Discover the creative universe of Caitlin B. Alexander

I have always been a huge fan of children's books. As I child, I dreamed of heading on a curious adventure with A Bear Called Paddington. I wanted to fly over the South Downs with The Snowman, and explore Willy Wonka's famous chocolate factory with Charlie.

Characters like Stuart Little, Matilda, and Peter Rabbit have become very popular. The artists who brought these characters to life in illustrations, however, are lesser-known. But what would our beloved children's books be without the illustrations that bring them to life?

Quentin Blake, Maurice Sendak, and E. H. Shepard were all my childhood heroes. But there's a lot of talented new artists who deserve just as much praise and recognition. Thanks to Twitter, I discovered the art of Caitlin B. Alexander and am now one of her biggest fans.

Based in Austin, Texas, both her life and work are heavily influenced by the aesthetics of the 1940's, '50s and '60s. Aside from digital art, Caitlyn also has a penchant for dry-brush gouache painting. Her illustrations will draw the eye of anyone who adores charming, cheerful compositions, and it's tempting to hop right into her world. I think she's extremely talented. Browsing her website is the equivalent of eating a slice of cake while having a cup of strong coffee in cold weather.

Be sure to check out Caitlin's website for more.

Comments

Stencils and Subtlety

If there were a Michelin star for public murals, Roamcouch would have it. No debate. His art is an elegant contradiction; it stops you in mid-stride and makes you stare. You argue with what you see. He works with scenes from everyday life, nothing fancy, then drops them into backgrounds full of playfulness and surprise. His murals feel like small rebellions, and they insist on being noticed. Here are some of his recent street art works. Roamcouch has a Facebook page and a website where you can find all his work.

Want to repel mosquitoes? Use graphene-lined clothes

Health officials in the Philippines continue to seek better weapons against dengue fever as death toll from the mosquito-borne disease continues to rise in several regions in the country. Some people use insect repellents, while others use biological alternatives to kill the thirsty little bloodsuckers. Graphene also prevents mosquito bites. A team of researchers at Brown University discovered that graphene-lined clothing not only is an effective physical barrier to those pesky insects, it also blocks chemical signals in sweat that encourage them to bite. "With the graphene, the mosquitoes weren't even landing on the skin patch—they just didn't seem to care," according to Cintia Castillho, a PhD student at Brown and the study's lead author. Since its discovery in 2004, graphene has been dubbed as a wonder material. It is stronger than steel, lighter than paper, conducts heat and electricity, and highly flexible.

For readers who love Basquiat

It's been thirty-one years since Jean-Michel Basquiat 's tragic death, but his work still remains in our art consciousness. Now, a new book explores the other side of the graffiti artist turned painter. "Basquiat-isms is a collection of essential quotations from this godfather of urban culture. In these brief, compelling, and memorable selections, taken from his interviews as well as his visual and written works, Basquiat writes and speaks about culture, his artistic persona, the art world, artistic influence, race, urban life, and many other subjects. Concise, direct, forceful, poetic, and enigmatic, Basquiat's words, like his art, continue to resonate." Basquiat-isms , edited by Larry Warsh, is out now.

finding cain

Search This Blog