Speckled Cockerel’s wedding

Description

For some time Speckled Cockerel pestered the little girl Julia and the cow Browny played the part of matchmaker. No sooner had the news been heard in the farmyard, everyone went about in a fluster: the hens laid eggs for a cake, the cow got the cream ready, the goats picked blackberries from the bramble patch, the pigs cut the flowers, and a chorus of sheep rehearsed the wedding songs. A wedding is always an occasion for happiness, that is why everyone on the farm was so happy, everyone except the Fox. She was filled with rage! How could the apple of her eye get married to such a conceited cockerel? Didn’t she realise that the Speckled Cockerel only wanted to show off at the wedding? Not only conceited, but self-interested! He even spent the day asking the guests for the presents! The author of the new album in the O Collection from OQO editora is Juan Alfonso Belmontes, who from the encounters and mix-ups of the three main protagonists (the Speckled Cockerel, Julia and the Fox) weaves a singular love story in which jealousy, sorrow, deception or greed are not lacking… With these ingredients, emotion is guaranteed, and in a maze of confusion the author invites us to reflect, with him, on feelings. The illustrator of such a notorious wedding is Natalie Pudalov, a Russian born artist who has lived in Israel since she was very young. There she studied art and graphic design and once finished moved to Germany to study illustration. For her work on this occasion she used wooden boards on which distinct layers of acrylic paint were applied and combined with collage. In the album, Natalie lends a special role to the three main characters that form the love triangle. In her own words, the image of each one of them tries to reflect the most significant characteristics of their personality: Vanity and egoism are the most relevant characteristics of the protagonist Speckled Cockerel, hence he is presented as always walking jauntily, head high and showing off his fabulous tail. He is larger than the rest of the characters, because he feels superior to them all, especially to his fiancée. His face covered with a mask that symbolizes some one who hides their true intentions. Text by Juan Alfonso Belmontes Illustrations by Natalie Pudalov Translation by Mark W. Heslop