~Jane Austen

Jane Austen illustrations
C. E. Brock, 1898

~The Velveteen Rabbit

“Weeks passed, and the little Rabbit grew very old and shabby, but the Boy loved him just as much.
He loved him so hard that he loved all his whiskers off,
and the pink lining to his ears turned grey, and his brown
spots faded. He even began to lose his shape,
and he scarcely looked like a rabbit any more,
except to the Boy. To him he was always beautiful,
and that was all that the little Rabbit cared about.
He didn't mind how he looked to other people,
because the nursery magic had made him Real,
and when you are Real shabbiness doesn't matter.”

The Velveteen Rabbit
is a children's novel written by Margery Williams
and illustrated byWilliam Nicholson.

It chronicles the story of a stuffed rabbit and his quest
to become real through the love of his owner.
The book was first published in 1922
and has been republished many times since.

Read the whole story HERE!!

~Quote

“Life can be wildly tragic at times, and I've had my share.
But whatever happens to you, you have to keep
a slightly comic attitude.
In the final analysis, you have got
not to forget to laugh.”
by Katharine Hepburn

~Eileen Soper

 
Eileen Soper was born Enfield, Middlesex, 26 March 1905,
the daughter of an illustrator, George Soper.
Along with her elder sister Eva,
she attended Olive Downing’s School in Knebworth and Hitchin Girls’ School. At the time of her father’s death, in 1942,
she was worked primarily as an illustrator,
notably with the children's author, Enid Blyton.
Eileen illustrated the entire series of Famous Five adventures
and a vast range of other books.
In addition she authored and illustrated 23 books of her
own that displayed her growing talent for wildlife illustration.
She was a founder member of the Society of Wildlife
Artists in 1964 and was elected to the membership of the
Royal Society of Miniature Painters in 1972.

Then rather like a character from Marilynne Robinson's Housekeeping she let much of the rare flora planted by
her father return to a state of wildness and even allowed
the animals of the garden into the house.
She shared this singular location with only one other human,
her somewhat shadowy sister Eva.
Eileen died in 1990,
Eva outlived her by only six months. The estate and copyright of George and Eileen Soper are now in the care of the
Chris Beetles Gallery.

www.chrisbeetles.com