THE REAL ALICE IN WONDERLAND INSPIRES
THE MOST INFLUENTIAL MUSE OF ALL TIME by C. M. Rubin
Throughout history, the muse has provided an essential element required to inspire and motivate artists to create their very best work. From Manet’s Victorine Meurent, to Dali’s Gala Diakonova, to Lennon’s Yoko Ono - the complex psychology of the special connection between artist and muse has been discussed and debated in terms of its importance in the overall creative process. Then there are the muses that continue to influence and promote the legacy of that art throughout the course of their lifetimes and long afterwards.
In the lives of the great muses, there has never been a muse more recognized for the role she played as inspiration than that of Alice Liddell in the creation of Charles Dodgson’s (Lewis Carroll’s) Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland. On many occasions, Lewis Carroll reminded his followers that his inspiration had come from a 10 year old girl, the magical Alice Liddell, who had encouraged his story telling for years, and in particular the story he told about Alice in Wonderland during a summer day’s picnic on July 4, 1862. The real Alice was the daughter of Henry Liddell, the author of the celebrated Greek English Lexicon and the powerful Dean of Christ Church College, Oxford, where Dodgson taught mathematics. After hearing the story, Alice was continously persistent that Dodgson write it down for her, which he eventually did. He ultimately presented it to her (hand written and hand illustrated) as a Christmas gift 18 months later. In 1883, Carroll stated clearly in a letter to Alice’s mother that without Alice, he “might possibly never have written at all.”
Years before that golden afternoon, Dodgson was hired as Liddell family photographer to take portraits of Alice and her siblings. No picture taken by Dodgson (who became one of the most respected child photographers of his day) is more famous than his photograph of Alice — the portrait of Alice Liddell as the Beggar Maid. Alfred Lord Tennyson declared it the most beautiful photograph that he had ever seen. Indeed, it was then and still is today, one of the most famous photographs of all time. The gifted model, after all, was exceptionally beautiful, with an intensity and maturity that seems surreal for a child aged only seven at the time. She was a girl capable of inspiring a previously unpublished children’s book author to write the greatest children’s story of all time.
As the books became more famous, so did the author, and so did Alice Liddell. During her teenage years, her beauty and fame inspired Julia Margaret Cameron’s acclaimed series of photographs entitled Alethea (1872). As a wife and mother, eminent writers and artists would visit her home in Surrey, England to meet the Alice of Wonderland fame. In 1883, Alice gave Carroll permission to publish the original manuscript given to her as a Christmas gift, providing that the proceeds were given to children’s hospitals. This led to Alice becoming even more engaged as a spokesperson both for these new causes and the Alice books. In 1932, the President of Columbia University in New York City honored Alice in front of the world as “the moving cause of this truly noteworthy contribution to English literature.”
There are over 20,000 books, films, operas, plays and video games based on Lewis Carroll’s Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland and Through the Looking Glass. It is estimated that over 8 billion people have read or seen presentations of the Alice books. Lewis Carroll is behind only the Bible and Shakespeare in the number of quotations from the Alice books that appear in everyday published discourse. In addition to the new adaptations of Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, Carroll’s and Liddell’s lives continue to inspire numerous new books, works of art, and film projects. In my mind, it is this ongoing fascination with not just the books, but the story behind the story, that make Liddell the most influential muse of all time.
Look Inside The Real Alice in Wonderland book
KATE MIDDLETON - TO DRESS A PRINCESS
KATE MIDDLETON - TO DRESS A PRINCESS by C. M. Rubin and Theresa Blake
C. M. Rubin and Theresa Blake met when they collaborated on a reproduction of the design of the original wedding dress worn by Alice Pleasance Liddell (the Alice behind Wonderland) at her wedding in 1880 to Reginald Hargreaves in the world reknowned Westminster Abbey in London. An illustration of Alice Liddell’s dress was featured in the bestselling book, The Real Alice In Wonderland, by C. M. Rubin and Gabriella Rubin.
