earthed?
earthed ? 02/08
When the Grass Turns Blue (copyright Becca Thorne) – EP cover design for Pete Leonard
Welcome to the first edition of earthed ? a new magazine for Authearth members.
In this issue: - Interview with artist and illustrator Becca Thorne - Selection of Quotes & Classic Poems since the site was launched - Some Cartoons & Doodles - January Competition winners and their work
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Interview
becca I wasn't re ally very clos e to a ny of my tutors to be ho nes t. A lan Ma le , the cours e lea der w as goo d thou gh. T errifyi ng, but goo d! Thed te ll us abou t so me of th e fa ctors tha t infor m your work becca Factors th at i nfor m my wor k.... Fa iryta les , defi ni te ly. A nd the N ew Zea la nd lan ds ca pe- mou ntains , hi lls , th ick, thi ck clou ds . I lov e pu ttin g moun tai ns i n pr in ts, they re ally im prov e th e atmos pher e. Horses too . Go tta hav e a horse so m ewhere .
Stepmo ther sa id co pyri gh t Be cca Thor ne Interview w ith B e cca Thorn e Artist & Illustra tor Da te : 21/0 2/08 Thed ok you rea dy to rumb le? becca Yep br in g i t on . Thed te ll us abou t wher e you stu di ed a n d whe n
Thed so in th e way th at T olkie n got ins pira tio n from th e we lsh mou ntai ns, is N ew Zealan d your 'we lsh mou n tai ns' becca I suppos e so, y es. Also , a t th e mo m en t, I' m really k ee n on the bar e tre e sk eletons a t work in the mor ni ngs . es pe cia lly cov ere d in frost a n d shroud ed in fo g! R eally beautiful. I ke ep mea ni n g to do so me thi ng with the m. En glish cou n try la nds ca pes anywher e rea lly . A n d th e Lak e Distr ict moun ta ins as we ll. L ik e Bea tri x Potter with less bun ni es.
becca I took B A ho ns Illustra ti on a t Fa lm outh Colle ge of Arts , an d fo llow e d with MA
Althou gh I'm o pe n to dra win g bunni es.
Auth oria l Illustra ti on there . I gra dua te d in 200 5.
Thed Which bo ok wou ld you mos t lik e to
Thed ins pira tio nal te ach er? som ebo dy tha t you have ke p t i n co ntact wi th?...(tim eou t yoghurt an d ba con sar ni e break ‌ )
illus tra te? wh ich i llustra tio n mak es you ma d with envy? ( lov e an d e nvy of cours e)
to roll the i nk o nto an d brow n par ce l becca
pa per to pr in t on to . Its mea nt tha t I'm
I'm quite d isa pp oin ted tha t I di dn' t com e
used to d oin g i t this way, an d ma kes it
up wi th Bonb i For est's Ba t For Lash es Fur
much easi er to do the wor k anywh ere
An d Gold t- Shir t d esi gns!! I lov e a ll B onbi
with a table! I sti ll us e th e sam e bi t of
Forest's des igns a ctua lly. I wou ld hav e
pers pex . I'd love to hav e a wi der ro ller
love d to illus trate His Dark Materia ls
thou gh, a nd a le tter press wou ld b e
when they firs t ca me out, an d a lso
ama zin g!
Watershi p Dow n . Thed Thed
I though t you mi ght say tha t - I have
can you te ll us about the pro cess th at you
always love d Wi llia m Blak e for his
go thr ough to mak e a p ie ce of wor k? d o
pra ctica l abi li ty i n inv en ti n g a ne w form
cer tai n i ma ges len d the mse lves to a
of prin ti n g to ov er com e th e lim ita ti ons of
cer tai n m ed ia? whi ch prin ti n g tech niqu es
his ti me
do you favour?
Ok . We wou ld li ke to as k you about 2 pie ces of work s pe cifi ca lly : Phae drus
becca For the las t few years I've b ee n do in g Li no
and Whe n th e grass turns b lue (curre n t Au the arth ba nn er) .
