Customer Reviews

Women of Enchantment 2005 Calendar

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This calendar is a treasure that you are sure to enjoy long after the year 2003 has come and gone. It contains twelve exquisite prints, suitable for framing, of the elegant, jewel-like paintings of Kinuko Y. Craft, most of which are enlarged prints of her beloved book covers for various fantasy authors. If you are not familiar with K.Y. Craft's work this will be a splendid introduction and may encourage you to take a look at her own picture books that are filled with her lavish, detailed and enchanting illustrations, all of which are carried on [website]. Included in this calendar you will find the following cover prints that are featured on fantasy book covers by other authors: Biting the Sun by Tanith Lee, Wind in the Stone and Scent of Magic by Andre Norton, A Midsummer Night's Dream (New Folger Library Shakespear), Hounds of the Morrigan by Pat O'Shea, Priestess of Avalon by Marion Zimmer Bradly and Diana L. Paxton, as well as the covers for Patricia McKillip's books Ombria in Shadow, The Tower at Stony Wood, and Winter Rose. Other prints in this calendar include two interior illustrations from her book Cupid and Psyche as well as a print that was a journal cover and a Christmas card. A small portion of this print called Angel with Lyre is also seen on the cover of Patricia McKillip's Riddle-Master: The Complete Trilogy.
Ronnie Sellers Productions, Inc. has done an excellent job of maintaining the integrity of these beautiful works and has given us a wonderful opportunity to enjoy this great artist's work at an affordable price. If you love Baroque-style oppulence and marvelous pagan fantasy worlds you will treasure this calendar as I do.

Kinuko Y Craft is an exceptional fantasy artist. I have several novels on my shelf with her art on the cover--and her artwork always catches my eye in bookstores. I also own a coffee table book of her art. And in my bathroom, I have hanging last year's WOMEN OF ENCHANTMENT. The artwork is stunning--full of myth, magic, vibrant color, luminosity. Just a delight to look upon it shortly after waking. :)

The calendar boxes per day give enough room for one to jot down appointments and birthdays--as I do.

But it's all about the art. Bring some beauty into your new calendar year. :)

Mir

UPDATE: Okay, received my calendar 12/18, and here's the artwork on it:

January: Hermione--a mournful classical style female with Greek classic columns and a soft blue sea behind her. Reminds me of those 19th century sleepy women paintings.

February: Claire's Wings--dark foresty space surrounds a lovely, fair fairy giving off a golden glow as she admires her reflection in a pool. I've seen this image on other products--cards and bags. So, it must be one of Kinuko's popular ones.

March: Ozma of Oz--reminds me of Renaissance portraits. A lovely young woman in an elaborate gown in her room, a scepter and crown on a cushion beside her, and through a window, a castle high up with clouds behind.

April: The Queen of Icemark--Warrior woman with dramatic black horse and white leopard and battle scene behind. The leopard is stunning.

May: Sacred Ground--a peaceful seaside landscape with a Native American looking beauty (or maybe some fantasy ethnicity that's a cross between Indian (West and East) carrying a basket. A serene dawn time of day. Very nice.

June: Psyche Weeping--an interesting composition with a mournful tone, a lot of dark greens and black as we look at a pool reflection of Psyche with her head in her hand,w eeping. We don't see her, only her reflection.

July: The Barque of Frailty--A moonlit night on a street reminiscent of Prof. Higgins' street in MY FAIR LADY, but a woman in Empire white gown and gold shawl lieson the stone stree, letters scatterd about her and flying up in a breeze. She is so pale, may be dead (or fainted). A beautiful, but tragic painting.

August--The Ghost of Netley--A woman in Regency white gown and airy shawl walks in the forest in moonlight.

September--Sleeping Beauty--She's awake and half-risen on her white silky bed, prince approaches, but attendants still slumber. Dark surrounding the central luminosity that is the blonde princess.

October--Water Sprite--a light-hearted painting suffused with early sunlight as a water sprite stands on pointe on the surface of the sea and a magical companion rides a butterfly alongside.

November--The Transformation of Angarred--One of my fave of Craft's works (one I've seen elsewhere and before) of a half-woman/half-leopard (mid-transformation?) sipping at a forest pool as a dark and mysterious knight figure watches on his steed, a wagon and a low golden moon in the distance. A magical scenario with a sense of curses and menace and journeys.

December--Cybele's Secret--which is the cover illustration as well on this calendar. One of Craft's signature "chock full of lovely stuff" compositions, very detailed, cool blues and greens and also golds and whites. A visual delight for exploration of the intricacies.

Ah, I love my new calendar!!!

Mir

I love Kinuko Craft's work, she is a very tallented artist. This calendar exhibits just some of her many beautiful paintings.

...as far as I am concerned! Kinuko Y. Craft comes thru again! THIS IS ONE GLORIOUS CALENDAR! I agree 100% with everything reviewer "Miro" said.

BRAVO! Just breathe taking, beautiful. If you are a fan of her art YOU WILL NOT BE LET DOWN with this one. And if you are NOT a fan, you SHOULD be!

Kinuko Y. Craft was born in Japan and began to draw and paint as a young child. Her meticulous attention to detail and the sheer beauty of her subjects are what attracted me to her "Women of Enchantment" Calendar. Recently, she has been illustrating children's books, e.g. "Sleeping Beauty" (2002 - SeaStar Books), fantasy book jackets, e.g. Patricia McKillip's "In the Forests of Serre" (2003), and posters.

Four of the illustrations featured in this calendar are opera posters: "Aida;" "Das Rheingold;" "Götterdämmerung;" and "Madama Butterfly." Aida is a regally beautiful Ethiopian (after all, she was a princess as well as a slave). Madama Butterfly is represented as a mysterious, rather Victorian geisha. The Rhine Maidens languidly taunt a sinister Alberich, and Brünnhilde rides Grane into Siegfried's funeral pyre.

Kinuko Craft's 'Ring' illustrations are as lush and detailed as that splendid set by Arthur Rackham, although more romantic and less moody.

Imogen from Shakespeare's "Cymbeline," originally painted for Simon & Schuster, naps in splendid draperies on this calendar. She is accompanied by two queens: Eleanor of Aquitaine on a magnificent white horse; and Isabella who seems to be meditating on a broadsword and the scales of justice.

An Etruscan-looking Proserpine and a blonde, sleeping Psyche are brought to life from Greek mythology. Two months reproduce Craft's book-cover illustrations for Patricia McKillip: "In the Forests of Serre" (my personal favorite), and "The Book of Atrix Wolfe."

I'm guessing that the final painting is of a Balinese Angel Goddess--no matter, all twelve of Craft's sumptuous oil on watercolor paintings are sure to enthrall.

I've always enjoyed and admired Kinuko Craft's work. 2010 is the second year I've bought the Women of Enchantment calendar and I have little doubt I'll buy a 2011 one when and if available.

I enjoy this calendar every day. I hope they come out with one for 2009.

As a huge fan of Kinuko Craft's work, my review is hardly unbiased, but the calendar is a gorgeous selection of her work. I bought this as a gift and the recipient was quite pleased.