On April 29, 2011, Westminster Abbey will once again be the setting for the most anticipated wedding of the year — the wedding of His Royal Highness Prince William of Wales and Kate (Catherine) Middleton. To honor the event, Rubin and Blake have joined forces to bring you a series of stories from CMRubinWorld entitled “KATE MIDDLETON - TO DRESS A PRINCESS.” The stories focus on wedding dresses worn by famous Royal Princesses over the centuries that continue to inspire wedding dress designers and brides to this day. Who knows? Perhaps one of these historic royal gowns has already inspired the best kept secret for April 29, 2011 — what will Princess-to-be Kate Middleton be wearing?
Theresa Blake trained at Wimbledon School of Art in period costume design. After helping to design magnificent gowns for major bridal and couture houses in the UK, she formed her own company, Rossetti Couture. Today, Rossetti Couture designs period wedding gowns inspired by historical princesses and theatrical costumes for individuals and prestigious entertainment companies around the world.
C. M. (Catherine) Rubin designs many of her own clothes and is also the author of three best-selling, award winning books, including The Real Alice In Wonderland.
Theresa Blake and C. M. Rubin
KATE MIDDLETON - TO DRESS A PRINCESS
Kate (Catherine) Middleton
KATE MIDDLETON - TO DRESS A PRINCESS by C. M. Rubin and Theresa Blake
C. M. Rubin and Theresa Blake met when they collaborated on a reproduction of the design of the original wedding dress worn by Alice Pleasance Liddell (the Alice behind Wonderland) at her wedding in 1880 to Reginald Hargreaves in the world reknowned Westminster Abbey in London. An illustration of Alice Liddell’s dress was featured in the bestselling book, The Real Alice In Wonderland, by C. M. Rubin and Gabriella Rubin.
On April 29, 2011, Westminster Abbey will once again be the setting for the most anticipated wedding of the year — the wedding of His Royal Highness Prince William of Wales and Kate (Catherine) Middleton. To honor the event, Rubin and Blake have joined forces to bring you a series of stories from CMRubinWorld entitled “KATE MIDDLETON - TO DRESS A PRINCESS.” The stories, which began on Wednesday, February 16, focus on wedding dresses worn by famous Royal Princesses over the centuries that continue to inspire wedding dress designers and brides to this day. Who knows? Perhaps one of these historic royal gowns has already inspired the best kept secret for April 29, 2011 — what will Princess-to-be Kate Middleton be wearing?
Theresa Blake trained at Wimbledon School of Art in period costume design. After helping to design magnificent gowns for major bridal and couture houses in the UK, she formed her own company, Rossetti Couture. Today, Rossetti Couture designs period wedding gowns inspired by historical princesses and theatrical costumes for individuals and prestigious entertainment companies around the world.
C. M. (Catherine) Rubin designs many of her own clothes and is also the author of three best-selling, award winning books, including The Real Alice In Wonderland.
Theresa Blake and C. M. Rubin
I Am One in a Million - RARE
I Am One in a Million - RARE is the personal story of Lisa Penry Hirons’ fight to live. While Lisa was alive, her story was told with her friend, author C.M. Rubin, who lives in New York City. Lisa, who lived in Maidenhead, England, died of Adrenal Cortical Cancer on January 10, 2010. You can read the entire story by going to the Facebook page I am One in a Million – RARE.
Lisa left a memory that no one will ever take from her loving family and friends. I offer this humble tribute to my friend, Lisa Penry Hirons.
I CARRY YOU IN MY HEART by C. M. Rubin
Dedicated to my One in a Million – Rare friend, Lisa Penry Hirons (August 29, 1960 - January 10, 2011)
I did not die.
I merely went away to start a new life.
My new home is too far for you to come visit right away.
And besides… I need some space at the moment.
I want to adjust to this new journey and my new surroundings.
There are already some little renovations I am thinking about making -
little imperfections I need to fix…
before I’m ready for house guests as precious as you.
Do you know how much I love you all?
Promise me you’ll stay close to me.
