I wrote about Ilene Meyer’s beautiful Surrealist inspired paintings back in September.
Since then a new book has been released, written by D. Michael Tomkins and illustrated with her nature themed fantastic art paintings. The book is called The World Below and is a children’s story about survival and change in an ancient civilization that has parallels in modern environmental issues.
There is a site devoted to the book, but for some reason that eludes me, the site doesn’t take very good advantage of the book’s strongest selling point, and fails to feature Meyer’s beautiful illustrations as prominently as I would have expected. There is a sample chapter, a video interview with the author, a foreword by novelist Clive Cussler and a few small reproductions of Meyer’s images, but that appears to be it.
If you look harder, though, you’ll see a small row of text links below the main interface. There, amid links for Return Policy and Shipping Methods, is an easy to miss link for “Wallpaper“.
Here you’ll find a little treasure trove of Meyer’s illustrations at a higher resolution than you’ll find on her own site or elsewhere on the web. Until you can pick up one of her books (the other is a collection of her work), this is your best option to get a feeling for the appeal of her highly detailed and freshly imaginative paintings.
The other news is that Ilene Meyer is having her first gallery showing in the U.S. in ten years, at the Arts Partnership Gallery in Tucson, AZ. (Apparently there is no web address, the gallery is at 125 S. Arizona Ave., Tucson, AZ, 520-624-9977.) The show runs from January 12 to February 10, 2007.
From the first time I saw Ms. Meyer’s original oils in the gallery, Art Brilliant, on Rodeo Drive, I’ve been a fan. Her fantastic imagination and use of color is exceeded only by her technique. Please see the fabulous brushworks on the linen canvases which, I assume, are still displayed at Art Brilliant. I was told by the gallery manager that Ms. Meyer has a strong following, or market, in Japan.
She’s good!
While doing some research on Greenpeace i have come accross her beautiful book… I guess its only sold online?
The World Below may only be available online, howvever Meyer’s other collection is available through major booksellers.