Sunday finds

I was struck this week by two pieces by new-to-me artists. I looked at other works by the same artists but I didn't find anything else that spoke to me in the same way, so I decided just to share these.

The first is a gouache painting by English illustrator Harold Jones (1904-1992). I want to visit the outside and inside of this doorway--both spaces tantalize.  I love the composition framed by the doorway, I love the glossy black paint, I love the little flock of birds, I love the stick propping the door to let in air on a fine spring day (or maybe winter day--our winter was so snowy this year, that bare greenish lawn connotes spring to me.)

I found it at the Tate Gallery.

This is a lithograph (I think) by German artist Horst Janssen (1929-1995). I found it on a A Polar Bear's Tale. I love the creases and bumps, the blue-black exteriors and warm-toned insides. To me these shoes express energy and resolve.  

This last engraving didn't exactly "strike" me, but I do like it. It reminds me of my kids who like to "explore" a lot in the the early spring before tall, tall grass grows up in the wild places around here.

The artist is Frederick Walker (1840-1875). You can find this piece and other illustrations by him at The Tate Gallery.

Lovely old illustrations

I love the clear, delicate lines; the graceful patterns of leaf and flower; the billowing curves and circles; and the soft colors on aging, brownish paper of these Paul Vincent Woodroffe illustrations. 

Go slow when you get to The Fairy Ship. It's my favorite.

I found these illustrations on the Metropolitan Museum of Art website. I wouldn't have known to look for them there if I had not first seen some of them at A Polar Bear's Tale, a blog full of beautiful and interesting images.