{"product_id":"paperblanks-moonlight-ultra-softback-flexi-journal-lined-176-pages-fb5626-3","title":"Paperblanks Moonlight Ultra Softback Flexi Journal – Lined, 176 Pages","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eCapture your ideas, plans and memories in this Moonlight ultra softback flexi journal from Paperblanks, with 176 lined pages of 100 gsm acid-free paper.\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eOlena Skytsiuk is one of the foremost practitioners of Ukrainian \u003cem\u003ePetrykivka\u003c\/em\u003e painting, a technique in which special brushes crafted from cat hairs create a visual effect unlike any other. In each design, like that reproduced on our Moonlight cover, thousands of small strokes combine to create colourful miniature scenes.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch3\u003eThe Story Behind the Design\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003eSince the 17th century, “Petrykivka” painting has been a common sight in the Cossack settlements of the Dnyepr River region of Ukraine. At that time, it was believed that beauty had the power to ward off malignant spirits. In Olena’s Garden, our series featuring Olena Skytsiuk’s paintings, you will encounter that same poetic loveliness that emerged from those Ukrainian hamlets.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eNamed after the village where it has survived to this day, the Petrykivka style of painting was originally used by peasants to decorate the white-washed walls and interiors of their simple dwellings as well as furniture, kitchenware and other household objects made of wood. The most common motifs were flowers and berries, as well as symbolic figures of birds, animals and people. One peculiar element of this tradition was the use of fine brushes made of cat hair, which created the characteristic profusion of ever-so-delicate brush strokes you can see here.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eFor a long time, Petrykivka painting remained a local folk craft, passed down from generation to generation without receiving much acknowledgement as an art form. The genre was on the verge of disappearing when, in 1936, a Petrykivka schoolteacher opened a school of decorative arts and invited one of the few remaining practitioners to train future artists. Gradually, qualified professionals became the guardians of this manner of painting.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eOlena Skytsiuk’s background as a Petrykivka painter combines a formal training received from the Lviv National Academy of Arts with her own family tradition. Her mother came from Petrykivka and was a distinguished painter whose artworks would be presented as state gifts to foreign dignitaries. Now Olena is working in the same genre, creating ornamental pictures bursting with colour and swirls of lively detail. Compared to traditional paintings, dominated by red, yellow and green, Olena’s colour scheme can be described as more sophisticated due to the abundance of shades employed in her compositions. In this Moonlight cover design, her colour tones appear as if the night cast a shroud of shade over a lush floral ornament.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eNo artistic tradition can remain fully unchanged over time, but an artist can honour its essence even in a contemporary setting. Owing to the talents of masters such as Olena Skytsiuk, the Petrykivka style of painting continues to be a living, distinct form of folk art inspired by a guileless cherishing of the bountiful Ukrainian nature.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eOriginal artwork:\u003c\/strong\u003e In the Moonlight by Olena Skytsiuk\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eEra:\u003c\/strong\u003e Contemporary\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eRegion:\u003c\/strong\u003e Ukraine\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\u003ch3\u003eProduct Details\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eSize:\u003c\/strong\u003e Ultra – 180 × 230 × 13 mm\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eInterior:\u003c\/strong\u003e Lined\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003ePages:\u003c\/strong\u003e 176 (88 sheets)\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003ePaper:\u003c\/strong\u003e 100 gsm acid-free smooth paper\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eCover:\u003c\/strong\u003e Softback flexi (flexible cover)\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eBinding:\u003c\/strong\u003e Smyth sewn – lies flat and stays durable\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eEdge printing:\u003c\/strong\u003e Yes\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eCorners:\u003c\/strong\u003e Rounded\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003ePouch:\u003c\/strong\u003e Back cover pouch\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eDesign:\u003c\/strong\u003e Moonlight\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eSeries:\u003c\/strong\u003e Olena’s Garden\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eSatin ribbon marker\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eDecorative printed cover paper\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eEndpaper with credit and copyright information as well as historical background for the original artwork\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eThreaded stitching and glue, as needed\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eAcid-free paper\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eMemento pouch\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eWeight:\u003c\/strong\u003e 388 g\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eProduct code:\u003c\/strong\u003e FB5626-3 | \u003cstrong\u003eISBN:\u003c\/strong\u003e 9781439756263\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\u003ch3\u003eAbout Paperblanks\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003ePaperblanks works with museums, libraries, galleries and artists around the world to faithfully reproduce remarkable artwork, historic bindings and treasured manuscripts, and every notebook is crafted with the same attention to detail, from the paper inside to the finish of the cover.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Paperblanks","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":54386111480136,"sku":"FB5626-3","price":23.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0920\/5114\/5032\/files\/9781439756263_FrontHighRes.png?v=1792778618","url":"https:\/\/shop.penandpaper.co.uk\/products\/paperblanks-moonlight-ultra-softback-flexi-journal-lined-176-pages-fb5626-3","provider":"The Pen and Paper Stationery Company","version":"1.0","type":"link"}