Monday Matticchio – Horseplay

Sunday Safari - The Tallest Ones

Today is my birthday and I dedicate this safari to my mother Mariella, a strong, smart, beautiful and kind woman who has always been there for me and my family. In the small town where we both grew up she was known for her beauty (a bit of a problem for my self-esteem) and her height. 1.76 m is an average stature today, but in 1950s Italy she literally stuck out from the crowd, and was often asked: "how is the weather up there?" Thinking of this I gathered some pretty giraffes, animals that are particularly dear to me, and that like her have very strong motherly instincts.

Nomi and the lovely animals by Louis Slobodkin, 1960

Mother and child by Leia Bell

L'histoire de girafe, written by Ronald Hermsen and illustrated by Guido Pigni

Giraffe swing by David Barneda at Drawing Dreams card gallery

On Giraffe Pond by Michael Sowa

Snacking happy family by Meg Hunt

Giraffe from the tile series Our animal friends by Xenia Taler

Arabia of Finland giraffes designed by Taisto Kaasinen in 1965, from hi+lomodern

I know a giraffe: a tall tale by David Omar White, 1965, thanks to Rad Library

Illustration from Whatever by William Bee, thanks to The Apple and the Egg

children's book illustration from borisbo's flickr photostream

(worth a visit because he's also a very interesting graphic designer)

Two giraffe paintings by Naoto Kitamura

Giraffe by the ever playful Toshiyuki Fukuda

Blue giraffe by Sebastiano Ranchetti

Giraffa from Animani by Mario Mariotti, 1980

Marco Cazzato's enigmatic life forms

Thanks to fellow blogger and children's books lover cristina k. casini 
for inspiring this postabout yet one more very talented 
contemporary Italian illustrator, Marco Cazzato.

Marco (b. 1975) studied comics and illustration, then worked in the animation field
 before devoting himself completely to illustration in 2003. He collaborates with some 
of Italy's most respected newspapers and publishers, including Il Sole 24 Ore, La Stampa
 and Einaudi. Since 2008, Marco is also professor of editorial illustration at IED in Torino.
He lives in an isolated farmhouse with two cats and his "stupid dog".

Marco also runs two very good looking and interesting blogs: Sessanta Notturno 
and Illustri Racconti, which posts short stories by writers inspired by his illustrations.

Pulcinella

Painting

Two illustrations for Cfr, published by Einaudi

Two posters

Illustration for Linus

Oco Oca

Mangime! – Bird food!

Two illustrations for La Stampa

Getting dizzy in the grass with Laura Veirs

All the past week I have been bathing in the sounds dripping sun and honey of Laura Veirs' July Flame. What a tender and uplifting soundtrack for these first days of sunny warmth here in Florence! Make sure to visit her blog and download the two free tracks from her web boutique Raven Marching Band Records, where you can also of course buy the album.

Too bad that her Will-o'-the-Wisp Tour doesn't include any Italian dates... but maybe you can go and send in a report!

The video above by Alden Healy from San Francisco won the "I Can See Your Tracks" music video contest, while the "July Flame" official video below was uploaded on YouTube as I was writing this post (see? another coincidence...)

Elegant kittens & more: Manny Schongut's children books

Illustration for a Saki (H. H. Munro) story in The Literary Cat, edited by J.C. Suares 
and Seymour Chwast. Published by the Push Pin Press in 1977.

Thanks to A Journey Round My Skull's beautiful book covers post and a tip from my lovely flickr friend
 art.crazed, I am very pleased to have discovered and to share the artwork of Emanuel (Manny) Schongut.
 Schongut is now a San Francisco resident but used to live in New York City, where he collaborated
 with the phenomenal Push Pin Studios and created illustrations for periodicals like The New York Times,
 New York Magazine and Harper's Bazaar.

Following is a selection of illustrations recently uploaded by Schongut in his flickr set dedicated to
 the numerous children's books (over twenty) he has worked on during his still productive editorial career.

from Stone Man, Stone House, written by Anne Merrick Epstein, 
illustrated and designed by Emanuel Schongut.

Published by Doubleday in 1972.

from Elidore and the Golden Ball, written by Georgess McHargue, illustrated by Emanuel Schongut.

Published by Dodd, Mead & Company in 1973.

I asked Schongut about the influence of late 19th century illustration on this book's beautifully
 outlined drawings, silhouettes and elegant compositions, and he kindly answered:

"You are correct about Elidore. I think Heath Robinson (not Charles, always preferred Heath),
 Rackham, a bit Beardsley, and Howard Pyle. I think Pogany as well, Kay Nielson, Dorothy Lathrop,
 maybe Rockwell Kent, and too many more! Jean de Bosschere, the wonderful Boutet De Monvel,
 and Maude and Miska Petersham have had some influence. As a child I had access to early elementary school
 readers inherited from an older sister. I still have them and more I have collected through the years,
 these may really be my roots. The illustrations in the color fairy books and Jessie Willcox Smith
 illustrations, Japanese prints, art nouveau, art deco, early Disney, early to mid 20th century magazine illustration.
 Although probably not obvious, Richard Lindner, who taught at Pratt Institute, had a strong influence.
 Later on when I worked on projects with Milton Glaser and Seymour Chwast at New York Magazine
 and Pushpin studios, I suppose I could not help but absorb a bit there!"

What an impressive list of inspirations! And it includes at least five artists that I am not familiar
 with and definitely need to check out ASAP... thanks again, Mr. Schongut!

from The Lonely Skyscraper, written by Jenny Hawksworth, designed and illustrated by Emanuel Schongut.

Published by Methuen/Walker books, Doubleday, and Hachette in 1980.

from Five Kitten Board books (Look Kitten, Play Kitten, Wake Kitten, Catch Kitten)

illustrated, designed, and written by Emanuel Schongut. Published by Walker Books
 London in 1983. Co published in the U.S., France, and the Netherlands.

from Christmas Eve Blizzard, written by Andrea Vlahakis, illustrated by Emanuel Schongut.

Published by Sylvan Dell in 2005.

from Turtles In My Sandbox, written by Jennifer Keats Curtis, illustrated and designed 

by Emanuel Schongut. Published by Sylvan Dell in 2006.