All Creatures Great and Small

Growing up with a British heritage many of my story books were about cute and clever woodland creatures living cozy, heartwarming lives in gentle forests. Many great British authors have brought to life these lovely, bucolic worlds, for children (and adults) to immerse themselves in a natural world that is not threatening or brutal, but awash in beauty, charm and mystery.

There is, of course, Beatrix Potter, with her wonderfully detailed watercolours of little animals with delightful personalities, like Mrs. Tiggy Winkle. Who doesn't love a domestic hedgehog?

 Then there are all the inhabitants of the Hundred Acre Woods in A.A. Milne's Winnie-the-Pooh series:

And of course, The Wind in the Willows by Kenneth Grahame. I still have a very old edition of this book and fondly remember my father reading this aloud to us. He particularly enjoyed getting into character as that rascal, Mr. Toad. I suspect because he, himself, was a lot like Mr. Toad:

Later, when my own children were growing up there was the Brambly Patch series by Jill Barklem:

And as they got older, just shortly before the advent of Harry Potter, they really enjoyed the Redwall series by Brian Jacques. I mean who doesn't love a sword wielding field mouse fighting an angry badger or an army of weasels?

 

All of these stories may have an influence on some of my recent artworks. Maybe I need a diversion from the real world but I love creating my own whimsical characters in animal form, or just capturing the beauty of our wild companions on this planet.

And I leave you with Mr. Toad's humble tribute to himself, imagining my Dad reading this in his Russian accent and stopping to laugh between verses:

THE SONG OF MR. TOAD The world has held great Heroes, As history-books have showed; But never a name to go down to fame Compared with that of Toad The clever men at Oxford Know all that there is to be knowed. But they none of them knew one half as much As intelligent Mr Toad! The animals sat in the Ark and cried, Their tears in torrents flowed. Who was it said, “There’s land ahead?” Encouraging Mr Toad! The Army all saluted As they marched along the road. Was it the King? Or Kitchener? No. It was Mr Toad! The Queen and her Ladies-in-waiting Sat at the window and sewed. She cried, “Look! who’s that handsome man?” They answered, “Mr Toad.” -Kenneth Grahame