Inspiration of the moment

I'm going to start calling these inspirations of the moment rather than of the week, since I pretty much have no intention of keeping a regular schedule and instead would rather just post whenever I feel like it.  Anyway, this week I've been reacquainting myself with a lot of Golden Age illustration as research for a piece I'm doing in a sort of 50's women's magazine style. In doing so, I came across Andy Virgil, who was not mentioned much (maybe not at all?) in my education.  I REALLY like his work.  His compositions are simplified into excellent flat shapes, and each shape is wonderfully textured.

This one instantly reminded me of the first assignment at the Illustration Academy:

He also sometimes has a mixed media feel that you don't see that often in that type of illustration.  And I do love mixed media... 

All images are from Leif Peng's Flickr sets.

Also, my friend Shalini posted this on her blog today and I thought it was approximately the coolest thing ever: a photo project by Yeondoo Jung called "Wonderland." The photographs are inspired by children's art. How cool is that?!