until the 17th of February, 

if you make it there let me know how it was!