As far back as high school I was often seduced by the collaboration of word and picture. In another life, I set out to be a book illustrator, before I was hijacked over into the fine arts department in college - where I spent a lot of time marrying up images and words.
Even now when I write poems, some beg to be illustrated, or animated. (No, I'm not delving into another media in order to procrastinate in writing. At least, not yet...) Here are some interesting takes on what can be done when setting poetry to image.
The Country
by Billy Collins
Diving Into the Wreck
Adrienne Rich
Cinderella's Diary
Ron Koertge
The Language
Robert Creeley
Tornado Child
Kwame Dawes
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25 January 2009
17 January 2009
Never Drop A Parasaurolophus On Its Head
Brought to you by Creative Procrastination Techniques, and the letter "W".
I've been writing, honest, 9 new poems and half a short story, in addition to editing, editing, editing - novel and poems and getting ready for the new WyoPoets chapbook. I also need to do a Year Of The Ox postcard for the Baren Chinese New Year Card Exchange. Researching my Ox took a while, but I managed to sketch out an idea I liked, dropped it into Painter to play with colors, then printed out a template.
The bad news was since I'd cleaned (well, some) my office, and rearranged, and shoved things into plastic tubs, I couldn't find my wood blocks to carve the Ox. I did come across a block of plasticine left from my sculptural days, conveniently sitting alongside a wire frame and baseboard. The wire framework looked suspiciously like... a dinosaur. A hydrosaur. Last time I remember being interested in hydrosaurs was when my eldest was five, and could recite every name and type of dinosaur with ease. I finally remembered, the wire skeleton was one of his favorites, a parasaurolophus. Digging deeper in the tub, I found all kinds of reference materials.
You know what happened next.
Before I realized it, I had a fledgling parasaurolophus taking shape on the armature. Next thing I knew, it was hours later, and dogs were making those, "Good doG, woman, aren't you EVER going to feed us we're starving here" noises. I stuck the armature and fleshed out dino on the corner of my drafting table, noticed a block of shina plywood stuck on the bookshelf next to it, reached over... and knocked Mr. Duckbill off the table right on to his fancy head crest. His cranium took a beating, as did the tail. I'll be spending my next round of sculpture straightening the fancy head dodad so it doesn't resemble a limp noodle, rebuilding the tail, so it doesn't look like a cat took a bite off the end, and yes, picking copious amounts of dog hair out of the plasticine.
I set the parasaurolophus in a safe place on a shelf, (away from my elbows), got out my woodblock carving tools and bench hook, transferred the Ox to the block, and did some preliminary carving. Somehow, going from smooth blocks of oily clay, to splintery wood and sharp, pointy cutting tools doesn't seem like the smartest plan, given my klutziness, but hey, at least I won't feel guilty if the wood block ends up on the floor. As it is, I had to turn the parasaurolophus around, so I wouldn't have to look at his bedraggled crest, and mildly acusatory expression, as if I had deliberately set out to give brain damage to such a stellar member of the Cretaceous dinosaurs.
Yes, it's been a long winter, why do you ask?
.
I've been writing, honest, 9 new poems and half a short story, in addition to editing, editing, editing - novel and poems and getting ready for the new WyoPoets chapbook. I also need to do a Year Of The Ox postcard for the Baren Chinese New Year Card Exchange. Researching my Ox took a while, but I managed to sketch out an idea I liked, dropped it into Painter to play with colors, then printed out a template.
The bad news was since I'd cleaned (well, some) my office, and rearranged, and shoved things into plastic tubs, I couldn't find my wood blocks to carve the Ox. I did come across a block of plasticine left from my sculptural days, conveniently sitting alongside a wire frame and baseboard. The wire framework looked suspiciously like... a dinosaur. A hydrosaur. Last time I remember being interested in hydrosaurs was when my eldest was five, and could recite every name and type of dinosaur with ease. I finally remembered, the wire skeleton was one of his favorites, a parasaurolophus. Digging deeper in the tub, I found all kinds of reference materials.
You know what happened next.
