IN THE STUDIO (guest starring Obi and Doo)

BALLADS OF MURDER, PART 1

(The Dreadful Wind and Rain, gouache and flashe on paper, 12" x 12", 2013)

Above is my illustration of the Murder Ballad Wind and Rain, also known as The Twa Sisters

It goes like this: 

WIND AND RAIN

There were two sisters of county Clare,

Oh, the wind and rain

One was dark and the other was fair,

Oh, the dreadful wind and rain

And they both had a love of the miller's son,

Oh, the wind and rain

But he was fond of the fairer one,

Oh, the dreadful wind and rain

So she pushed her into the river to drown

oh, the wind and rain

and watched her as she floated down

oh, the dreadful wind and rain

and she floated till she came to the millers pond

oh, the wind and the rain

dead on the water like a golden swan

oh, the dreadful wind and rain

as she came to rest on the riverside

oh, the wind and the rain

and her bones were washed by the rolling tide

oh, the dreadful wind and rain

and along the road came a fiddler fair

oh, the wind and rain

and found her bones just a lying there, cried

oh, the dreadful wind and rain

so he made a fiddle peg of her long finger bone

oh, the wind and the rain

he a made a fiddle peg of her long finger bone, crying

oh, the dreadful wind and rain

and he strung his fiddle bow with her long yeller hair

oh, the wind and the rain

he strung his fiddle bow with her long yeller hair, cried

oh, the dreadful wind and rain

and he made a fiddle fiddle of her breast bone

oh, the wind and rain

he made a fiddle fiddle of her breast bone, cried

oh, the dreadful wind and rain

but the only tune that the fiddle could play was

oh, the wind and rain

the only tune that the fiddle would play was

oh, the dreadful wind and rain

BACKSTORY

(Bury, graphite, ink & gouache on paper, 9.75" x 11" )

From Ozark Magic and Folklore by Vance Randolph:
"To curse any particular part of a victim's body, the witch takes the corresponding part of an animal, names it for him, and then buries it in the ground..." (page 279)

Back to the blog...

It's been a few years since I did some proper blogging, and it feels like a good time to get back to it.

I hope this blog will allow me to do any/all of the following:
write about all the odd and esoteric things that I am interested in; share my process and inspiration; explain some of the (again) odd and esoteric things that influence my work; share art news and lastly connect with all of you beautiful folks who might actually be reading this thing!

So let's begin, shall we?