Posted 2 years ago
Prydferth_…
(2 items)
I adore these postcards I have that capture the lives of animals in an imaginary world...they are so colorful, detailed, and sweet!
The first is titled "The Balloon Seller" and you will notice the brightly colored balloons, the newly blooming tree (crabapple? china blossom?), the bunny and little mouse being carried up in the air by a red balloon...the tiny shoe of the bunny has come off ! and his friend is reaching to help him. There are also pinwheels in the basket next to the lady bunny selling the balloons. This postcard image can really put one in a good mood.
The second one is so adorable and utterly English in nature when I view it. Its title is "Catching the Post," which seems to be the main event on this little lane where there is only one mailbox and the mail probably only gets picked up and delivered once a week or so. Even the bird on the mailbox, a frog in a purple coat, and a mouse have letters to mail! Too cute!
For anyone who has ever read "The Tale of Peter Rabbit" by Beatrix Potter, you may associate that children's story a bit with the third postcard above. It is a scene of a classroom taught by (what else) a wise old owl and the black board to the right seems to have the 3 major dangers that the children animals are to beware of...traps, dogs, and guns! This postcard is titled "Prize Day."
The fourth postcard shown above is titled "The Vegetable Seller" and it is another one of my favorites! The details in the drawings, the 'human' quality of the bunnies, the earthiness of the scenery...it is so sweet and peaceful.
All four of these postcards were drawn by the artist Racey Helps, whom I have no information about, but he or she did a splendid job on these images and I hope you will agree.
Karla
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Like you, I thought Beatrix Potter but colors to vivid. I did find this site.
http://bearalley.blogspot.com/2006/12/racey-helps.html
http://www.raceyhelps.co.uk/home/biography
I found a website created by the author and illustrator's family Racey Helps.
He died at age 57, but his family remember him lovingly.
Thank you for posting this, I have the second postcard & am so fond of it, I have wondered about the artist so this was wonderful to read.