Art and the Written Word
In 2026, I painted and designed The Sweetness to complement David Oate’s poem by the same name. Written in gratitude for his long-time doctor upon his retirement. Oates explains: “Sometimes a fleeting moment will seem so packed that it takes a whole poem just to capture it. Light, color, feeling, paradox. Everything that makes life so exasperating and abundant and hard to get to the bottom of.”
Oates and I worked together on previous occasions. We paired his essay with my imagery for a piece in 3quarksdaily. I provided all the drawings for Scott Parker’s book A Way Home which Oate’s literary press Kelson Books published.
Currently, I’m in conversation with a long-time writer colleague about making ethereal imagery for her forthcoming book. She brings her deep scientific knowledge, environmental values, and poetic observation to the page.
Links:
Artist Alex Hirsch discusses making imagery for the book A Way Home
Eleven Metaphors for (Dis)Unity: A Co-Meditation
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