Prints a n d no thi n g els e. I a lways start with a pe ncil drawi n g, a n d qui te of te n it starts as so me thi n g I've se en o n th e way back fro m wor k- lik e a row of tr ees or a horse in the fo g (how cor ny) . I usually use sin gle cu ts wi th a back groun d colour, rather than tryi ng to bui ld up a re du ctio n cut. I do n't h ave a ccess to a pr ess ei ther ,
becca Okay . Wha t would you lik e to kn ow? Thed Why Phaedrus & Ze n as th e title . Wha t does it mea n... ins pira ti on?
so i te n d to us e rea lly thin pa per so tha t i can s ee the i ma ge co mi ng throu gh th e back - tha t way I k now I've us ed enou gh pressure . This has the a d de d bo nus of crea ti n g rea lly ni ce tex tures . Thed does a la ck of res ources he lp or h in der? which too l would you most li ke to have? becca In ma ny ways i ts help ed me . A t colle ge I di d mos t of my pri n ts at my d esk ra ther than go u p th e hill to th e pr in t worksho p , and so i on ly ha d th e resour ces I could find in my stu dio ; wa ter bas ed po tato- cutstyle blo ck pri ntin g i nks , a bi t of p ersp ex
Phaedrus (Zen & the Art ‌) cop yright Becca Thor ne
I di d a short boo k i n pros e for my M A , but becca
it was a li ttle co ntriv e d! Sa d ly I'm no t the
Zen a n d the art of motorcy cle
writi n g ty pe , but for tuna tely I lik e
mai nten an ce is a b ook whi ch clai ms to be
illus tra ti ng oth er p eop le's work m ore!
"an e nquiry i n to valu es" . Its abou t a m an and h is youn g son ta ki ng a jour ney , on
( Do n t worry I'm starti n g to ge t i nto
motorbik e, to a moun ta in whi ch they then
it! )
climb . The ma n was on ce a co lle ge tutor , but had a br eak dow n (I thin k I ca n't qui te rem emb er pro per ly!!) . His a lter ego /dr eam p ersona w as a ma n calle d Phaedrus , whi ch m eans w olf i n Gr ee k. I ts my da d's favouri te bo ok a nd I di d th e
Thed what are you do in g ri ght now? artis ti ca lly ... becca
pri nt for his bir th day a coup le of y ears
At the mo me nt I a m d esi gn in g a boo k
ago .
cover to e nter i nto a co m pe ti tio n run by
He uses i t to me di ta te ...!
HarperC olli ns an d S aatchi On li ne , to fin d an i llus trator for a book by Ca na dia n author Sea n D ixo n. I' m also ab out to start
Thed
work on a new ba nn er for Au the arth!
It’s a cool bo ok becca Ah, so you kno w it! Thed I have rea d every bo ok publish e d sin ce the Gutenb erg press was ma de . I have to be o n top for m as there is no oth er way to be sure of be in g resp ecte d ‌ an d blu e grass?
Thed you beauty! ar e you a full ti m e illus tra tor? does i t affor d you a livin g? becca I'm a par t tim e i llus tra tor, par t- ti me groo m. I've b ee n do in g a lot of freebi es recen tly - but I'd ra th er be d oin g fre e co mm issio ns an d getti n g my wor k se en , than jus t do in g i t for mys elf . I on ly have to work as a gro om fro m 730 am - 12, so i
becca
have th e rest of the day to fi dd le ar oun d
Tough job! B lue Grass I d id for a n on li ne
with my own s tuff. I have to stop b efore
ma gaz in e ca lle d Crea ture , to illustr ate a
the Si mpso ns com es on thou gh.
song by o ne P ete Leo nar d. I t can a lso be seen in the n ew AOI I mages an nua l ou t in July
Thed we should wra p this u p so we ca n get your intervi ew in the f irst e di ti on of E arth ed ?
Thed you have rea l p oe try in your wor k. hav e you ever wri tten a po em? ( no t lo n g now ho nes t!) becca
becca Ri ght o n- love ly talkin g to you. Than ks for the i nteres t!
Cartoons & Doodles
i
Competitions
February: Voting starts on Monday 24th February so only 3 days left to get your entries in. Remember we have cash prizes in many categories and a great annual prize for each prize category too! January Winners: Best Book Review – Jo Pecksen uncoffined grave echoes Hector's unhappiness which has been born out of his rejection of his true sexuality, as it does for Posner who, as an adolescent, is struggling to come to terms with his new found SCHOOLING is the most formative period of your life -
sexuality.
a sentiment resounded in every sense by Alan Bennett's The History Boys. A modern, evocative masterpiece, The History Boys not only explores the sexual and political under-bed of school life but also the process of teaching itself. The reader actually gets to see the inspiring Hector and insidious Irwin - the play's intellectual antagonists who both happen to be homosexual - at work in the classroom.
