A fellow illustrator from the UK, John Shelley, commented on my recently posted sketches. He compared the whimsical line and subject matter to the work of Edward Lear (1812-1888), which of course in typical British fashion was rather complimentary. For those who are not familiar with Lear's work however I thought this an appropriate opportunity to explore his work a bit more deeply. Lear was an author and poet, a whimsical illustrator and a wonderful nature artist, sometimes compared to the great Audubon. I have linked the title of this post to a website dedicated to Edward Lear's nonsense poetry and cartoons.
The following is from THE OWL AND THE PUSSYCAT:
Pussy said to the Owl, 'You elegant fowl!
How charmingly sweet you sing!
O let us be married! too long we have tarried:
But what shall we do for a ring?'
They sailed away, for a year and a day,
To the land where the Bong-tree grows
And there in a wood a Piggy-wig stood
With a ring at the end of his nose,
His nose,
His nose,
With a ring at the end of his nose.

His poetry is peppered with neologisms which tickles me to no end, it does it does, it tickles me frickles me free!