creatures of the imagination

This Series 13 Secret Be@rbrick (right) was designed by Parisian illustrator, Genevieve Gauckler. She is known for creating lovable graphic creatures and incorporating them into photos of real life situations.

Below is her artwork from thisisamagazine.com which features two of her famous characters, Patacorp (the fat one) and Thermokukus (the tall one). The rest of this series depict the lovable twosome in funny situations around her apartment. Check them out here.

Guackler's pic (below) for lounge72.com shows her posing beside Patacorp. Cute, aren't they?

I am reminded of imaginary friends that a great number of kids (65%) develop between the ages of 3 and 5. While some parents regard these 'playmates' with alarm, psychologists reassure them that having such a 'pal' is normal. They say that an imaginary friend is thought of as a child's way of coping with difficult emotions; it is also a way for him/her to explore the issues of control, discipline and power without interacting with real authority figures (which may cause some degree of anxiety.) The best news is that kids with imaginary playmates tend to develop better verbal, social and creative skills, according to studies.

Creativity in children and adults manifest in many ways, sometimes in the form of cute little fantasy creatures – just like Gauckler's.

Info from NYU Child Study Center & Seattle Post Intelligencer / Balloon pic from g2works.com