Sunday 7 February 2010

i love tove



TOVE JANSSON.  Forget the animated series, I am talking about the book illustrations and the daily comic strips.  BEAUTIFUL.  I managed to source one of the re-issued Moomin comic strip collections from the library at uni and I am hooked!  But as well as spotting parallels to my own work in the black and white flowery pastures, I have fallen for that little manic depressive Moomintroll that tries to get it right but always gets it wrong ("I only want to live in peace and plant potatoes and dream").

I have tried, in vain, to replicate Jansson's amazing use of colouring and shading, a sort of scribbly attention to detail that makes her illustrations so distinctive.  This is seen more so in her book illustrations than her comic strips, which are more concise beauties.  Here are some of my favourites (in no particular sequence or order).

And as soon as I can spare £12, I badly want one of these.  Those of you who are from Bath can get Moomin goodies from Shannon is Walcott Street.

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