The homosexual undertones are perhaps slightly shocking but wholly unsurprising considering the more sexually promiscuous male public schools. And it is an element which is easily overshadowed by Bennett's desire to put across his own view of how history happens - one which emphasises the randomness of events rather than grand designs and higher forces. This view is reinforced by the focus on Hector's
In one moving scene, Hector patiently guides the troubled Posner through Hardy's Poem, Drummer Hodge. The gentleness with which Hector steers the boy into a perspective where he can understand the poem in its relation to Rupert Brooke, its use of adjectives and the importance behind the fact the boy soldier was known by his name - a practice uncommon until the late 19th century - is truly inspiring. It's a scene which not only depicts the perfect synchronisation that can occur between the tutor and his pupil but also marks a sad parallel to Hector's life. The drummer thrown in to an
downfall. His boy-fondling antics were only spotted by an accidental glance out the window from the headmaster's wife who happened to be doing an extra stint of voluntary work at the charity shop. The randomness of events is elaborated on by Mrs Lintott, who says: "This smallest of incidents is the junction of a dizzying range of alternatives, any one which could have had a different outcome." Bennett's belief in the chanciness of events is brilliantly captured when the cocky young Dakin makes a calculated move on the closeted Irwin.
Eager to impress his mentor the boy points out that when Chamberlain resigned as Prime Minister in 1940,
Best Poem – Vences-Albert
it was Lord Halifax who was the preferred replacement and not Winston Churchill. But on the afternoon when the crucial decision was to be made, Halifax visited the dentist. Dakin then makes the observation that if Halifax had had better teeth, Britain may not have won the war. The sexual chemistry between Dakin and Irwin is almost tangible and provides a practical demonstration of Bennett's belief in random incidence.
Hector cuts an inspiring but tragic figure, whilst the Headmaster is fittingly Thatcherite in his governing of the school staff. To conclude, The History Boys is an utterly bewitching and typically eclectic mix of sidesplitting comedy, drama, poetry, and anecdote. Lilac flowers,
Best Art – Armida Nagy Stickney
spots on a green-brown ground, a fence right and left point the way through the middle.
Where a horizon lures with clouds caressing resting mountains.
A journey meets its end. (image copyright Robin of Indiepublic)
MagneticFieldRelativetoEinstein (the art competition i s now on www.tailca st.com)
Quotes
"How do I define history? Well it's just one fucking thing after another"
"What is the name of the flower that flies from bird to bird?"
Rudge in the History Boys Alan Bennett
Pablo Neruda “There he lay, curled up, and vulnerable it seemed in his sleep, and loveable also as are all sleepers by some reason of their helpessness; their arms thrown wide, their heads turned to some curious angle that moves the heart.”
"If Woody Allen were a Muslim, he'd be dead by now."
Mervyn Peake (Excerpt from Titus Alone)
"Life is like riding a bicycle. You have to keep moving to stay balanced."
“I detest what you write, but I would give my life to make it possible for you to continue to write.”
Albert Einstein
Voltaire
"To see a world in a grain of sand, And a heaven in a wild flower, Hold infinity in the palm of your hand, And eternity in an hour"
Salman Rushdie
"If money is your hope for independence you will never have it. The only real security that a man will have in this world is a reserve of knowledge, experience, and ability."
Henry Ford
William Blake
“Rules are for the obedience of fools and the guidance of wise men.”
Men are apt to mistake the strength of their feeling for the strength of their argument. The heated mind resents the chill touch and relentless scrutiny of logic.
Douglas Bader
William Gladstone "O, it is excellent to have a giant's strength, but it is tyrannous to use it like a giant." William Shakespeare
“If any man can convince me ... that I do not think or act right, gladly will I change; for I search after the truth by which man never yet was harmed, but he is harmed who abideth in his deception and ignorance.” Marcus Aurelius
Classic Poems of the Week
Leopard
Gentle hunter his tail plays on the ground while he crushes the skull.
Beautiful death who puts on a spotted robe when he goes to his victim.
Playful killer whose loving embrace splits the antelope's heart.
