Lief Peng's Today's Inspiration: vintage illustration heaven!

Vintage illustration is one of the most popular and imitated genres of illustration, but almost nothing is known about the men and women who created stunning work for endless magazines and agencies in the 50s and 60s. 

Lola Fielding

Leif Peng, himself an accomplished commercial artist, runs a well-researched blog called Today's Inspiration where he tracks down mid-century illustrators, gathering up every crumb of detail about their life and work, and making beautiful posts about them.

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."

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.