I recently self published my Fairyland ABC/Alphabetic Primer of Fairyland through Blurb, at first I was intimidated by the process, but in fact it was pretty straight forward, almost fun once my desktop was properly organized.
The link above allows for a preview of the book and direct purchase and shipping- just in time for the holidays! A perfect stocking stuffer ( that sounds a bit unchaste).
What started out as an extension of my daily drawing practice, my focusing upon the alphabet as inspiration ,quickly suggested itself to book format.This paperback edition is nearly true to size to that actual notebook (the private notations and wonky compositions attest to that day-to-day reality).
The following images are some of my personal favorites:
G is for Greenman (& Gryphon & Ganymede)J is for JesterP is for Pierrot (& Pollarded Trees)
My ongoing body of work Fairyland I am beginning to see has its roots and inspiration in the nursery. I find myself harkening back to my childhood. We hadn’t a nursery, or day care, in fact, due to my mother’s mental illnesses my childhood was spent in self care and self nurturance. I raised myself best as I could. One of the delights of my solitary childhood was stumbling upon the Victorian and Edwardian library of my maternal grandmother’s own (isolated) childhood nursery. One such delight was Walter Crane’s enchanting Absurd ABC. I spent many quiet hours poring over Crane’s vivid and complex drawings, imagining better worlds. I owe a huge debt to Crane.
Walter Crane “Absurd ABC”
With that alphabetic primer in mind, I turned the focus of my daily drawing practice to the ABC’s; each day producing a primer that would have suited that little boy (and the fellow I am now). Later in life I discovered other primers and have experienced inspiration in ornamental alphabets such as this medieval ( neo-medieval?) illuminated primer.
With that information in mind, my Alphabetic Primer of Fairyland:
“A” is for Aladdin“B” is for Baal“C” is for Commedia dell’ Arte ( & Chinoiserie)“D” is for Death“E” is for Egyptomania“F” is for Faun (& Fairy & Floral)“G” is for Greenman (& Gryphon & Ganymede)“H” is for Herakles (& Hydra)“I” is for Imperial Rome ( & Impermanence)“J” is for Jester“K” is for Kells, Book of“L” is for Lazarus“M” is for Minotaur“N” is for Nereid“O” is for Opera“P” is for Pierrot (& Pollarded Trees)“Q” is for Quetzalcoatl“R” is for Rococo“S” is for Salome“T” is for Theatrical Temperament“U” is for Uranus (& Uncomfortable)“V” is for Viking“W” is for Witchcraft“X” is for Xibalba“Y” is for Yankee Doodle Dandy“&” is for Ampersand“Z” is for Zanni
This isn’t my first alphabet, back in 2012 I went to task working on my Primer of New Spain ( see side bar for link ). However I lost steam and interest, as interesting as Mesoamerican art and culture is, it isn’t MY story. From now on I am focusing on what is true to me, Fairyland is home.
The following is “D is for Dog” from the above mentioned Primer of New Spain.
With that, I close this post. For the record all of the images are 8 by 10″, on toned grey paper, sanguine (mostly) pencil and white charcoal highlights. I continue my daily drawing practice, starting most studio days with at least one decent drawing. I imagine revisiting the ABC’s once again.
Boondocks Babylon 