29 Apr 2009
by mashadutoit
in All my drawings, Inspiration
Tags: Charles de Lint, cornelia funke, drawing, fantasy
A couple of posts ago, I shared a number of pictures that seem to tell stories. This time round, I’m sharing two drawings I did myself, which was inspired by a stories. The first inspiration came from Cornelia Funke’s “Inkdeath”.
In that book, there is a giant who takes on the colours of his surroundings. I find now, when I go back to read that passage, that I got several things wrong. The giant is supposed to have inhumanly round eyes, and he is also supposed to be naked. Oh well. Here is the passage: More
28 Apr 2009
by mashadutoit
in books, fantasy
Tags: fairy tale, fantasy
Title: Birdwing
Author: Rafe Martin
Series : No, this is a stand alone book
Rating: 
Do you know the Grimm Brother’s fairy tale “The Six Swans”? That’s the one about the six brothers who were turned into swans, and how their sister undid the enchantment. At least – she almost succeeded. At the end, the youngest brother’s left arm remained a swan wing.
Birdwing is the story of what happens next, as Ardwin grows up and tries to make sense of his divided loyalties – his memories of the wild life of a swan, and his need for acceptance in the world of humans.
detail from Eleanor Abbot’s illustration
Rafe Martin asks if it is possible to live “happily ever after” when your family has been so spectacularly torn apart. More
26 Apr 2009
by mashadutoit
in books, fantasy, Illustration
Tags: Charles de Lint, fantasy, moonheart
Title: Moonheart
Author : Charles de Lint
Series : Nope, this one is a stand-alone.
Rating:
In Short: Sarah Kendell’s comfortable life is derailed when she discovers an ancient Native American medicine bag at the back of her uncle’s second-hand shop. She and her friends become entangled in a centuries old conflict between a Welsh Bard, a Druid, and the old gods of pre-colonial America.
This was my first Charles de Lint book, and now I have a new author to look out for – I loved it. Moonheart drew me firstly because of its evocative title and the cover: More
22 Apr 2009
by mashadutoit
in books, Opinions & reviews
Tags: fairy tale, princess
Continuing the “Once Upon a Time Challenge” with a review of The Hamish Hamilton Book of Princesses
Title: The Hamish Hamilton Book of Princesses
Edited by : Sally Patrick Johnson
Series : There are many of these Hamish Hamilton collections – about Dragons, Goblins, Heroes, etc.
Illustrated by: Fritz Wegner
Rating: 
In Short: A collection of short stories about Princesses, by eclectic list of authors including Somerset Maugham, Oscar Wilde, James Thurber and AA Milne.
I expected this book to be like a chocolate box of stories. Lots of variety, certainly, but fundamentally …sweet. But I was wrong. A better culinary metaphor would be a medieval banquet table, with sweet confections next to the bizarre dishes- a boars head, maybe? More
18 Apr 2009
by mashadutoit
in books, fantasy, Inspiration
Tags: books, earthsea, fantasy, gandalf, hambly, le guin, lord of the rings, t h white, tolkien, wizard
What is the collective noun for a group of wizards? A “wrath” of wizards? An “argument”? I’ve been gathering together some of my favourite wizards.
First, of course will always be Gandalf. I grew up on The Lord of The Rings and of all the characters, Gandalf is the most compelling. He has become my benchmark of what a wizard should be. Here is my favourite image of him, from that famous poster by Jimmy Cauty : More
12 Apr 2009
by mashadutoit
in books
Tags: alternative italy, book review, diana wynne jones, fantasy, the magicians of caprona, young adult
Title: The Magicians of Caprona
Author: Diana Wynne Jones
Series :Part of the “Chronicles of Chrestomanci”, but is really a stand alone book
Rating:
In Short: A fantasy set in Italy in an alternate universe. Two family Spell Houses, the Montanas and the Petrocchis, have been bitter rivals for generations. Tonino and his brother Paolo get caught up in the conflict.
Other books by author: “Howl’s Moving Castle”, “Charmed Life”, “The Ogre Downstairs” among many others.
Diana Wynne Jones is one of those authors who I turn to when in need of some comfort reading. Whether its a brand new read like “The House of Many Ways”, or re-reading an old favourite like “The Magicians of Caprona” – I’m never disappointed. More
10 Apr 2009
by mashadutoit
in Inspiration
Tags: Animation, color, Colour, entertainment, games
I’m pretty good at finding on-line time-sinks, especially those that make you feel as though you are at least doing something vaguely creative. And those are the most dangerous of all…
The Shape Shifter is a free on-line animation machine for creating frame by frame animations. The challenge is that you can use only four basic geometric shapes. More
04 Apr 2009
by mashadutoit
in Inspiration, Myself
I’m still taking pictures of whatever catches my eye – and lately, that seems to be “things on the ground” – manhole covers , litter and whatever else.
My favourite is this one of a leaf floating inside a little open drain cover on the street just outside where I live… More
02 Apr 2009
by mashadutoit
in books, Opinions & reviews
Tags: book review, charles keeping, edward blishen, greek myth, leonard garfield, the god beneath the sea
Title: The God Beneath The Sea
Author: Leon Garfield and Edward Blishen
Illustrated: Charles Keeping
Series : First of two books – followed by “The Golden Shadow”
In Short: A re-telling of some of the most famous Greek myths as a single narrative. Intense, lyrical and satisfying.
Other books by author: Leon Garfield – “Black Jack” , “Devil in the Fog”
Rating:
“The God Beneath the Sea” is the first in a series of two books in which the Greek myths are re-told as a single, continuous narrative by Leon Garfield and Edward Blishen. They explain that they wanted to rewrite the “haphazard sequence of tall tales” as these myths are usually presented, to recapture the profound impact the stories had on them when they first read them as children. More
29 Mar 2009
by mashadutoit
in books, Opinions & reviews
Tags: book review, cornelia funke, fantasy, inkdeath, inkheart, young adult
Title: Inkdeath
Author: Cornelia Funke
Series : Third book in the “Inkheart” trilogy
In Short: A compelling story set in a glorious fantasy world. This is a dark, grim book about difficult choices, lit with moments of beauty.
Other books by author: “The Thief Lord”, “Dragon Rider”.
Rating:
Background: Inkdeath is the final book in the trilogy which began with “Inkheart”. It follows the story of the book restorer Mo and his young daughter Meggie. Early in Inkheart we learn that Mo has a very special talent: when he reads out loud, his voice beguiles the characters to step right out of the story into our world. And sometimes, people are swept from our world and into the book… More
28 Mar 2009
by mashadutoit
in Opinions & reviews
Tags: innovation, sleeping, teaching
It’s interesting, being a teacher. I often experience a sort of double vision – my memories of being a student and my present experience as a teacher. I particularly remember the frustration, as a student, of having some one else interfere with my creative process. And yet these days is that not exactly what I’m doing as a teacher? More
24 Mar 2009
by mashadutoit
in books
Tags: once upon a time challenge
Well its too much temptation looking at other people’s lists. Here is my own list so far.
- Inkdeath by Cornelia Funke
- Birdwing by Rafe Martin
- Wonder Tales edited by Marina Warner
- The God Beneath the Sea by Leon Garfield and Edward Blishen
Dont they look yummy?
OK, OK so its very short so far, but hang in there – I’m coming back to edit soon…
22 Mar 2009
by mashadutoit
in books
OK – I’ve never done this before, but this one looks interesting. A communal read and review challenge at “stainless steel droppings”:
The challenge revolves around these categories – the “Once Upon a Time Criteria”: More
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