Tuesday, January 26, 2010

Culinary Art


So while browsing through the Fall 09 issue of Gastronomica, I came across an awesome article on Pauline Baynes. You may not recognize the name, though you should since she is responsible for the original illustrations in the Narnia series as well as being involved with Tolkien on some of his non-LOTR works.

Apparently she was involved in food projects illustrating cookbooks and her art adds on to the classic feel of the old cookery texts.

Pauline Baynes (1922–2008), best known as the ‘Narnia’ artist, had also illustrated three cookbooks: Recipes from an Old Farmhouse by Alison Uttley (1966), Kitchen Essays by Lady Jekyll (1968), and The Times Cookery Book by Katie Stewart (1972). [via Too Many Books...]

Being a closeted illustrator/artist, looking at these pieces, the very intricate and elaborate works, definitely surges inspiration in picking up the sketch pad again. Mainly, though, this points me a step closer to finding the illustrated swine butcher chart that I will need as a base design for my permanent skin work to be done at some point this decade.