George Orwell told it like he saw it.
..." All animals are created equal,
but some animals are more equal than others"...
animal farm, chapter 10
..." All animals are created equal,
but some animals are more equal than others"...
animal farm, chapter 10
... Like we all still see it...
I'm sure you have read his book... What do you think???
...8" x 9", in my sketchbook... pen, ink, cross hatch, watercolor...
Crow inspired by Arthur Rackham...
Desideratum Art and Jewelry Studio, St. Martins, New Brunswick, Canada
23 comments:
Wonderful, Gwen - sometime I need to explore lettering more, its such an amazing art! Love the crow, too, and see the Rackham in there!
I want this one too.
Too true! Beautifully written and drawn, Gwen.
Guillaume beat me to it. When do the prints go up for sale?
I love your crows. If I ever finish one of these stories, get published, you will be doing the cover art, period... please.
From the mouths of pigs. The quote has quite a different flavor in your script, than it did in the book.
Thanks Valerianna, I love all of Rackhams work..
Guillaume that is very flattering.
Thank you Robin. yes, sad but true.
Yes, you're right Steven... it does have a different feel... I must have got mixed up with pigs I have known.
I used to keep pigs at several times throughout my life.. and the thing was, they are really smart animals...
They loved to get their ears scratched and the little space between the ear and where it attaches to the head was the softest skin I have ever felt... and they would stand up on their hind legs leaning on the fence when they saw us coming... their round noses had a moist pebbly smooth texture...
They kept their pen/living quarters just so and each space was used for very specific reasons.. they are really very clean animals if allowed to be... they loved baths, albeit mud baths ... but chickens like dust baths.. my dog likes to roll in the snow... to each there own..
I remember a biology teacher telling me that pigs hearts were a similar size to a humans, (two of our fists put together facing each other)
... Pigs did receive a bad rap tho.. I guess "Animal Farms" Pigs are just representative of any thing gone bad .. We probably could have interchanged any animal for them or robot even.
This artwork is so full, the lettering, the words and the delightful crow. So much to take in and you have pulled all the layers together wonderfully. I hope you will be selling these sketches.
Hi Carol, I have more practicing to do, but it would be nice to get enough ideas together to make prints and offer them up.. I am very flattered by your encouragement.
Love your lettering ! And everything...
Although his best known works, 1984 and Animal Farm were required reading way back when, I later discovered and have loved ever since his "Keep the Aspidistra Flying", "Down and Out in Paris and London", and "The Road to Wigan Pier", all excellent reads. He was a keen observer of humanity.
Lovely, Gwen. I want a print!
Beautiful Gwen, you may know I'm a fan of both hand lettering & crows xo S & les Gang
Owen, Thanks for recommending his other books.. with a mind that wary they must be great.. I'll be looking for them at the second hand book store.
Thanks Rachel and Susan... you would have loved the huge flock of crows I saw tonight gathering down by the bay, then they all flew up and perched on the tips of the treetops right beside the house in the setting sun.. it was beautiful.
That had quite an impact for me and that crow is so characterful. The ones considering themselves more equal are the ones that trouble me. I love pigs and respect them that's why I can't eat any.
Thanks Sea Fringe, yes they are the ones that trouble everyone... Why does power have so much allure??
Gwen, this is fantastic. You're FABULOUS with lettering! Are you making prints? I'll buy a print if you decide to sell. :-) And for the record, i loved your story on pigs as much as i love George Orwell! :-) xoxo
Hi Pauline, Thank you!... I was brought up with lots of animals around and the rest of our life was mostly spent in nature as in Fundy Park or deep in the woods at our fathers camp.. not a cottage mind you, that would be too lofty .. it was a hunting camp .. we spent our time exploring the old stone rubble fence lines where the trees grew up through them and were almost unseen.. many tiny and unusual artifacts are tossed in these places.. it was so interesting.. and there was never any other people around to tell us not to.. it was freedom.
Gwen, sounds like you've had an exciting childhood. :-) Being so close to such beautiful surroundings (like the Fundy Park!) would certainly make me smile. We make sure to spend some time there a few times a year. Does your fathers' camp still exist? Do you ever go back?
Thanks for asking Pauline... Well, it is not the same one anymore.. things change and not always for the best... but his was made from the back of an old truck in the beginning.. we never knew the difference that it wasn't a wonderful place.. we just liked exploring.. those memories are good.
This is such gorgeous eye candy, spelling out such hurtful words. It is a bit like looking at the words RED and GREEN, where the RED is written in green ink and vice versa.
However, your piece is so much more than visual: it is ART .... it has wisdom .... it provokes .... there is an underlying message well worth learning and remembering.
What a book! So surface simple yet so deeply complex. Kind of like your piece here is surface complex but the message underlying it is simple .... live and let live. But of course it's not that simple .... which is, I assume, why the world is in the state it is in.
Your choice of this quote is inspired and the way you have expressed it is utterly beautiful, Gwen, as I expect from YOU! I would dearly love to buy this and hang it on my wall - a daily provocation to THINK about what's going on in the world. If we truly think about it, we can't possibly continue to remain inactive.
Can we?
xoxoxo
p.s. I have enjoyed reading all these thoughtful comments. Thank you, Owen, for the recommendations for additional reading.
Well, obviously cats are the equallest of all. I love your swirly curly lettering and that smug crow.
Louciao, Cats are a most independent animal, not loyal like a dog... like to have their ears scratched like pigs and dogs I've known... takes them a while to trust unless they are young and innocent... standoffish and sassy too.. and we usually know where we stand in with them.. unless they are a shy cat and hide under the bed.
Morna, there are always so many layers to things... surface... way down under and everything in between... and every one of them can sway the next with the slightest nuance... everything can always go in a completely different direction depending on our choices and the reactions of others...
I really appreciate your observations.
Gwen, I love this lettering. I was dabbling in lettering last summer, ink and nibs and pens everywhere, what a mess I made of it! When I look at that crow, I dunno why, but I think of Hekyll and Jekyll, do you remember them? They were two naughty crow chums. Yours looks like he could cause a bit of mischief.
Hi Jeri, oh yes I remember Hekyll and Jekyll.. I loved them... I never got enough of their antics.
and believe me with the intricacy of your work, you could never make a mess of anything... amazing work is what you make... give all your animals a big hug for me.
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