Wednesday, September 22, 2010

Children's Illustration Artist Profile: Inga Moore


 'It was so very beautiful that the Mole could only hold up both paws and gasp, "O my! O my! O my!"'

That Inga Moore is an exceptional illustrator is no surprise. What surprised me when I received The Wind in the Willows was how consistently exceptional she is. I cannot begin to imagine the amount of time it took to conceive and create the wonderful illustrations. Clearly a labor of love, they are the most beautiful depictions I have ever seen of the English countryside, and that includes the classic EH Shepard illustrations of the same book.

How perfect are these for a full wall mural?!

Interviewed by The Guardian, Inga spoke of how she came to illustrate this classic:
Was it really a "long-harboured ambition", as it says on the dust jacket? "Not exactly," she says, almost guiltily. "I'd been in the pub with an old boyfriend and he'd suggested it, quite out of the blue. I was rather shocked. I might have thought about it, but only as an impossible dream. Shepard's are the definitive illustrations."

I'm always fascinated by an artist's working methods, and have had the opportunity to attempt to replicate some of my favorites through my work. In the same interview, she speaks of her process.
For each spread she photocopies her original drawings, then works on them with a mixture of pencil, ink, watercolour, crayon, pastel, even oil paint – "anything that works". With intricate textural variations and masses of engrossing detail, she achieves a realism that is unusual today, and those warm, underground kitchens have never been more invitingly portrayed. Landscape painting holds a particular fascination for Moore, and she has reproductions of impressionist paintings pinned up all over the place. "I'm hoping some of the genius will rub off on me."
Someday, I would love the opportunity to paint a mural in the manner of one of Ms. Moore's illustrations. Until then, I have to agree with Mole; O my!

Ms. Moore recently completed artwork for another Children's classic, The Secret Garden, which just as beautifully conceived and executed as her work for Wind In The Willows.












Here are a couple of unpublished illustrations I painted for a prospective book about an island out to sea that turns out to be a sleeping giant. In the meantime I pin some of her illustrations on my wall and to quote her, "hope that some of the genius will rub off on me".

11 comments:

  1. Thank you for introducing me to Inga's work. Lovely, dreamy, I thought they were from the 19th century until I read further. Your illustrations are beautiful, a style all their own as well.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Thank you for saying this about Inga's work. I think she'd be chuffed to know you pin her work up as inspiration. I'll pass this on to her next time we speak xx

    ReplyDelete
  3. I'd better say Inga is my aunt and sometimes I google her name to see what's out there. I find it hard to keep up with all her books and thank you again xx

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Dear Sir/Madam, it is wonderful that I found your comments here. I am a rights manager at Publishing House, we publish books for children. I have been trying to find contacts of Inga Moore for considerate time already. Could you please help us? I would really really appreciate if you could contact us or forward my email address directly to Inga - my email is andreevame@gmail.com. Many many thanks in advance for your any response! Maria

      Delete
  4. I just bought myself a copy of the Wind in the Willows illustrated by Inga Moore and I adore the illustrations. Her work is gorgeous and I think she did a superb job with the proportions of the animals and building and such. I have often thought other illustrators have got that all wrong, she did it all right!
    Thanks for sharing the pictures, Yours are also beautiful and I hope to snatch up a book with your illustrations someday.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Sometimes when I'm feeling a little misplaced, I conjure Ms. Moore's illustration of Badger's hearth. It's about the most comforting environment anyone's ever imagined, from my perspective. Seeking a bit of that hominess today, I went googling for more of her work, and found your blog! It's such a joy to stumble upon welcome treasures. Thanks :)

    ReplyDelete
  6. Thank you for showing us Inga's work. Do you know how to contact her to offer her a commission?
    Nicola

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. From Inga's niece again (Katherine) : Inga is currently inclining towards oil painting, away from books — though books do keep pulling her back, and she has completed a few more since 'Secret Garden'. One I would like to mention is 'A House in the Woods' in simpler style. Moose bears a lovable comparison in stance and manner to Prince Charles. That book is doing extremely well in sales, and I feel will be another bed-time classic. Our last emails were around Christmas time. If you wish to contact her professionally, try Walker Books to get a message to her on your behalf? Though I think I 'have' asked her about possible private commissions, and Inga declined. Inga is a private person, I must not share her contact details. You won't find her on Facebook. Sometimes she sells her originals? There was such an exhibition not that long ago in a gallery on Oxford Street, and all of her 'Wind in the Willows' scenes with characters were sold. Again try Walker Books. Cheers Katherine Bradfield P.S. I am on this site (again) now for my own reasons. Now being interested in Grisaille technique and ceramic application, with relief for tactile purposes. Here I happily come upon this post once more. The web page Surface Elements did sound familiar, and now I know why :) best wishes

      Delete
    2. Dear Katherine, I just wrote a message above and only after that saw this message of yours. Thank you for your messages. Especially thank you for sharing the idea of contacting Walker Books. I definitely will right away! Please kindly pay our best regards to Inga Moore. Warmest wishes, Maria

      Delete
  7. The unpublished illustration of the girl on the beach had better stay unpublished! See the oeuvre of Peder Severin Kroyer, Danish painter, of two ladies on the dusk lit Skagen beach.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Yep. And the other one is also based on another Scandinavian painter. I went through a phase. What can I say?

      Delete