Before I realized it, I had a fledgling parasaurolophus taking shape on the armature. Next thing I knew, it was hours later, and dogs were making those, "Good doG, woman, aren't you EVER going to feed us we're starving here" noises. I stuck the armature and fleshed out dino on the corner of my drafting table, noticed a block of shina plywood stuck on the bookshelf next to it, reached over... and knocked Mr. Duckbill off the table right on to his fancy head crest. His cranium took a beating, as did the tail. I'll be spending my next round of sculpture straightening the fancy head dodad so it doesn't resemble a limp noodle, rebuilding the tail, so it doesn't look like a cat took a bite off the end, and yes, picking copious amounts of dog hair out of the plasticine.
I set the parasaurolophus in a safe place on a shelf, (away from my elbows), got out my woodblock carving tools and bench hook, transferred the Ox to the block, and did some preliminary carving. Somehow, going from smooth blocks of oily clay, to splintery wood and sharp, pointy cutting tools doesn't seem like the smartest plan, given my klutziness, but hey, at least I won't feel guilty if the wood block ends up on the floor. As it is, I had to turn the parasaurolophus around, so I wouldn't have to look at his bedraggled crest, and mildly acusatory expression, as if I had deliberately set out to give brain damage to such a stellar member of the Cretaceous dinosaurs.
Yes, it's been a long winter, why do you ask?
.
03 January 2009
What's On The Shelf?
Kris Reisz recently posted a pic of his shiny new desk, and when I complained I couldn't read all the titles of the books on the shelf behind it, we discovered a mutual addiction - checking out other people's books by desperately trying to see the titles in the background of any pictures they post. After I whined, Kris was kind enough to make it easy, and post a photostream of his ShelfPorn™. Then he challenged us all to reveal our own stash.
I don't have the ambition to photograph all my shelves right now, but I did one and a half and pieced my pics together in a faux shelf, as Kris did. Since I have seven of these book cases, I figure eventually I'll photograph a few more, although one is filled with DVDs and video games from Playstation 2-3, XBox-XBox 360 (Christmas present from eldest child) and Wii. Entertainment is important in our house. You can never have too many copies of Halo, Battlefront, or Guitar Hero. (There's a damn good reason I'm not a musician...) So here are the contents of one and a half bookshelves residing in my dining room - since my laptop is on the table and I'm inherently lazy, I keep most of my need now research materials here. And if it seems a bit excessive, well... Amazon Prime is instant gratification for those of us living in remote areas. That's my story, and I'm sticking to it, like a Corgi on a treat.
As always, click the pic for the absurdly large image...
Poetry
More Poetry and War Psychology
History, Mythology, Strays
Byzantine and other history
Religion, Warfare, more History
Philosophy, Sociology, Science
some Fiction
Knitting, Printmaking, Art
Art and More Art
I don't have the ambition to photograph all my shelves right now, but I did one and a half and pieced my pics together in a faux shelf, as Kris did. Since I have seven of these book cases, I figure eventually I'll photograph a few more, although one is filled with DVDs and video games from Playstation 2-3, XBox-XBox 360 (Christmas present from eldest child) and Wii. Entertainment is important in our house. You can never have too many copies of Halo, Battlefront, or Guitar Hero. (There's a damn good reason I'm not a musician...) So here are the contents of one and a half bookshelves residing in my dining room - since my laptop is on the table and I'm inherently lazy, I keep most of my need now research materials here. And if it seems a bit excessive, well... Amazon Prime is instant gratification for those of us living in remote areas. That's my story, and I'm sticking to it, like a Corgi on a treat.
As always, click the pic for the absurdly large image...
Poetry
More Poetry and War Psychology
History, Mythology, Strays
Byzantine and other history
Religion, Warfare, more History
Philosophy, Sociology, Science
some Fiction 
Knitting, Printmaking, Art
Art and More ArtI haven't gotten to the psychology, architecture, adult education, more art books, and gaming tomes yet. That would require cleaning... Oh, and in case you didn't realize, there isn't a book on Corgis in sight. Imagine that...
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