Mar 7, 2010

Illustrated Friday: "Brave."







This poem by Odgen Nash has a deliciously wicked chill about it.  For me it's about bravery and how we face our inner truths, however unpleasant they might be...

Please click for enlargement.

24 comments:

  1. A wonderful illustration to a a wonderful little poem. love the interior and the dramatic lighting. And the ghost-like shadow of the letters is really cool! Facing my inner truths... I´ll be thinking about that one today.

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  2. Oooh I have goosebumps. I too hate that sensation when I meet someone who ISN'T there!

    However, in your illustratio, isn't that the Basque guy?

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  3. Illustration, I mean illustration.

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  4. Marvellous work! Absolutely well done. A great interpretation about the subject week! Congratulations!
    Regards.


    www.ruisousaartworks.com
    www.ruisousaartworks.blogspot.com

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  5. Love it Andrew, this is one of my favorites. I hate that feeling of someone behind me on the stairs. What is it about stairs?

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  6. Hey Andrew! Wow! The lighting and mood is so perfect. I've been there... well sometimes I chickened out and didn't go down the stairs. Love your work. Nash's poem is so cool too. One of my faves for the week!

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  7. My soft skin feels, but his spirit senses all.
    In time, my dear, somewhere beneath my steps, i wish he wouldn't go away :D

    Ok, please stay!!!!!!!!!!!!!
    i promise i'll be brave.

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  8. the light and the atmosphere look amazing, and the whole image/text thing works quite well too. It's an image that makes you want to stare at it for just another while.

    Thanks as well for your kind comments on my work, they're really appreciated!

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  9. btw, Manannán mac Lir?
    you've impressed me.

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  10. I love this Andrew, very creepy! I can hear the echo of footsteps in this room, with the skeleton it puts me in mind of an old medical university library after the staff has gone home - a child early entry prodigy became lost in his studies and got left behind. That probably isn't what you'd intented but just what came to mind - either way, awesome stuff!

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  11. Love that poem and this illustration, creepy, and stairs are eerie places. spot on.

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  12. one of your best, Andrew — not just the evocative Nash quote, but the dramatic moment you played out in your illustration — awesome. The shaft of light through the window has power, and little details like the skeleton really add to the creepiness. Great job!

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  13. Thanks for laughing with me Andrew. I wish I could really heard you laugh. Hahah!

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  14. You know, I LOVE how I actually searched the whole piece, left to right, top to bottom for all the details - kept the suspense alive! And of course, this applies to all your work...brilliant!

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  15. The bird hidden in the corner was a nice touch. As Justin said, one of your best. The man who sold the world?

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  16. Another fantastic piece. And I love the Nash -- appropriately creepy and funny, like your illustration. Your previous post about the chicken sexer (!) was great!

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  17. Ogden Nash--what a fabulous poet who could say so much with such a few words and make us laugh and think at the same time.

    This is suitably eerie and descriptive of the poem, Andrew. Love it!

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  18. I'm not affraid of the dark but now I understand how my son feels, he's really scared of the dark. This is so well done done!!

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  19. Hello,

    ...... well thanks very much for all the comments. I appreciate it all very much! This poem my father in law, a very well read gentleman, used to recite. The poem is very eerie and strange and seems to capture something of our animal psyche, harking back to our fear of the unknown, the fear of what we cannot see ... just like when we were all living in caves, but now we live in caves with stairs ...

    thanks again, I appreciate it!!!

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  20. Oh my goodness! You make me chuckle. Hahahaha! Oh you are so much fun. Thank you for you comment. OMG, you are so much fun. See I keep repeating myself. I can't think when I am laughing so hard.

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  21. I love the ghostly and mysterious look of your illustration!!

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  22. Creepy, I'm a wimp, I think I'd move!

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  23. My dad gave me a book of Ogden Nash's poems when I was in high school, but I don't remember this one. It's very light, like Shel Silverstein's poems, but the picture is most definitely NOT--very creepy, dark and atmospheric. I really really like it!

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  24. It makes me think of a novel by Stephen King I read many years ago, based on a rhyme as well. So stunning, as all your art is!
    And thank you for visiting my humble blog.

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Hya! Thank you so much for leaving a comment. I appreciate your time and thoughts.