dreamer of dreams

When we explore the great names of the Golden Age of Illustration in Europe - especially in England - a prominent stand out is Edmund Dulac. He was one of the great illustrators of the early twentieth century. 

Edmund Dulac painted many wonderful pieces for a variety of stories - The Little Mermaid, Arabian Nights, Beauty and the Beast, Dreamer of Dreams, Daughters of the Stars, Fairy Tales of Hans Christian Andersen, The Garden of Paradise, Gods and Mortals in Love, Kingdom of the Pearl, Le Papillon Rouge, The Raven and Other Poems, The Rubaiyat, Stealers of Light, The Snow Queen, Tanglewood Tales, The Tempest. 

a prized English edition,1925 

wonder | wander | women were raised on his gorgeously intricate Orientalist illustrations. Fables and fairy tales that ignited our young lives and active imagination - immediately and for all time. 

Mother's Day: say it with flowers

wonder | wander | women celebrate Mother's Day twice a year: first in the UK for Mothering Sunday in March, and then in the US and Philippines for the more familiar Mothers' Day. And like many people around the world, we celebrate with flowers.

Rose in watercolour

waiting for spring

wonder | wander | women's word for the year so far is "deluge". Between grey or freezing weather, natural disasters, and the man-made disasters of our collective governments, the year has barely started and it already feels like we're being swept away.

Kalachuchi (Frangipani) in ballpoint and watercolour

capturing colour

In art school, wonder | wander | women learned colour theory: how colours work together and how they can affect our perceptions and even our moods. 

"Plane Air" mini painting no. 1

sketch in the city

Seems to wonder | wander | women like the times are getting rougher and tougher. It's been hard to work at home with all these worries whirling through our heads.

Art, as always, soothes our anxiety. Without too much planning, we pick up a trusty waterproof pen and our favourite paint. Simple doodles with pure colours are best: pick one colour from the palette and let your drawing grow around it.

Learning the secret magic of painting

wonder | wander | women love filling their hands with work and their eyes with art. That's why we love the current era where no one has to pay a fortune to learn how to paint or draw. 

Wonder Woman captures Loki over Bryant Park in NYC 

botanical watercolours

The study of plants is an ancient science, and as with the oldest sciences, was tied to the mysteries of nature and the body. It was considered essential for anyone of learning to study and record plants and the way they grew. Even children in today's schools are encouraged to draw the parts of flowers and try to grow their own plants from seeds.

Botanical illustration therefore is one of the oldest uses of art. It is both art and science, a study and an appreciation of the beauty of nature. With our eyes and hands, we are analysing the structure of a living thing. Using ink and paint, we are learning to understand a growing thing from the outside in.

the art of MerMay

This year Disney is bringing the live-action version of its classic The Little Mermaid to theatres! This is one of wonder | wander | women's favourite fairytales, and for a long time we have been dreaming of telling our own version, set in medieval Islamic Spain - the grand era of the Alhambra and the palaces of Seville and Cordoba.

Painting: crossroads

I went for a walk in the beautiful Epping Forest with a friend before the winter set in. The skies were grey but the leaves, on the trees and the ground, were a beautiful golden colour.

#LivingWithInk | culture & identity

This week we are still celebrating the Lunar New Year of the Ox which started on February 12. Born and raised in the East and now living in the West, wonder | wander | women shine the spotlight on another Asian event as we continue to take you on yet another virtual tour. 

A Pair of Horses - Xu Beihong, Asian Civilisations Museum

Living with Ink: The Collection of Dr Tan Tsze Chor at the Asian Civilisations Museum presents highlights from the collection of Singapore's renowned art collector Dr Tan Tsze Chor. 

The Wallace Collection - a mansion of elegance

Recently wonder | wander | women were lucky enough to introduce some beloved relatives to one of their favourite museums, the Wallace Collection.

Wallace Collection entrance. Photo by Anthony O'Neil via Wikipedia

East looks West: Orientalism (part 2)

Last year wonder | wander | women talked about the Western perspective in the British Museum's Orientalism exhibition. Western artists went to Istanbul, Morocco and other Near Eastern cities to capture their beauty and atmosphere, and create a special world from their visits and visions. But many Islamic diplomats and nobility were also travelling and learning in the West, and Islamic artists produced visions of their own.

Artist's depiction of French court dress,
exaggerating the cuffs, wigs and flared coats

Anno Mitsumasa, part 2

We've talked about Anno Mitsumasa's whimsical sense of humour and Western-influenced travel books. This week we look at the illustrator's more traditional work, his sense of drama and awareness of scenic beauty.

Florence: let there be art!

In our last post on Florence, we talked about the city itself, its architecture, features and the beautiful statues in the piazzas. It was amazing to see the churches and museums, but we were also privileged to go inside and see the incredible work that went into Florentine interiors.

Saints flanking the altar at San Miniato

Gorgeous medieval paintings decorating the Cardinal of Portugal Chapel

Restorers were actually doing on-site work in the Basilica di Santa Croce. On one hand the chancel was no longer very photogenic, but we were fascinated by the work and wished we could have a closer look.