BEAUTY: Illustration--Thierry Martin

I am absolutely loving French illustrator Thierry Martin's drawings of a fox (in a hoodie!) exploring his neighborhood...

http://thierry-martin.blogspot.com/

BEAUTY: Illustration--Terry Fan

In Canadian artist Terry Fan's delightful series "Everyone Gets Cold," the animals in the forest sport festive plaid scarves. Even a snowman needs a little relief from the chill!

http://www.krop.com/terryfan/

BEAUTY: Illustration--Kjell Einar Midthun

The Norwegian artist and illustrator Kjell (pronounced "shell") Einar Midthun bases his sweet wintry work on legendary Nordic imagery that includes magical gnomes and the natural world.

http://www.gallerimidthun.no/

BEAUTY: Illustration--Louie Zong

Louie Zong is a student at Tufts University in Boston but already has an impressive portfolio of work. His website "Drawing A Day" charts his efforts to create one new illustration every day for a year, and some absolutely charming work has come out of this project. He is clearly inspired by classic children's books and their illustrations.

He also cites early Hanna-Barbera cartoons as an influence and it is easy to see in "The Sun Also Rises," an animated short he recently finished, which can be seen on Vimeo here.

http://louiezong.com/

BEAUTY: Illustration--Felicita Sala

Born in Rome, raised in Perth, and now back in Rome, Felicita Sala creates some lovely illustrations. Her work for an illustrated DAVID COPPERFIELD is marvelous, and her own personal work is accessible and colorful...

...but it is her recipe series that captures me.

Top to bottom: The King; Three Amigos; When The Sky Gets Bluer; Reina y Fauna; Feta Meatballs; Gazpacho; Moroccan Mint; Tzatziki

http://www.felicitasala.blogspot.com/
http://www.felicitasala.blogspot.com/p/blog-page.html

BEAUTY: Ilustration--Mike Curato

Illustrator Mike Curato just signed with Henry Holt Books for Young Readers (a subsidiary of Macmillan) to create three books based on his character Elly, a sweet little polka-dotted elephant. Congrats Mike! The first one will be released in the fall of 2014.

There is something about seeing little, vulnerable animals in a bustling human world that makes my heart ache. Curato's tender works remind me of German artist Michael Sowa (previously here) and his precious bunnies trying to make their way in a big, human world. Elly looks to be having a perfectly good time, but I do want to offer some comfort during the sad film...

http://www.mikecurato.com/#/
http://mikecurato.wordpress.com/