I was so very sad to learn that Scottish folksinger Jean Redpath has died, August 21, 2014 — here in Arizona at a hospice. She was easily the most powerful voice of my childhood — and her album "Skippin' Barfit Through the Heather" with its achingly beautiful traditional Scottish songs, and her gorgeous voice, slow and […]
A Sad Farewell To Jean Redpath Read More »
Can I just say how much I love these two etchings by 18th century artist Thomas Rowlandson? The first is a woman diving into the water from a wagon pulled into the surf to serve as a diving platform. "Venus Bathing" is vigorous, round and robust as she takes a "Fashionable Dip" into the ocean
Falling Into Water and Rising Swimming Read More »
I spent the morning revising a bit and adding more art to “A Chorus of Clowns and Masked Comic Theater,” an article I wrote long ago for the “Folkroots Column” in Realms of Fantasy and then republished the Journal of Mythic Arts. I had almost forgotten how interesting it was (well…to me at least) reaching
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Among the more celebrated Japanese tricksters are the Tengu. These peculiar half-human, half-bird (sometimes hawk-like, sometimes more vulture) creatures are famous for their love of sake and their abilities with the sword. In fact, part of their mythology is that the tengu created the unique Japanese style of kendo, and were responsible for teaching it
Drunken Tengu: Masters of the Sword and Drink Read More »
I love this project by illustrator Jed Henry to take contemporary, iconic video game figures and render them in the traditional Ukiyo-e style of woodblock prints. They are beautiful — combining the exquisite technique of Japanese printmaking and modern fantasy images. The worlds are not so far apart according to Henry — who notes the
Ukiyo-e Heroes by Jed Henry and Dave Bull Read More »
Alicia Baladan is an Italian illustrator whose work has given me yet another reason for massively improving my Italian. I love this work — with its beautiful palette of colors and evocative imagery. Her latest children’s book “Una Storia Guaraní” is about the Guaraní Indians of Uruguay and their sacred and incredibly useful relationship to
Alicia Baladan: “Una Storia Guaraní” Read More »
It is easy enough to get lost in Ann Siems paintings, a world of verdant gardens, ghostly lace, and beautiful folkloric portraits. Siems paintings employ different elements of 18th and 19th century art. Her subjects are stylized childhood figures, with pink-cheeked and smiling faces, that stare wide-eyed at the viewer. By contrast, the figures inhabit
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While looking for the title of a specific book (Eros and Magic in the Renaissance by Culiano and Cook) that I knew to be in one of my research notebooks, I came across a little scrap of paper on which I had written a description of a masked ceremonial dance — probably something from the
Actor John Turturro has acquired the rights to create a filmed version of Italo Calvino's Italian Folktales (perhaps my all time favorite fairy tale collection). Last year, Turturro tested the waters so to speak with a new play "Fiable Italiano" adapted from Calvino's collection. It was performed before sold out audiences in Turin, Naples and
John Turturro And Italo Calvino: Italian Folktales On The Stage And On Film Read More »
“The strangest of all the phantasms described is, perhaps, the Youaltepoztli, literally, “the night hatchet or axe.” It manifested itself by causing loud intermittent sounds resembling those produced by the blows of an axe in splitting wood. These ominous sounds were audible at dead of night in the mountains, and inspired terror, for they were
Youaltepoztli: The Night Hatchet Read More »
