Sunday, 1 April 2018
Saturday, 31 March 2018
unfold/enfold
We very much enjoyed making the acquaintance of artist and illustrator Kvฤta Pacovskรก, born in Prague in 1928 where she still works and lives.
Her life-time contributions prompted the International Board on Books for Young People to honour her with the highest recognition that a children’s author or illustrator can receive—the Han Christian Andersen Award—in 1992 and Pacovskรก has a long list of credits (including cut-out and pop-up books, including the titular composition that was extraordinarily expandable and had other surprising elements to propel the story and the reader’s imagination well off the printed page) and educational software that she has graced with her talents. This particular series is sourced to a portfolio of work for the 1968 publication of Karliฤka a bรญlรฝ konรญk (Karl and the White Horse) by Branka Jurcovรก, plus there are more galleries of Pacovskรก’s commissions at the link above
Friday, 30 March 2018
kreuzweg oder via dolorosa



The weather has been fair and there are signs of Spring (some activity we were afraid came prematurely before the last cold snaps) but it struck me that the only green on the great old trees lining the path was from mistletoe (Mistel) and I wondered if the plant that many consider just a parasite might not be more of a partner in regulating seasonal cycles.



agalmatophilia
Though normally a highly sociable bird species, we learn that one handsome specimen of gannet called Nigel passed away happily at a ripe old age, surrounded by friends but sadly possibly on the cusps of something big that would have remedied what some are describing as terminal loneliness and would have certainly stripped him of his nickname of “No Mates Nigel.” Conservationists in New Zealand wanted to reintroduce seabirds to Mana Island and in order to signal to passing flocks that it was safe to nest here (invasive species that might prey on hatchlings were removed from the island), they installed an ensemble of concrete, decoy gannets. Only Nigel alighted, however, in 2013 and became besotted with one particular stone figure which he courted (either to his great frustration or contentment—it’s hard to say) for the next five years. In February, Nigel’s body was found next to his beloved, just as more live gannets had begun to investigate the island.
kodomo no kuni
Meaning “Children’s Land,” Present & Correct introduces us to the highly visual pre-war magazine was in circulation from 1922 to 1944. Over nine thousand images from two hundred eighty issues have been carefully curated and categorised by author and subject along with links that lead towards resources for other vintage Japanese periodicals. One could lose oneself for hours browsing through these archives.