Sylvia Plath

Excerpt Tuesday – The Bee Meeting – Plath

TheBeeMeetingIt was Sylvia Plath’s birthday just a few days ago (Oct 27th), so my unintentional good timing strikes again! I’ve had “The Bee Meeting” on my illustration radar for awhile, but only recently did I work out what I wanted to do for it. I encourage you to read the entire poem – it is just a short click away here. The link is to a Sylvia Plath discussion forum, and so various interesting (and some quite extensive) interpretations of the poem follow the text. Drawing (pencil on paper) and composition by me.

 

 

Excerpt Tuesday – Lady Lazarus – Plath

Lazarus_Plath2This was my first really “big” illustration attempt, posted not long after I started Illustrated Poetry. It was my first try at block printing and it wound up involving about a dozen trips to the art store (First day: “What do you need a $20 roller thingy for? I don’t need that.” Next day: “One rubber ink roller, please.”), a complete set carved with the letters backwards, and near asphyxiation by fumes (“non-toxic” ≠ odorless!). But this piece holds a special place in my heart, maybe because the “art mountain” I had to scale seemed so high. The excerpt is from “Lady Lazarus” by Sylvia Plath: read the whole poem here. All four women saints are Linocut prints, designed, cut, inked, and printed by me.

Abbreviations (with links to wikipedia, if anyone is curious about what is known or traditionally believed about each saint): St. Lucy = Saint Lucy, St. Cath = Saint Catherine of the Wheel, St. J.d’Arc = Saint Joan of Arc, St. M. Mag. = Saint Mary Magdalene

 

 

Excerpt Tuesday – “Lady Lazarus” – Sylvia Plath

plath_saints_crop2This was my first attempt at block printing, specifically Linocutting – and it was definitely a learning experience – but a rewarding one. Today’s excerpt is from “Lady Lazarus” by Sylvia Plath: read the whole poem here. All four lady saints are Linocut prints, designed, cut, inked, and hand printed by me.

Guide to Abbreviations (with links to wikipedia, if anyone is curious about what is known or traditionally believed about each saint):

St. Lucy = Saint Lucy

St. Cath = Saint Catherine of the Wheel

St. J.d’Arc = Saint Joan of Arc

St. M. Mag. = Saint Mary Magdalene