"there is no excellent beauty that hath not some strangeness in the proportion" Sir Frances Bacon, "Of Beauty, Essays" 1625
Last night I finished Mysterious Garden Ex.1 a new silverpoint drawing. As the name implies, I plan to do a few more of these imaginary plants. This work is available on my Big Cartel webstore.
On another note entirely, I have re-booted my book blog, Amnesiac’s Library. It’s a place where I talk about my book projects and post various bits of ephemera about book related stuff I like. I hope you’ll check it out and give it a “follow”.
Most of this week was spent editing my novel Tailor of Echoes before it goes back to the publisher for copy editing, but today, I needed to break out the technical pens and draw this vignette piece called Rumour. It’s a playful reflection of everything going on in the world right now. The piece is available on my webstore.
Speaking of the webstore, my summer sale has now ended. Thanks to everyone who took advantage of the 25% off deal to pick up a print or original. It’s much appreciated. Please keep checking back as I will be adding new things from time to time.
Finally today, I just wanted to remind you that copies of my illustrated short story collection Magpie’s Ladder are still available on the PS Publications website. If you missed the trailer I made for the book, you can see it on Vimeo. My novels Necessary Monsters and The Lost Machine are now available on Audible in audiobook format from Ecyclopocalypse
I’m not sure how I let two months get behind me without updating my blog, but it’s nice to be back. I’m planning more or less weekly updates for the rest of the year. So let’s catch up.
The big news this week is that my novel Necessary Monsters, published by Underland Press in 2017 is now available on Audible in audiobook format (Encyclopocalypse) Senn Annis did an amazing narration. You can hear a sample on Audible.
In other book news… at the end of last year, I produced a book called The Darkling Lands, Volume 1, under my Radiolaria Studios imprint. It consists of 40 pages of my art and a new short story called Ecesis. I still have a few copies left in my webstore. They come signed, but when they are gone, they are gone.
I’ve already started compiling volume 2 and as soon as the war chest looks a little less scary, I’ll be putting it out. My hope, knock wood, is that it will be 80 pages instead of 40. Like volume 1, it will include a piece of new fiction.
Still on the writing theme, I am currently working on a new novel – well two actually. I know, it’s a sickness. One is the next book in my Irridian series and the other is a completely new fantasy novel. It’s really too early to talk much about these projects, but I will be supplying updates as things progress. I’m hoping to have news about my as yet unpublished novel Tailor of Echoes before too long.
A few weeks ago, I launched a new giclee print offering called Wandering Star. There are a few of these left on my webstore. If I may be so bold, this is a f*n nice print. Again, if you are interested, grab one now because I will not be making more.
A couple more things before I wrap this up. I have revived the Ink in Unfailing Supplies blog that artist John Pierro and I started 10 years ago. Basically, the blog was based on a challenge to create an interpretive work of art around a particular phrase. With the blog re-boot I am opening the challenge to the artist members of a closed Facebook Group by the same name. The first new challenge starts in March.
Finally, I have decided to discontinue my writing blog, Amnesiac’s Library, and consolidate everything here. On reflection, I figure it’s best to have everything under one roof.
Thanks for reading. With my next posts, I’ll be showing you some of my new art. I hope you’ll check it out. As always, you can check out work, old and new, on my artist website.
– Richard
Sometimes, when making illustrative images, I find it easy to forget that I’m making a thing. This is especially so when most of the engagement with my artwork happens on the web. As grateful as I am for that avenue of engagement, it tends to have a flattening effect. Sometimes I like to remind myself that art is about things (for me anyway). It’s about the visual immediacy of a work created by hand. The way the light bounces off the ink or paint, the dry whisper of the paper under my fingers, the care I must use in handling these objects. That’s why I created The Pact, a little 4 x 4 inch accordion book. It is actually a prototype for some other, slightly larger accordion books I’m planning to produce in the New Year. In the meantime, please enjoy this little movie.
I also wanted to remind everyone that my short novel The Lost Machine is available on Audible as an audiobook. Mark Miller at Encyclopocalypse did a fantastic job bringing this to fruition. Jake Ruddle’s narration is spot on. If you enjoy audiobooks, please give this a listen. Next year is TLM’s 10th anniversary! The New Year also brings an audiobook version of my novel Necessary Monsters. I can’t wait to share it with you.
Finally, I am building a mailing list for a newsletter, something I’ve wanted to do for a while. The first one will come in January and include things that I’m working on, things I am excited about, and there will be special offers and maybe even some special things for subscribers. We’ll see how it rolls. If this sounds fun, go to my website where there is a mailing list sign-up for the newsletter. I promise it won’t be spammy and I will never use your email for any purpose other than the mailing list. I hope you’ll join me.
– Richard
The Darkling Lands is a new 40 page perfect bound book, which reproduces 28 of my images and includes a new weird tale titled Ecesis. I posted 10 copies on my webshop yesterday, and I am pleased to report they went quickly, but there will be more copies available in about a week. As I noted in the book’s introduction The Darkling Lands of the title, first appeared as a setting in my short story Magpie’s Ladder. The project itself is conceived as a kind of inexpensive portfolio of images from the past few years, selected because they work together. You may have noticed that this is Volume 1. My intention is to create future volumes that follow the same pattern of art and writing, and always include something new with each volume. I hope you enjoy it.
It’s October at last, my favorite month of the year. I have just added a small number of signed copies of Magpie’s Ladder to my webstore. The constant reader will remember that Magpie’s Ladder is my illustrated short story collection published by PS Publishing earlier this year. Get yours now!
Also in celebration of October, for this month only, every order from my webstore comes with a free sketch on a blank greeting card. Wait, what? Yes, go buy something and get yours.
That’s it for now. Now, go out, smash a pumpkin, walk in the woods, or burn some leaves before before fucking winter comes howling in and ruins everything!
Richard
Magpie’s Ladder from Richard Kirk on Vimeo.
On a related note to my last post, I thought I had posted this trailer for my illustrated collection of short stories Magpie’s Ladder (PS Publishing, 2019). The publication of this volume of 5 stories was a high point of the summer for me. I hope you enjoy the trailer, and the book!
– Richard.
I’m excited to announce that my novella The Lost Machine is now available as an audiobook on Audible
Jake Ruddle did an excellent job of narrating the story. Follow the link to hear a free sample. This is the first of two audiobooks planned for this year. The second is Necessary Monsters, the follow-up to The Lost Machine. Please check out the Encyclopocalypse website to see other projects in development.
– Richard.
My first two novels will soon be available as audiobooks! They are currently in production at Encyclopocalypse. Over the weekend I heard a 15 minute sample of the narration for The Lost Machine and it sounds absolutely fantastic. The audiobooks will be available on Audible. More information about this release soon.
Richard
Magpie’s Ladder, my illustrated collection of short stories, is currently available for pre-order. Copies of the unsigned edition are expected at PS Publishing at the end of May! I am currently signing the signature sheets for the signed editions. Please check the PS Publishing website for more information.
Here is a sampling of the illustrations:
Richard
