William Francis Phillipps (flourished 1950s - 1980s)
William Francis Phillipps is renowned for his charming creations, such as the delightful Teddy Bears Christmas Choir. Specializing in gouache paintings, William Francis Phillipps masterfully brings animals to life with a whimsical touch. His enchanting artwork exudes warmth and joy, capturing the hearts of viewers, young and old.

Remarkably little is known about this prolific and very accomplished British artist and illustrator. Also famed for his paperback cover art, he painted the front covers for many Agatha Christie Pan Books during the early 1960s and was an illustrator par excellence for several children's titles (across the ages) including Look and Learn, Treasure, Once Upon A Time and Teddy Bear.

He illustrated many other covers including a remarkable series of western paperback covers for New English Library in the 1970s by J T Edson as well as for the popular Edge and Adam Steele wild west series.

He also illustrated many books including The Mysterious World of Dinosaurs and the magazine series Birds That Cannot Fly, both in 1980.

He was equally at home painting cosy children's nursery rhymes, gritty western covers, Bible stories, vivid natural history portraits (mostly fauna, including Dinosaurs), plus many other subjects.
Source: Illustration Art Gallery