TIBOR GERGELY

We know the year in which artist Tibor Gergely was born---1900---but not the month. I've chosen to begin 2015's Birthdays of the Month with this gifted ilustrator. You may not be familiar with his name---

---but you certainly know his work.

In fact, it might be difficult to find someone who does NOT know his work.

Illustration from "The Fire Engine Book"

His Golden Books are still in print, still being read by children years after they were first published---and TOOTLE and SCUFFY THE TUGBOAT are among the top ten all-time best-sellers of children's books.

Piece of original art (note the crop marks) from "The Happy Man and His Dump Truck"

Note, also, that Gergely is yet another gifted artist who fled as a refugee to this country from the turmoil and upheaval of the 30's and 40's in Europe and Eastern Europe, and who worked for either Disney or Golden Books. People often turn up their noses at Golden Books. Don't! The art directors and editors at that establishment had an unerring eye for top-notch talent. 

I hope you will go to the link below---to an exceptionally informative and interesting website---and find out more about the life and work of this superb, multi-talented artist.

http://www.tiborgergely.com/site/Home.html

BEST SEAT IN THE HOUSE

The Best Seat In The House? This one---at my drawing board, paints and brushes at hand, Baroque guitar on the portable CD player. There's only one problem. I've been doing more writing (which always takes place on the living room couch) in recent months than drawing. So Kitty (he's asked that I not use his real name) has come to the conclusion that the Best Seat is HIS Best Seat. Now that I'm back to illustrating, Kitty and I have a little---make that a large---contest of wills each morning when I go to work.

Once evicted from the Best Seat (yes, I always win), the Second Best Seat (according to Kitty) is the one in front of the computer. Clearly a come-down. But this does not solve the problem. I have to use this seat as well, many times during the day, which means more contests of will.

After a second eviction, the Third Best Seat in the house is this one, arranged especially for Kitty, and a seat he'll never have to share with me. Its drawbacks? Location ... size ... view ... plus it's never conveniently warmed up ahead of time by someone else's posterior.

The conclusion that I draw from all this? That Kitty is an especially intelligent being. He understands the true priorities of life. As I compose this blog post, opportunistic Kitty, surrounded by paints and brushes and the music of Bach, is settling down into ... the Best Seat In The House.