Excerpt Tuesday – The Deer-Men Dance – Beach

DeerManDanceI am not organized enough to intentionally plan my posts in accordance with upcoming holidays, so I am always relieved when my subconscious does it for me! I came across Mr. Julian Beach’s wonderfully dense and descriptive poem, “The Deer-Men Dance”, a couple of months ago and began working on the illustration shortly thereafter. But I only recently finished it. It turns out to be a perfect compliment to the upcoming harvest festival. Read the whole poem here on Mr. Beach’s writing blog (and check out some of his other work while you are at it, you’ll be glad you did) – you’ll be transported to the world of the Celts and Anglo-Saxon England. Drawing (graphite on paper) and composition by me. The inspiration for the font came directly from this fantastic illustration of a Hawaiian Crow by Ms. Haunani at ArtandMoonDreams. Enjoy!

23 comments

  1. Lovely drawing, beautiful lettering, detail and mystery expressed in the composition. Wonderful poem, enjoyed the journey and the magic in the pairing of your collaboration. Thank you for the mention, you are most kind and I am humbly grateful. Peace.

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    1. Thank you so much! It was a pleasure to work on – and as I said, your Hawaiian Crow post was the font inspiration to finish it off! I am excited to point folks your direction to discover your lovely artwork.

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    1. Thank you, Lillian! This was a fun one to draw – although it definitely forced me to be more patient (impatience is a failing of mine) and to pay attention to each mushroom and group of hairs!

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    2. Dear Millie – thank you so much! Although not directly connected to Samhain, I just read that the Scottish Museum is hosting a survey exhibition of Celtic art (http://www.nytimes.com/2015/10/27/arts/international/cultures-of-the-celts-revisited.html?_r=0) that would be fantastic to see. I hold out hope that one day we will know more through archaeology and research about what the historical Celts themselves thought about this time of year!

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    1. Thank you, Claudia! Agreed – it is no accident that so many different cultures mark this particular passage with harvest and death rituals (Day of the Dead, All Hallow’s Eve, Samhain, etc)!

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  9. I think this is one of my all-time favorite illustrations here, Marcy. Have really enjoyed sampling Julian Beach’s vivid poetry and Haunani’s art — and of course you know I have a thing for corvids… It’s good to be susceptible to that shadowy zone of past and possibility and ritual that “the October country” represents; it helps me in my denial that winter’s close behind!

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    1. Thank you so much, Sunshine! I love that – “the October country” – that is beautiful. It is such a rich, expectant time, with winter close behind. As I said, I didn’t consciously plan it, but I am so glad the timing of this post worked out to celebrate the turn of the season!

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