Brilliant Butterflies

Ron Embleton - The Story of Tom Thumb

Butterflies float through our childhood memories like fairies with their bright iridescent wings.  This week's post is a selection by my favourite artists (most of whom I've featured in this blog before) of Brilliant Butterflies.

The Butterfly Roundabout

The painting above appeared on the cover of Once Upon a Time magazine issue # 147 dated 4 December 1971.  The name of the artist is printed on the bottom corner.  It looks as though it could be Gonzales.  Other than this name I know nothing about the person who painted these beautiful illustrations.

The Butterfly Roundabout

The Butterfly Roundabout

Two illustrstions from Thumbelina - the butterfly in this story is one I always remember.

Nadir Quinto - Thumbelina

Nadir Quinto - Thumbelina

I don't know who painted the next two illustrations but I think they are really cute.

The Elf Who Overslept

The Elf Who Overslept

I think the next painting is the work of Gerry Embleton.  It is small but I've always found it a very powerful and atmospheric image.  This illustration perfectly captures the serenity of the forest glade -  a shaft of sunshine illuminating a moment of truth, creating an almost spiritual experience with butterflies the only movement and colour.

Gerry Embleton - The King's Headache

The illustration is from a story called 'The King's Headache'. It is about a young king whose days are filled with military parades and war manoeuvres. One day the king's horse decides she's had enough of trumpets and drums and gallops away. The horse finally stops for a drink at a lake in a forest. The king looks around in wonder and realises the headache he has lived with all his life is gone.

On his return the king decrees that all his soldiers must become gardeners. The parade ground is turned into a wonderful garden that is soon famous throughout the world - a place everyone can enjoy.

If only life really was that simple!

Janet & Anne Grahame Johnstone - Tom Thumb

All South African's will be familiar with the breakfast cereal Weet-Bix made by Bokomo.  It is similar to the Weetabix available here (made in the UK) but is slightly sweeter, is a bit more brick-shaped and has a different texture as it does not turn to mush when milk is added. I prefer it, but maybe that's because it is something I grew up with.

In the 60's and early 70's Weet-Bix had cards that could be collected printed on the inside flap of the box.  One series was of butterflies and I still have three that I found amongst my paper dolls:
          

To finish this week I've borrowed a YouTube clip of The Butterfly Ball.  It was one of my favourite videos during my teens and dates from the mid 70's.