How do you come up with a new and fresh twist on the world's most familiar nursery rhymes for a porcelain collector's plate? Research what 's been done before, then come up with a new approach: anthropromorphized animals in authentic period costume and setting. Next, find a world class illustrator like Mary Jane Begin and get her to embrace the concept. Work with her in developing the image for the plate medium. The result: an Award Winning ( Society of Illustrators,1996) painting depicting the characters in the style of Valasquez and the court of King Henry VIII.