I know technology isn’t quite there yet but
promise me you’ll try.
Why are you crying?
What do you mean I’m not here?
Tell me you don’t see me in all the pictures
I accidentally on purpose left lying around.
Tell me you don’t hear me in the emails and texts
that filled up your inbox.
Deny you don’t feel me when you gaze at a
summer sunset and hear my favorite song.
Incidentally,
there are a few small favors I’ve been meaning to ask of you.
When you see the things I love most -
will you cherish them for me all over again?
When you hear the values I believe in -
will you hold your head high and support them in a loud voice?
And when you feel the incredible love we shared -
will you share it right back with others?
Thank you.
From the bottom of my heart - thank you.
Always remember…. I carry you in my heart.
You are my source of inspiration as I muddle
through this new experience and try to figure out
how to build a magical wonderland -
for us all to enjoy.
THE REAL ALICE IN WONDERLAND INSPIRES
WHO’S YOUR INSPIRATION?
Valentine’s Day is named after St. Valentine, and was first celebrated on February 14th in 500 A.D. to express people’s love for one another.
Everyone has some person who inspires them, and yes, that person should be honored and told they are loved on Valentine’s Day.
This Valentine’s Day we are personally honoring our relative, Alice Liddell, the real Alice in Wonderland — the girl who inspired the greatest children’s book of all time, Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland.
Alice was magnetic - she had an impressive line of suitors, including Queen Victoria’s son, Prince Leopold. She finally found true love with a wealthy country gentleman, Reginald Hargreaves.
So Who’s Your Alice?
Tell us about the person in your life who inspires you.
The Person You Love.
Your Real Alice in Wonderland.
Share Your Inspiration.
Log onto Facebook and search for
WHO’S YOUR INSPIRATION? Or just go to:
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Whos-Your-Inspiration/132897310108617
We look forward to hearing your story.
THE REAL ALICE IN WONDERLAND INSPIRES
A CURIOUS WONDERLAND
“Alice in Wonderland is an archetypal teaching story to which people respond instinctively. It does not date and is relevant and exciting to everyone,” writes Louise Rennie, artist and Principal, Curious Company.
Curious Company is a British theatre company that evokes Wonderland in settings mostly without a recognizable stage. Curious Company’s strong visual and design elements and exceptional character work combine to produce real-time storytelling that audiences become part of. With style and humour, Curious Company takes the audience down the rabbit hole and shows them a very curious time. Their fascinating and inspiring work is featured in The Real Alice In Wonderland book by C. M. Rubin and Gabriella Rubin
Discover the Curious Company: http://www.curiouscompany.co.uk
Look Inside The Real Alice Book
The Real Alice Valentine’s Trailer
Louise Rennie
THE REAL ALICE IN WONDERLAND INSPIRES
“QUEEN ALICE” by FRANCES BROOMFIELD
“We can never know exactly what special quality Charles Dodgson saw in the young Alice Liddell that moved him to create “Wonderland”. I have painted several works inspired by the characters of “Wonderland”, but my favorite is “Queen Alice”. I have portrayed her as a sort of Divine Child archetype - or maybe she is simply a child, like Alice Liddell posing for Mr. Dodgson’s camera, having raided the contents of the dress up box, to act the part of a Queen.”
Frances Broomfield grew up in Warrington near Daresbury, the birthplace of Lewis Carroll, and after art college in Wales, she moved to London. She has exhibited in the UK, Europe and USA, and her work is in collections worldwide. She has been represented by Portal Gallery London since 1980. Her paintings have also appeared on TV, in national press, on bookjackets, in magazines and on many Alice-related items, including the latest Oxford University edition of Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland. Many of her pictures can be seen on the Bridgeman Art Library website, and in the recently published A Singular Vision - 50 Years of British Painting at the Portal Gallery.
The “Queen Alice” artwork by Frances Broomfield can be seen in The Real Alice in Wonderland book.
