Chinese Brushstrokes

Thanks to the YouTube channel Obscure Animation, I am very happy to showcase for the first time

 a video from China. And a lovely one it is, too. This award winning 1960 short was the earliest example

 of brush painting animation. It was produced at Shanghai Animation Film Studio, and co-directed

 by Tang Cheng and Te Wei, who is also generally credited with inventing the technique.

The watercolor paintings of Qi Baishi inspired this unique approach to animation, which was reprised 

three years later in The Buffalo Boy's Flute. After a decade of Cultural Revolution

 had all but destroyed the Chinese animation industry, Te Wei utilized again the technique

 for his 1988 masterpiece Feeling from Mountain and Water. Hopefully this is the first

of many new interesting eastern discoveries...

Franco Matticchio - Black Cat Blues

Sunday Safari - Taiga

Diana Sudyka, Taiga

Today's post was inspired by the chilly northern winds sweeping through Florence,

and by Werner Herzog's documentary Happy People: A Year in the Taiga, about a group

 of fearless and resourceful people who really know how to survive in the cold.

Just like these wonderful animals...

Feodor Rojankovsky, Panache l'ecureil, 1939, thanks to The Visual Telling of Stories

T. Kapustin, The first sun, 1987, thanks to polny_shkaf's amazing visual library 

Nathalie Lete, Le Jaseur

Kate McLelland, thanks to Kickcan & Conkers 

Mikhail Belomlinsky, Wonders under the feet, 1967, thanks to bookvart

Ene Pikk, Kärp, 1981, thanks to vaula

V. Kanevsky, Winter Poems, 1984, via Hanna Rivka

Nikolai Tyrsa, Snezhnaya kniga, 1926

Gwen Keraval, Le fils qui sauva son père

Georgy Nikolsky, Year in the woods, 1978 and

Nikita Charushin, My first zoology book, 1984, thanks to Book Graphics

Animalsleepstories, The Old Caribou

Les Oiseaux Nouveaux

Flying on the wings of a brand new century

Theo van Hoytema, 1893

Otto Eckmann, 1896

Jugend Magazine, 1897

Walter Klemm

Camille Martin, late 1890s

Manuel Orazi, 1900, thanks to Peacock's Garden

Bruno Paul, 1901

Marcel Behmer, illustration for Die Insel, 1901

Book cover by B. Löffler, 1903

Edward Penfield, 1904

Anatoly Arapov, 1905

Ilna Ewers-Wunderwald, 1905

Karol Frycz, rolling papers ad, 1905

Galileo Chini tile, 1906

Hungarian postcard, 1910

For more turn of the century birds, you can visit the posts

Centenary Birds, Seasons of the Peacock and L'Animal dans la Décoration

Un Matticchio Bestiale!

Today the new exhibition of Franco Matticchio, Bestiale, opened at 

the Nuages Gallery in Milan. I couldn't be there in person, only in spirit.

May you stay forever young!

Sunday Safari - Sweet Seals

Matchbox label, 1963, thanks to Oliver Tomas

Feodor Rojankovsky, Scaf the Seal, 1936, thanks as always to 50 Watts

Gilles Aillaud, Interieur Vert, 1964

Dale Maxey, The wild and woolly animal book, 1966, thanks to Bonito Club 

Milton Glaser, Cats and Bats and Things with Wings, 1966

William Pène du Bois, Seal Pool, 1972

Lauren Nassef

M. Ovchinnikov, The girl-swan, 1979, via hannarivka

swig

Sebastiano Ranchetti

 two illustrations by Józef Wilkon

Renate Müller, 1971 

Alice and Martin Provensen, The Golden Circus, thanks to Golden Gems

Lisa DeJohn

Sun and Ice

This 1936 cartoon by Olga Khodatayeva was one of the first produced at the great 

Russian studio Soyuzmultfilm. It's story is based on one of the many Eskimo legends 

and rituals celebrating the return of the sun after two months of winter darkness. 

Many thanks to Niffiwan for the upload!

Jim's Jazzy Creatures

With today's post I want to celebrate the recent Italian edition of Jim Flora's 

The Day The Cow Sneezed. To my knowledge, this is the first time that a book 

by Flora has been published in my country, and as they say, better late than never!

My gratitude goes to the wonderful publisher Orecchio Acerbo for bringing us 

another classic, after their beautiful re-editions of Peter Newell.

Like many, I discovered Flora through his famous jazz record covers before realizing 

that he had written and illustrated 17 children's books between 1955 and 1982.

The Day the Cow Sneezed was published in 1957, and was the second of the series.

Here's a peek at many of the other volumes, with links to more illustrations and info when available. 

And if you are not familiar with the artist, you may read his biography in Italian and English.

The Fabulous Fireworks Family, 1955

Charlie Yup and his Snip-Snap Boys, 1959

Leopold the See-Through Crumbpicker, 1961, thanks to Stickers and Stuff

Kangaroo for Christmas, 1962

My Friend Charlie, 1964

Grandpa's Farm, 1965

Sherwood Walks Home, 1966

Fishing with Dad, 1967

The Joking Man, 1968

Pishtosh Bullwash and Wimple, 1972

The Great Green Turkey Creek Monster, 1976

Grandpa's Ghost Stories, 1978

My thanks goes to the website and blog dedicated to Flora, and to the always delicious

Vintage Kid's Book My Kid Loves, which has uploaded most of the artist's books.