BEAUTY: Illustration--Chiaki Okada

Japanese children's book illustrator does absolutely gorgeous work. These tender, sweet illustrations for the book HARU-CHAN AND RABBIT-KUN make my heart ache...the little rabbit carries with him a stuffed alligator. I mean, come on, if your heart doesn't melt at that, then you are lost.

Take a look at some of her work for other books...it speaks to me of an innocence and benevolence that feels so far away now.

http://okada-chiaki.com/

BEAUTY: Painting--Krassimir Kolev

I have always said that if, as adults, we were allowed to bring stuffed animals and plush toys with us into our everyday lives like children, the world would be a much better place. And Bulgarian artist Krassimir Kolev seems like he might agree, with the portraits in his Fables Series, a sweet homage to these soft, cuddly friends.

Top to bottom: Best Friends; Family Gathering; Family; Friends; Lovers; Lovers II; Lovers III; Lovers IV; With Grandpa

http://kolev.se/index.html

BEAUTY: Mixed Media--Annie Montgomerie

Regular readers know I have a thing for human figures with animal heads. I find them intriguing. I am drawn to them. They tickle me. And sometimes they scare me. In a good way.

There is a bit of all that in the wonderful work of UK artist Annie Montgomerie who puts animal heads on the plastic bodies of baby dolls. The results are magnificent. They look as if they could come to life at any moment, ask to play in the yard, ask for lunch...

She clothes them in vintage doll clothes, some made by hand long ago, and accompanies them with tags bearing cryptic, poetical sayings like "Finders keepers," "I can see my house from here" and "I won't go."

Montgomerie sells her creations at her Etsy shop but they go fast so check often. Go to her website for details.

http://www.anniemontgomerie.co.uk/

BEAUTY: Soft Sculpture--Yumi Okita

Yumi Okita's over-sized cloth moths are a delight. They bring to mind Mosura (Mothra), the giant fuzzy moth from the "Godzilla" films!

I am also reminded of another unusual plush toy animal: years and years ago, my best friend/roommate and I went to visit the then-new Monterey Bay Aquarium here in Northern California. In the gift shop, they had racks and racks of all the expected stuffed animals, all the cute and cuddly ones like otters, pelicans, seals, dolphins, even whales. And then she spotted it: a plush toy sting ray, all flat and evil. She just had to have it! I still marvel at what an odd choice it was to make a ray into a stuffed animal. Who gave that the green light at the toy factory?

Yumi Okita's Etsy store:
https://www.etsy.com/shop/irohandbags

MUCH LOVED by Mark Nixon

Irish photographer Mark Nixon's just-published book MUCH LOVED is a heartbreaking ode to our childhood stuffed animals.
His opening remarks in the book gave me goose bumps and made me tear up a bit since it is all so true...

"When everything was unknown, they were there.
When anything could happen, they were there.
These repositories of hugs, of fears, of hopes, of tears, of snots and smears.
Alone at night, they were the comforters, when monsters lurked in darkened corners, when raised voices muffled through floors and walls.
These silent witnesses, these constant companions, defenders of innocence.
Their touch, yes, but their smell, that instantly calming, all embalming musk, unique to each, soothing and smoothing the journey from consciousness to un, from purity to im, from infancy to adult-terre.
Sworn to secrecy, unconditionally there, unjudgementally fair and almost always a bear."

One Eyed Ted, age 55+, owned by Gerry Ryan

Big Ted, age 43, owned by Mairead Harrington

Bobo, age 34, owned by Shane Maher

Brownie, age 30, owned by Jenny Slattery

Visit his website for more work.
http://marknixon.com/
And MUCH LOVED would make a great holiday gift!

This delightful, very touching photo book made me go to my safe and get out Kitty and Tiger, my constant companions from my own childhood (yes, I keep them in a safe so they will never be lost) to photograph for this post.

Kitty started life as a bright white terry cloth cat with blue button eyes. (When I was seven, Kitty came into surgery with me when I had my tonsils removed. When I woke up, he had a little Band-Aid on his arm!) His fabric is thread bare, only a portion of one of his eyes is left, but his little red smile is still there.

Tiger started life as a hand puppet of a jungle cat. He had beautiful, shiny, deep golden eyes, and a luxurious pelt. Of course his fur has been loved off, his eyes are long gone, there is a hole in the left side of his head, and my mom sewed rips in his little hands and neck many times, but his nose is still visible.

And they both still have a faint trace of the smell of my childhood... *melancholy sigh*