London Is My Boyfriend: a love letter to the city

We often tell ourselves little fairy tales about the cities we live in, casting them as major characters in our life story. Paris can be a beautiful woman, full of mystery and elegance. Venice might be an artist, energetic in the daytime and contemplative at night.

"He can be stately and dignified."

One half of the wonder | wander | women has an unusual idea of London: for her, London is like the ideal man. He has spent many years working out his identity and place in the world. He has rough spots, but his handsomeness and accomplishments outshine them.

"He understands the poetics of space."

London Is My Boyfriend is a half-joking, half literal love letter to the city. It started with photographs of a few famous landmarks, then of curious art and surprising buildings, happened upon during the blogger's daily life.

"He's prone to flights of imagination."

What you "see" is what you get.

Fixed vs. Growth: The Two Basic Mindsets That Shape Our Lives

by Maria Popova

How to fine-tune the internal monologue that scores every aspect of our lives, from leadership to love.

http://www.brainpickings.org/index.php/2014/01/29/carol-dweck-mindset/

Psychologist Carol Dweck states in Mindset: The New Psychology of Success, “For twenty years, my research has shown that the view you adopt for yourself profoundly affects the way you lead your life.”

shroom boom

The challenge with depicting mushrooms is capturing its fleshiness. 

They need to look the way the word mushroom sounds. 

Pencil, various pan watercolours. Lettering and borders,
Noodler's Lexington Grey in extra fine fountain pen.
Fabriano small artist's journal.

Mahala's art featured in her sketch art blog, Peregrinalia. 

on the topic of books: Brain Pickings

Illustrating a children's book, especially one with shades of autobiography, presents a unique window into a writer's mind. We can see the things they love and look back on, and maybe confront our own self-doubt. Maybe it's our chance to try art that is new and challenging, to us as well as readers.

On the topic of illustrated children's books, we were reminded of one of our favourite blogs: Brain Pickings.

Brain Pickings is the blog of writer Maria Popova, collecting inspirations, reflections, and creative processes from the world's greatest minds. The blog often features unusual, lesser-known, or especially beautiful illustrated books. Read their retrospective of Alice in Wonderland illustrators, or this child-friendly primer on how babies are made, for examples of Brain Pickings's eclectic taste.