Domestic Comforts

Valeria Perrone

Nice to be able to spend a cozy day at home while it's freezing outside...

Arnold Lobel, Owl at Home, thanks to my vintage book collection (in blog form) 

Frank Adams

Joanna Wright

Catherine Zarip

 Matthias Seifarth

 Tom Tirabosco

 Timothy C. Raglin

Métier Illustrateur

William Steig, Silvester and the Magic Pebble

Manon Gauthier 

 Bojana Dimitrovski

Radiolarian Glory

Ernst Haeckel, portrait by Minouette

The renowned German scientist Ernst Haeckel (1834-1919) was an early proponent of Darwinism

 who did much to popularize the work of the English naturalist in his home country.
His scientific works were praised by Darwin, even though their ideas diverged on several important points, 
and his books outsold On the Origin of Species. A member of more than 90 learned international societies,
 he was selected as one of the consultants to the Challenger Expedition, the first non-commercial
 exploration of deep-sea environment. He coined the terms "philum", "phylogeny", "Darwinism",
 and "ecology", and was the first to postulate a missing link between ape and man. 

Haeckel was a prolific writer and natural history illustrator, and focused his work on various invertebrates
 such as sponges, medusae and annelids. During the 1860s he published numerous taxonomic
 volumes describing hundreds of species of radiolarians, an order of unicellular marine microorganisms
 that forms part of the Ocean's zooplankton. His 1868 volume Natürliche Schöpfungsgeschichte
 (The Natural History of Creation) was a great success and gained him world recognition.
 Other titles include Systematic Phylogeny, The Riddle of the Universe, Last Words on Evolution, 
and The Last Link. As a scientist and accomplished artist, Haeckel was fascinated with patterns
 and symmetry, and found his inspiration in Goethe's belief that both art and science 
can lead us to understand the underlying truths of nature. 

Haeckel traveled around the world on his scientific expeditions, obsessively observing
 and drawing aquatic life forms and other creatures. From a series of more than 1000 engravings,
100 colored lithographic plates were chosen to be published between 1899 and 1904 in Kunstformen der Natur
 (Artforms of Nature), one of the masterpieces of 19th century naturalist illustration. 
While Heackel's depictions of higher animals look rather stiff when compared to the work of other 
artists/naturalists, the intricate forms of microorganisms allowed him to display his elegant, dazzling
 graphic talent and indulge in his inclination towards order, organization and geometry.
 Haeckel's delicate pencil and ink drawings were beautifully adapted for the book by the lithographer 
Adolph Giltsch. The subjects of each lithograph were carefully selected and elaborately arranged 
to emphasize the organisms' organization and symmetry. 

There was debate at the time on whether Hackel's marvelous life forms were over-embellished 
and idealized. Their sinuous lines are in fact closely reminiscent of the contemporary Art Nouveau style,

 and he certainly utilised distortion, stylization and geometry in his descriptions of organic
 phenomena, often discarding scientific accuracy in favor of beauty and decorative effect.  

Art Forms in Nature was aimed at the general public rather than specialists, and each plate
 was accompanied by a short and accessible commentary. The stunning illustrations gave the book
 appeal to a wide audience, and in the decades before World War I the tome was a huge success.

Haeckel's scientific reputation was tarnished when some of his theories were questioned and discarded
 due to lack of empirical support, misleading information, and possible data fabrication.

However, his natural obsessions have never ceased to fascinate and inspire artists around the world.

Progressive Posters

The Great Depression was a very difficult period for many, and affected a large number of American artists

 and graphic designers due to the lack of commercial work. In 1935 the US federal government

 created the Works Progress Administration (WPA) with the aim to provide job opportunities

for the unemployed as part of President Franklin Delano Roosevelt’s New Deal. 

The fall of the same year saw the launch of the WPA Federal Arts Project, which enabled visual artists, 

musicians, actors and writers to support themselves and pursue their professional careers. 

A poster project was included, and around 2,000 silkscreen, lithograph and woodcut posters were commissioned 

to promote health and safety, cultural events, travel and tourism, educational programs and community activities. 

The posters were produced across the nation, with the greatest output in California, New York, 

Illinois, Ohio, and Pennsylvania.

Two posters by Louise Welsh

Two posters by Carken

In many cases, the flat color of silkscreen combined with influences from the European avant-gardes

to produce strikingly graphic, bold Modernist designs that contrasted with the realistic illustrative style

 prevalent in most American graphic communication of the time.

Mildred Waltrip

Sidney Jacobson

Frank W. Long

Two posters by Hugh Stevenson

Robert Munchley

Arlington Gregg 

Frank S. Nicholson

Sidney Jacobson

J. Hirt

All of these posters were created between 1935 and 1939, when the Federal Arts Project was discontinued.

Fortunately, this great art series has recently been rediscovered and appreciated by many artists and designers. 

And wouldn't it be great if governments could also be inspired to provide a similar opportunity

 to survive and thrive in a time of crisis to the young talents of today? 

Digital Nature

Book of Birds

Once again Spring is in the air, and I feel like celebrating with the opulent natural fantasies

 created by Bozka, the artistic pseudonym of Polish illustrator Bozena Rydlewska.

 The Looking Glass

 Book of Insects

The Garden

 Zuk

The illustrations above are part of the New Botany series, which the artist writes was

 "derived from my dreams, color obsessions and fascination with the secret nature of plants. 

Inspired by Max Ernst’s collages and the strange atmosphere of old botany books".

These works are on show until April 1st at the Flying Gallery Foundation in Warsaw. 

Sonora

The Sea Poems series transports us into a floating universe 

of jewel-like colors and delicate, intricate underwater creatures.

Lobster Poem

Daphne

Aquamarine

Bozka is active as an illustrator and freelance designer for ad agencies,

publishers, magazines, and more, as you can see below.

Don't you love that rainbow colored plate?

Hummingbird notebook for Empik

Little Buddy Bird plate for Kristoff porcelain