Inspiring Illustrators

For any of you out there who have never had the pleasure of seeing Kinuko Craft's work, take some time and look. She is one of my all time favorite illustrators.
Richard Jesse Watson is another. One of my favorite children's books was illustrated by him. It's called One Wintry Night by Ruth Bell Graham. It is well worth buying, not only for the incredible images, but for the story.
You've also got to view some of Helen Ward's illustrations. She is another of my favorite illustrators. Check out the books shown on this link. It doesn't appear that she has a website. (gr-r-r-r-r) I wish she did. I have her book The Rooster and The Fox. It's another one well worth buying for the art alone. But if you want a breathtaking book, buy The Animal's Christmas Carol. Wow. I got that book out of the library at least 10-15 times before I finally realized I needed to buy it. Ward is a genius with her art.
She wrote a book called The Tin Forest that is illustrated by Wayne Anderson, (shown near the bottom of that link...can't find a website for him either. The link for Anderson above is well worth visiting to see the artists there. I wonder why she didn't illustrate that book. Maybe the fact that she wrote it made it different for her somehow in doing the illustrations. I'd love to have the inside scoop on that. I'd love to meet her. I think she lives in England though, so I doubt she'd ever be at any SCBWI national conferences.
I want to buy The Tin Forest too....(oh the list of books I want to buy) Others spend their money buying furnishings for their home, or clothes...me....I buy books when I have extra cash. (then I hound thrift stores and get great things for low prices..so that I can buy more books with the money I save...
I'm actually off to a thrift store now...hmmmm...wonder what I'll find.