19th Century Illustators

19th Century Illustators

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From The Dictionary of Sidney

I regularly try to take a course that inspires my art and creativity. I just started one from the Univ of Newcastle, Australia, on Natural History Illustration.

This morning has been an introduction to historical illustrators from the Hunter Valley area in Australia. I have fallen in love with Helena and Harriet Scott’s work from the mid 19th century.

Their work is exquisite.

NOTE: There is actually an ap of their work. Talk about making the old new again!

Resources:

https://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/gallery/2018/dec/26/harriet-and-helena-scott-the-sisters-painting-butterflies-in-colonial-sydney-in-pictures

https://australianmuseum.net.au/learn/collections/archives/scott-sisters/harriet-and-helena-the-scott-sisters/

https://dictionaryofsydney.org/entry/harriet_and_helena_scott

 

Christmas Cat

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Some Christmas humor for you. Stitches – the cat we can never forget. And she has been painted and poetry written about her. Very inspirational but quite a clown.

There was one Christmas that is seared into my memory. Early morning and we are preparing to join family when this cat starts yowling….

Stitches my cat

Was found with a mat

In a place on her coat where the kitty cat sat.

 —

She meowed and she cried,

And she poked at my side,

So I knew I must try to help her sore hide.

 —

I brushed her hair,

But the knot was still there,

So we searched for scissors to cut the spot bare.

 —

Sheri started to snip,

And she made a small clip,

But Stitches screamed out and tried a quick nip!

 —

It became very clear,

Though the thought was not dear,

That a vet was the one who could help her poor rear.

 —

So a battle we waged,

To get her encaged,

And that’s hard to do when a cat is enraged.

 —

We drove with the cat,

To the vet and we sat

And waited until she removed the large mat.

 —

The cat was now quiet,

But the bill was a riot,

For the price that I paid, I could’ve lived at the Hyatt.

 —

That’s the end of my tale,

It all ended well.

Do you want a nice kitty, I have one for sale.

©Charlotte Franck - Christmas Day 2007

That was one expensive vet trip, but it was also strange – driving through the Castleton mall area and not a soul in sight. Felt apocalyptic!

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This one was published in a children’s book…

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