Authorial Illustration Projects
The Old Whale and the Deep Blue Sea
In Augast 2020 it was the halfway point of the part time Masters in Authorial and Illustration Practice at Falmouth University. I marked the point by painting a Nocturne. 'The Deep Blue Sea'. After the exhibition I kept visiting the painting asking the question when the setting was? Is it contemporary or the 19th century.
It turns out it was 19 century whaling.... I then began to write a poem about a whale hunt. Told from the Old Sperm whales perspective. That poem led me into my dissertation, On how whaling powered the industrial revolution. Focusing on two ships and the town of Whitby where they where from. The ship in the Poem is 'Lively".
Maid of the sea
The Mermaid of Zennor was my project in the first year of the MA. Which I put on hold. I picked it back up in August 22.
The story of the Mermaid was told in 1873 by Cornish folklorist William Bottrell.
In Zennor there is a church, and inside is a carved bench dating back to Elizabethan times.The carving is of a mermaid, weather the story came first or the seat, you decide. I took this story to heart in the first year of the MA. And it is still a work in the making. Though the poem is complete and in review.
The art work is in the process of being made with both decorated boarders drawings and full coloured illustration.
While working on this Cornish tale I also began to look at William Morris, Edward Burn Jones and Kelmscott Press. In particular decorated boarders such has the Chauser. One of the most collectible and valuable limited books made.
Tree of Life
The tree of life is a messianic poem. Inspired by my faith in Yeshua. It began has a small book with line drawing and text roughly put together. I then developed it into a small booklet for my MA exhibition.
Old Laird of Muck
This is a work in progress. And tells an alternative story of the Laird of Muck. And how he came to be on the Island long ago in the 16th Century.
Initial sketches where made and then drawings.
Book Making
The dummy book,
a fabric cover and inlaid illustration front and back.
This book is made up using grey board and glue.
But gives a pleasing Finnish. It is now ready to present to a perspective publisher or agent.
Print Making
A screen print was made based on the poem and line drawing I had made for my poem of the same name. This was submited to the 2020 print exchange exhibition.