Monday, December 7, 2009

"Dressed Animal" Illustrator Margaret Tempest (1892 - 1982)

Margaret Tempest began her illustrating career in the 1920s and is best known as the creator of Little Grey Rabbit and Fuzzypeg the hedgehog, characters found in a series of children's books written by British writer Alison Uttley. First published in 1929, the books are still being re-issued today. Margaret Tempest illustrated the first 30 books in the series, continuing to do so until 1970. It was Tempest's distinctive and memorable depiction of these characters which made them instantly identifiable and a household name, but which  ultimately caused a bitter divide between the author and the artist. They violently disagreed not only as to who deserved the most credit for creating the characters, but also over the issue of copyright ownership. Tempest  worked also with numerous other authors and also wrote and illustrated 20 books of her own in the 1940s and 1950s, including the Pinky Mouse and Curley Cobbler series. She was also one of the Medici Society's more popular and enduring artists, publishing her art as collectible postcards for many years.

To visit my online store offering a large variety of great products, gifts, and collectibles featuring all my whimsical animal illustrations, please go to Adele's Cute Animal Art Shop.