with glee a year or so ago, lured by their striking cover design, I op-shopped these old New Zealand School Publications childrens books. the saturated off-primary colours, the doodles that could have been spiro-graphed, or etched by a kid with a compass point into the soft wood of a desktop bring to mind carnivals, fireworks, hollyhocks, snowflakes, the sun sizzling. good things. exciting things. that appeal hasn't wavered, they're still my favourite design ever. they were the first image that came to mind when Sophie offered to help me with my blog header picture a while back, but as the cover artist was not identified in these books i couldn't reference it. but this week i read Cover Up-the art of the book cover in New Zealand by Hamish Thompson, followed up by 'A Nest of Singing Birds, 100 years of the New Zealand School Journal' by Gregory O'Brien and all was revealed.
Jill McDonald was a New Zealand architect and illustrator who created these designs in the mid 1960's whilst working as the head of the art department at NZ School Publications, before moving to Britain where she illustrated for Puffin childrens books and their book club Puffin Post. She passed away in the 80's. Now I know her name I've been hungrily hunting down all manner of her images online, and am especially overjoyed that she drew some of the puffin book illustrations i remember loving in my childhood.
if you're in the mood to look at some more slightly retro/Angie Lewin style illustration I highly recommend the Fishink blog.
so, what's the story with your blog header image?
if you're in the mood to look at some more slightly retro/Angie Lewin style illustration I highly recommend the Fishink blog.
so, what's the story with your blog header image?
and the title? blackbird has spoken is of course a line from the Cat Stevens song Morning has Broken. my favourite song at school assembly, constantly brought to mind by the family of blackbirds which inhabit my garden.
