Above and below: maquette of a dragon and a detail of the cover of Glimmerglass for which it was used.
My work-table is presently strewn with paper maquettes of beasts as I bring the cover artwork of Marly Youman’s new novel, Glimmerglass, to completion. So this seems like a good moment to introduce the work of two contemporary artists/illustrators I admire, who also use versions of paper maquettes as part of their processes.
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Above: from A Crocodila Mandona illustrated by Marta Madureira. Published by Tcharan. 2010
Marta Madureira is a Portugese illustrator from Oporto. At the most recent count she has sixteen books to her credit, and has been the recipient of many prestigious awards. Her illustrations are in an expressive combination of techniques that include print-making and collage. Madureira also makes wonderful, vibrantly coloured paper maquettes. Here are a few of them.
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Above: cover art-work by Marta Madureira for Mocho Comi. Published by Tcharan. 2012
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Morteza Zahedi is an Iranian artist and illustrator living in Tehran. He has produced images for several children’s books, and his illustrations have been extensively exhibited at the Bologna Book Fair. In common with my own practice, there would seem to be a connection between Zahedi’s cut-out (maquette) figures, and the painted works that spring from them. (I think it clear, too, that we’re both engaging with issues of positive/negative space, and a kind of pattern-making.) Below I’ve posted images of the artist’s wonderful series of interlocking horses, and some of his maquettes that I think must have been their origins.
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Below: Morteza Zahedi maquettes of horses
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Just to underline the interests in ‘image dissection’ I share with Zahedi, here is a stage of maquette-making I took a quick snapshot of in 2012 while working on figures for The Soldier’s Tale. Although this was just an image made for my own pleasure (and for the blog), I carefully laid out the individual pieces to make an interesting composition. Moreover I made further, more randomly interlocking compositions, that I photographed before finally assembling the figure.
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Below: to end today’s post, Zahedi’s beautiful cover for his children’s book, 1000 Animaux. Published by RMN
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Being an artist can be a pretty solitary occupation. I work alone in an isolated studio in rural West Wales. Every day at my desk and easel I labour away at problem-solving, and my use of maquettes as a part of that process has evolved over a period of just over a decade. It’s interesting to come upon other arts practitioners using techniques similar to my own. All three of us make maquettes as compositional tools, and yet what emerges from the three studios is so diverse, each artist’s work unlike the others.
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Clive Hicks-Jenkins' Artlog: 
Enjoyed these very much and wandered off to look at more–always the sign of a good post of this sort, I think… And looking forward to seeing the still-secret images! Whee!
Always good when I can set you off an a little exploration! (-;
Lovely work! I think Marta’s paper-cuts are my personal favourite but I do really like Morteza’s ‘crazy’ horses too, very charming. The artists both have such unique styles.
I still think you should open an arts commune in the Welsh countryside Clive!
I’m sure people would flock there to work alongside someone as inspiring as yourself. The creative sparks would be flying! I would be quite happy to decamp 🙂
I think it likely Sarah will have quite strong opinions on your planning to decamp to rural Wales without having discussed the matter with her!
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I will check with Sarah tonight, but i’m sure it will be fine (chuckle)
The paddock would look quite jolly full of colored tents!
Hold on, hold on. Is this actually happening?
Hee! I’m not staying in a tent! I want my puppet room!
surprisingly Sarah said it’s fine! so thats settled then? 🙂
I like the idea of tents but it might be a bit draughty? how about some kind of geodesic dome (tres 70s!) you can even buy them in kit form! or maybe a hobbit style mound?
Sarah sounds like a game girl. I think that hobbit mounds in the garden might work very well. Goodness knows we already have a good many moles, so they’ll be like those, only bigger!
ohhhhh these are all wonderful, i love the bizarre creatures– those horses are really lovely, and i adore the cover of mocho comi, especially. that brow is fantastic 😀
Brow? Oh, now I get it. The brow on the owl!
I once had an uncle who looked like that.
The studies for the Glimmerglass cover are such strong, vibrant images. So unusual in their style and colour combinations. And now these two other illustrators that you’ve featured here astonish me in the way they have chosen to go about solving the riddles of composition. Each of you makes images that are so culturally different and all of you use space so distinctively in the ways you balance white and colour.
Simply loved this post. Thank you.
Priya, some pretty cool stuff being produced by Marta and Morteza. I love both in different ways.
It’s rewarding to know that you’ve enjoyed looking at this post.
The colorful, graphic qualities I find in both artists’ work are completely engaging—but, I am especially drawn to Marta’s work. Spikey! Yet endearing! xo AM
Marta Madureira’s work is indeed endearing, though you might check out Zahedi’s bestiary images, which I think have a great deal of charm.