I find Quentin Blake's illustrations very fascinating. Their spontaneity and the fast pace with which they have been executed allows movement and connection with the story. They describe a collection of actions, feelings and ideas in an instant. It almost seems that the characters are moving and whispering, and the leaves are trembling (in the case of the picture below, which is from The Green Ship, a children's book written by Blake himself). You just want to turn the page to see where you are headed next and the interesting thing is, with his stories in particular, both the adult and the child can gain something special from the experience. The adult can reflect on past experiences through the reminiscence of the characters and the child's imagination is stimulated, drawing them both into the adventure.
I admire Blake's style of working because I know how difficult it is for me to draw quickly and from memory. I wish I could improve on that and watching the videos on how he does it at Quentin-in-action has inspired me a great deal. Since I can remember, I have found drawing to be the most authentic and sincere mode of expression - it allows a creative interpretation, a vision, a representation of the world as the mind and the heart see it.
I would love one day to write, illustrate and translate a children's book into Italian. I have a long way to go, although an idea for a story involving space travelling to 'delicious' worlds is already in the making.
