Ring a Ring o’ Roses

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© Ken Wilson-Max 2011.

I think there is still some thought about the decoration of the type and the flowers that has to happen, but wanted to post it anyway as I’m fairly pleased with the progress.

Ring a Ring o’ Roses

The historical context for this rhyme dates back to around the time of the Great Plague of London (1665). The symptoms of the plague included a rosy red rash in the shape of a ring on the skin and violent sneezing. People carried sweet smelling herbs, or posies, as they believed the disease was transmitted by bad smells.

The death rate of the Great Plague was over 60% and it was eventually brought to a fiery end by the Great Fire of London in 1666 which killed the rats that carried the disease.

Baa Baa Black Sheep

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© Ken Wilson-Max 2011

The earliest publication for the “Baa, baa black sheep” rhyme or poem was 1744. The Music that we know today was first published in the early nineteenth century. The song  makes a link between wool and sheep. Babies imitate the sounds or noises that animals make –  onomatopoeia – as part of  learning through playing.

The rhyme has had its controversial moments too but it seems unfounded. That is there is no way to prove or disprove any controversy.

Incy Wincy Spider

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The perils of rushing. I made a mistake on this latest version… boo-hoo! It’s back to the drawing board. The sun dries, not washes, silly. This is the corrected piece.

 

Three Blind Mice

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Three Blind Mice
The ‘farmer’s wife’ refers to the daughter of King Henry VIII, Queen Mary I. She was a staunch Catholic whose violent persecution of Protestants earned her the nickname ‘Bloody Mary’. Three blind mice refers to the massive estates which she and her husband, King Philip of Spain, owned.
The ‘three blind mice’ were three Protestant noblemen who were convicted of plotting against the Queen – she did not have them dismembered and blinded as in the poem but she did have them burnt at the stake instead.

More Nursery Rhyme sketches

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This was the first sketch for this rhyme. I don’t think there was a second.

 

 

Nursery Rhyme sketches

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An early sketch for ‘Incy Wincy Spider’ threw up several questions about the final image. Should it be 3-d somehow? Is it too scary for young children? I’m now experimenting a little more with the treatment of the artwork and it’s so much fun!

Nursery Rhymes by hand

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Just in time for the Festive season, here are the first four of a set of twelve (yes, twelve) nursery rhymes hand painted or made by yours truly. If you live in the London area the prints can be delivered by hand, in keeping with the hand made theme. They are available unframed in A4 (£10) or A3 (£15) sizes and printed on nice heavyweight art paper with inks that won’t fade with time.

In case none of this makes sense, here’s a pdf with all the details;http://kenwilsonmax.files.wordpress.com/2011/11/nursery-rhymes-by-hand.pdf

A visual for a new nursery rhyme book. ©ken wilson-max 2011

Mary had a little lamb

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A visual for a new nursery rhyme book. ©ken wilson-max 2011

From http://www.rhymes.org.uk

The words of the American nursery rhyme Mary had a little lamb would appeal to a small children and introduces imagery of similes (white as snow) as part of use of the English language. The words also convey the hopeful adage that love is reciprocated! The words were written by Sarah Hale, of Boston, in 1830. An interesting historical note about this rhyme – the words of Mary had a Little Lamb were the first ever recorded by Thomas Edison, on tin foil, on his phonograph.