“Queen Alice” ©Frances Broomfield, Courtesy of Portal Gallery London, Photography i2i
Look Inside The Real Alice Book
The Real Alice Valentine’s Trailer
Frances Broomfield
THE REAL ALICE IN WONDERLAND INSPIRES
MAKING CREATIVE IDEAS HAPPEN IN PUBLISHING
Tim Burton and Dariusz Wolski. Woody Allen and Carlo di Palma. James Cameron and Russell Carpenter. Francis Ford Coppola and Gordon Willis. Claude Chabrol and Jean Rabier. The best pictorial biographies, like the best films, are made through great director/designer collaborations. My designer Deb Frano and I would like to share some experiences with you after creating The Real Alice In Wonderland book.
The Author must play the role of Director. You have the vision. The Designer must play the role of the Cinematographer. She will execute your vision. Make sure your designer is experienced with all the current design software, including Adobe Acrobat, Adobe Dreamweaver, Adobe Fireworks, Adobe Flash, Adobe Illustrator, Adobe InDesign, Adobe Photoshop, Adobe Illustrator, MacFreelance, Microsoft Excel, Microsoft Word, Microsoft PowerPoint, QuarkXPress,Quicken and Stuffit. Phew!
Getting organized:
You will need to source visual materials for your book before the design process can begin. There are a number of online visual sources where authors and designers can find and purchase graphics. I Stock is one of the biggest, but also try Gettyone, BigStock, Dreamstime.com, and Illustration Works. The Real Alice In Wonderland had a large visual component. It involved collecting artwork and photographs from museums, libraries, and private collectors all over the world. This was no easy task (it took years). Permissions to use these materials would have been impossible to get without the help and support of my business and legal partner, my husband Harry Rubin.
I asked Deb if she would be willing to answer a few questions about the creative process:
1. How did you get involved with design?
I’ve always been creative, and I have loved to draw and paint as far back as I can remember. I double majored in college – fine art and graphic design. I wanted something art-related that I could make a living at, and still satisfy my need to be creative. Actually, designers are very much like fine artists in their own right. The difference is that designers create their art with a computer instead of a paintbrush or pencil. I find that my fine art background sometimes influences my design work. A good design should evoke an emotion and communicate a message or feeling, much like a painting or a sculpture.
2. Are there certain types of projects you find the most attractive?
I really enjoyed working on The Real Alice In Wonderland. It was challenging. It pushed me to raise the level of my creativity and the flow of my ideas. Getting inside the author’s head and trying to graphically interpret her vision was challenging. Although she knew what she wanted the end result to be, she was ready and willing to take risks to create something that was really cutting edge. We shared ideas – some ideas panned out and some did not. You have to “wrestle” an idea out – discarding what doesn’t fit and refining what does, until the design communicates what the author is looking for. Sometimes a design seems great until you hit upon something better. For example, well into the design of the book we realized we had raised the bar on our artistic translation. It meant going back and reworking some of the spreads to reinforce the visual thread that tied everything together. It was worth it. I would love to do more projects like this in the future.
3. How do you see your role as a book designer changing as the industry moves more towards digital media?
My field has changed enormously in the past ten years, and the next ten will bring even more changes. With The Real Alice In Wonderland, I was constantly aware that many of the designs for print would ultimately get translated into digital media for the promotion and marketing of the book. However, even when books with a significant visual component move into the world of digital transmission, there will still be things that only print media can do. Texture, quality and design of a paper book all affect the way art communicates. Think about it this way. Will a digital image ever replace an actual painting? I don’t think so.
Thank you Deb. Last and not least, it really helps to find a designer you are comfortable and compatible with, and especially someone you enjoy spending a lot of time with. Deb Frano and I have a similar work ethic. We don’t give up until we get what we want. We respect each others talents. We feed off each others ideas. We like working together. Some other places where you can check out designers and their work are Illustration Mundo, Etsy, SBWI, Society of Illustrators, Illustration Friday, and Theispot. To contact Deborah Frano directly, please go to dafrano@c2cgraphics.com.
