Missed Connections: Love Lost & Found

Missed Connections: Love Lost & Found
by Sophie Blackall
128 pgs. 2011 pub.

Missed Connection is a site used mostly by urban dwellers to post their own classifieds. A girl jumping across a puddle at an intersection, a man at the museum, looking at armor. People post their  silent notice of individuals in hopes of striking up a meeting. Of course, sometimes thieves post messages about their theft of the person's property and offers of ransom.

The artist Sophie Blackall has put together a charming illustrative storybook for adults. Blackall is an award-winning illustrator of children's books, and her illustrations retain a whimsical , occasionally dark interpretation of  posts: "We Shared a Bear Suit" and "Hairy Bearded Swimmer".

I really liked this book, not as much for the subject matter, but for the amazing illustrations. I would read and look at anything this artist created. Her medium of Chinese ink and watercolor is deceptively simple, when it looks this easy, it's usually not.