It is an error to think that the world does not feel just because it does not have legs, eyes, and hands.
--Campanella

Antelope Island

Today I visited Antelope Island, in the Great Salt Lake. There are a few interesting animals there, that make the trip worthwhile. It has a fairly bleak, typical Utah look, that is aesthetically appealing. Possibly the best thing about it, it provides a perspective of some of the most populated places in Utah, from a distance that makes humans seem miniscule and unimportant.
I saw Buffalo, Ravens, Goshawks and a Coyote, as well as tracks of Hares and Antelope. (Buffalo hooves leave a delicate mark that seems incongruous with the animal’s bulk.) Also, because the Great Salt Lake is an incredibly important site for migratory water-fowl, there were oodles of ducks. There were many Mallards and Northern Shovellers, of course. Also, there were a few Barrow’s Goldeneyes and Green Winged Teal. Ducks are not something I’m very good at identifying, so I assume there were some rarer ones that I missed.

Pride

Tonight, I am more proud to be American than I have ever been in my life....but the US is still an Imperialist power.

Disarticulated Bestiary

Here is an image from the Disarticulated Bestiary. The piece in general is about the relationship people have with nature, and how fragmented it is (nature and the relationship). People have traditionally had a direct relationship with the place in which they live. Recently, in the 'nature writing' field, there has been a realization that rather than idolizing the distant and less accessible, we need to nurture our connections to the place where we live. Much of mythology and folklore is based on this direct relationship. That is what this specific part of the bestiary is about.

I've been pretty occupied lately, so haven't done much with the blog. Here is a snippet of an illustration I did a while back. It is a starling who is scolding a squirrel...

I've done quite a bit of reading lately: Jeffers, Merwin, and McClure...nature poetry.

The field has eyes, the wood has ears; I will look, be silent, and listen.

-Hieronymous Bosch

The man failed to sense that here was something more than a bird call, that here was a secret message, calling not for rendition in counterfeit syllables, but for translation and understanding.

-Aldo Leopold

Vin de Noix a Success

About this time last year, I bottled my first batch of Vin de Noix. Vin de Noix, or some related beverage, is from France, Spain and Italy. I have to admit, I have never tasted real Vin de Noix, but I stumbled upon a recipe some time ago…and became intrigued. So, I found some walnuts around the beginning of July, and chopped them into quarters. (The shells are not hard at this point. They are months from ripening.) I steeped these, and some cloves, in inexpensive red wine for two or three months. At the end of this time, I mixed the strained wine with a bottle of brandy. Then I put a dollop of honey in each bottle, filled the bottles with the concoction and capped them. At the time, the mixture tasted vile, I have to admit. I suspect, if I ever eat shoe polish it will have a similar flavour. Somewhat discouraged, I boxed the drink up and put it away. The intention had been to give it to friends for the winter holidays. But, I like my friends pretty well, so I decided not to inflict them with this. Today, I braved up…hoping it had mellowed. I was pleasantly surprised. It tastes a bit like Glog, and will be a lovely gift this winter…an after-feast digestif around the fire.

Here is another picture, done a few months after the one in the previous post. It is a different sort of beast, altogether. Years ago, I became fascinated by the art of pre-contact Central America, especially that of the Maya. In many images things are shown flowing from people's mouths. Perhaps naively, I understood this to mean the people are talking about these things and creating them by speaking of them. I guess that is what the deer is doing...

Here's a picture I did earlier this year. I was asked what it is about. At the time I was asked, I really didn't know. After giving it quite a bit of mulling thought, I came to the conclusion it is about cancer. I've whitnessed far more cancer than anyone should. When I made this picture I was trying to process all of that. The tree, though, gives the whole thing a much more positive spin than reality could ever have ... pore a transformation than a disease and death.

If Claudius can become a Pumpkin...

I was going through old papers, detritus and what have you. These three images were lurking around. I'm not sure what I was thinking when I drew them, and they obviously aren't finished. Seems to be some sort of deification of a moose. I think he goes on to wreak havoc against all of civilization...what else would a flaming moose god do?

The First Folio of the Book of Days

For some time (when I have spare moments) I have been working on an illuminated manuscript. Most of this time has been dedicated to writing and editing the poems for it. I don’t know if I can write poetry … Sometimes I convince myself that I can, but other times I’m not so sure. Whether I can or not, I’ve come to a point where I feel comfortable putting ink to vellum. In the last few days I’ve finished the first folio. Here it is. Like all art (except David Hockney), it looks better in person. The ink floats on the skin.

The last three days have been oddly autumnal. The pitch of the sun, the times of sunrise and set as well as the temperature, have seemed more like the end of September than the middle of August. Every year, there is a time when I suddenly notice that the summer is passing…so this is it.

Autumn and Winter are the times for soup (except Gazpacho, the only summer soup), so the change of weather has gotten me remembering my mushroom soup from last year. So, here it is…

½ Onion
1 Clove Garlic
Sautéed
½ litter Perry
½ tsp Cumin Seeds
4 Bay Leaves
½ tsp Ground Pepper
½ lb Oyster Mushrooms
1 Cup Water
Vegetable Bullion

Puree ¾ of the soup

Mix in ½ Cup Cream, ½ Cup Milk mixed with 1 heaping Tbsp of Flour

If you do not have Perry, I suspect a dry white wine would work well. The Perry I use is homemade. It was made with desert fruit, and so is not really anything you want to sit around and drink…a bit sour and insipid.

This soup is paired well with homemade sourdough, preferably a Wheat/Rye mix.

I recently started a new sourdough culture from the plums that grow in my yard. The bloom (or blush) that covers them is similar to that which you find on grapes…so it is yeast and various other microscopic flora. Just make a basic flour and water dough with a little honey mixed in. Rub it with the plums or grapes, and squish one of them into the dough, just for good measure. The bloom was living on the skin of the plum because that’s what it likes to eat. If you’re moving the little beasties to a new neighborhood it is good to give them something familiar to aid in the transition.

My friend, Patrick Mabey, introduced me to the prehistoric (and sometimes historic) traditions of Bear Worship in the Northern Latitudes. These traditions span the globe, with rituals through Europe, Asia, and North America essentially being the same. This sketch is inspired by the belief that the bear unites the heavens, Earth and the underworld …and is a rejuvenator of the world. At some point, Pat and I are going to create a book based on this, placed specifically in the Pyrenees, but it keeps getting delayed by work and deaths.