COMPTON VERNEY.- Sir Quentin Blake is an artist who needs little introduction. Such is his relationship with the British public that his work is as familiar as Marks & Spencer, Rolls Royce or Fox’s Glacier Mints. Instantly recognisable, quintessentially British – an undoubted national treasure.

It has become something of a rite of passage that millions of us developed a more sophisticated appreciation of words and pictures through the writing of Roald Dahl, Michael Rosen and more recently, David Walliams - all of which are brilliantly and vividly illustrated by Sir Quentin Blake’s exuberant pen.

This autumn visitors to Compton Verney are getting a unique opportunity to see ‘behind the pages’ with the exhibition Quentin Blake: Inside Stories (21 October – 17 December 2017) a chance to view 140 of Blake’s original drawings, storyboards and handwritten captions for his most famous characters, many of which have never been seen outside the artist’s studio before.

The show is an absolute treat for those with a fondness for Blake’s unmistakable style. His trademark, free-flowing scribbly, squiggly lines and vibrant splotches of colour will be reassuringly familiar to many, giving visitors a wonderful insight into how he created the appearance and personality of characters such as the BFG, Mathilda and Danny Champion of the World, how he worked with the authors and how their ideas were realised in book form.

As the title suggests, Inside Stories also reveals how he uses a wide range of different techniques and media to create his distinctive and unforgettable images – employing inks, watercolours and pastels, in response to the particular mood of a book and the nature of its characters.

This is an exhibition that will delight, charm and fascinate every age group. Given that Blake is very much active - despite being 85-years old - his most recent body of work has explored themes of mental health, loneliness and displacement. It is Blake’s genius that, with a flourish of his pen and brush, he can capture a multitude of emotions, so beautifully realised in his illustrations for Rosen’s Sad Book.

Of course, Blake has written and illustrated his own books, such as Patrick, Mrs Magnolia and Mr Armitage, creating a huge body of work that is still flourishing.
Bringing Mister Magnolia’s beaming smile, the gloriously ghastly Twits flamboyant grin and cross-dressing Dennis, the protagonist in David Walliams’ The Boy in a Dress, Inside Stories arrived at Compton Verney on 21 October and runs until 17 December.

Compton Verney’s Director, Professor Steven Parissien says “We are absolutely delighted to be welcome Sir Quentin Blake back to Compton Verney, after his hugely popular show with us in 2011. To now be able to host a show revealing the genesis of his much-loved characters here in the heart of Warwickshire is a fantastic opportunity for us and one we are sure will once again prove incredibly popular with our visitors of all ages.”