Marie Angel (artist) facts for kids

Marie Felicity Angel (born in 1923, died in 2010) was a talented British artist. She was famous for drawing pictures in books, especially for children. She was also a skilled calligrapher, which means she created beautiful handwriting.

About Marie Angel's Life

Marie Angel was born in London, England. She went to Coloma Convent Girls' School when she was younger. During World War II, she studied art at the Croydon School of Arts and Crafts.

After the war ended, Marie continued her art education. She went to the Royal College of Art design school until 1948. This is where she learned many of the skills she would use in her career.

Becoming a Book Illustrator

Marie Angel started working as a freelance illustrator. This means she worked for different companies on various projects. One important job came from the Harvard College Library. They asked her to create illustrations for several "bestiaries." A bestiary is a book about different animals, sometimes real and sometimes imaginary.

Because of her work on bestiaries, Marie began illustrating many children's books. She worked with publishers in both America and Britain. Her drawings brought stories to life for young readers.

Other Artistic Works

Besides illustrating, Marie Angel also wrote her own books. Some of these books taught people about the art of calligraphy. She also created a book filled with beautiful flower illustrations.

Marie Angel's artwork was shown in many places. Her pieces were displayed at the Royal Academy in London. They were also seen at the Society of Designer Craftsmen. She even had her own art shows in America. Today, you can find examples of her work in famous museums. The Victoria and Albert Museum in London has some of her art. The Harvard Library also keeps examples of her illustrations. The Hunt Institute has many of her lovely botanical watercolors, which are paintings of plants and flowers.

Books Illustrated by Marie Angel

Marie Angel added her wonderful drawings to many books by other authors. Here are some of them:

• We Went Looking by Aileen Fisher, published in 1968
• The Twenty-third Psalm, published in 1970
• My Cat Has Eyes of Sapphire Blue by Aileen Fisher, published in 1973
• Two Poems by Emily Dickinson
• The Tale of the Faithful Dove by Beatrix Potter, published in 1971
• The Tale of Tuppenny by Beatrix Potter, published in 1973
• Tucky the Hunter by J. Dickey, published in 1979

Books Written and Illustrated by Marie Angel

Marie Angel also wrote and drew pictures for her own books. These books show her unique artistic style and her love for nature and art.

• The Art of Calligraphy, published in 1978
• Bird, Beast and Flower, published in 1980
• A Bestiary, published in 1964
• A New Bestiary, published in 1968
• An Animated Alphabet
• Painting for Calligraphy, published in 1984
• An Alphabet of Garden Flowers, published in 1987