Tran slated from the Yoruba by Ulli Beier.
His legs ran about Till they tangled and seemed to trip and lie down With her legs intending to hold them there forever
His arms lifted things, groped in dark rooms, at last with their hands Caught her arms And lay down enwoven at last at last
Mouth talked its way in and out and finally Found her mouth and settled deeper deeper
His chest pushed until it came up against Her breast at the end of everything
His navel fitted over her navel as closely as possible Like a mirror face down flat on a mirror
And so when every part Like a bull pushing towards its cows, not to be stayed Like a calf seeking its mama Like a desert staggerer, among his hallucinations Seeking the hoof-churned hole Finally got what it needed, and grew still, and closed its eyes
Then such greatness and truth descended As over a new grave, when the mourners have gone And the stars come out And the earth, bristling and raw, tiny and lost, Resumes its search Rushing through the vast astonishment.
Ted Hughes
Column Post (your opportunity to be a journalist or diarist)
In a great news item in the UK this month
However, one of the reasons for the widespread
(Archbishop in Sharia law dispute) there has been
condemnation of his views is that in pursuing one
uproar that the Archbishop of Canterbury has
train of thought (namely a valid moral relativism) he
suggested that one way to have greater peace
has
between religious Muslims and British society is to
protection of moral relativism - namely a method of
have tolerance towards Muslims in the UK being
arbitration between different viewpoints (the part
able to resolve disputes in accordance with Sharia
that gives relativism a firm place to stand). After all,
law. I say a great news item because it highlights
law is here to arbitrate conflicting rights and
two fundamentally opposing forces that are at work.
desires. In a universe of only person there would
The genuine faith the Archbishop holds in his God and his belief that he should live by his God's laws makes him naturally pre-disposed towards the utmost tolerance. This should be applauded since by one interpretation he is suggesting that our most profound views and rights are relative. As Auden said "law is only crimes punished by places and by times". It is difficult to argue with this as, on one level, there is no difference whether you choose a Muslim or Christian God. The point he is making is that if you have a belief then believers of alternative viewpoints should make an effort to accept your After
the
touchstone
be no laws or morals....
Tolerance and human values
difference of opinion.
lost
all, without such
tolerance our world would descend into a chaos (or more chaos!) of upwardly spiraling violence and an increasingly less varied and interesting culture e.g. Eastern Europe during much of the 20th century. I ntolerance for excessive relativism
which
ensures
the
Column Post
unrelated male? The
When a law is a good law it deals with conflict in a
Archbishop
would
do
well
to
consider
Einstein's position. Einstein started off being a
manner which guarantees maximum diversity of life.
complete pacifist and against any for of military
It can only do that when it can:
service. He then realized the world was about to
1. arbitrate impartially between conflicting views based on the prime law (maximal diversity); and
become very nasty brutish and short for certain
2. effect any concluding opinion.
believed in pacifism. This was due to the rise of an
Clearly Sharia law can do 2. in some Muslim
excessively militaristic regime that tried to capitalise
controlled countries but one wonders how much of
on the gap in the market for a little of the old "ultra-
a guarantee it gives to a diversity of thought and
violence" (much of Western Europe in the 30's and
lifestyle. Thankfully, in the UK Sharia law is not
some of the 40's). The middle way is surely not that
currently able to effect any judgement and it is
we have both Sharia and non-Sharia law in the
difficult to see how it could permitted to without
same country but that we have one law which
disastrous consequences. If non-believers had any
respects the relativity of both and then looks to
faith in the ability of Sharia law to protect their non-
arbitrate between disputing viewpoints based on
belief then this would not be such a contentious
non-relative grounds (which has to be based on a
issue. All cultures must look to adapt the best
guarantee of maximum diversity of opinion and not
qualities from other cultures to grow and improve: is
religion).
Sharia law one such adaptation the British people
Either the British people are intolerant fanatics or
have been waiting for and will benefit from? One
they believe that their law is better at protecting a
could ask:
diversity of beliefs (at least relatively better than
What does Sharia law say about so called
Sharia law). To me it seems like the latter and with
"Muslims" who do not believe in Islam? Will Sharia
good reason. We have hundreds of years of
law be used in such ca se s?
violence about this issue and it is only that violence
sections of the population - largely those who
and struggle that has led us to the view that How will Sharia law defend women from rape and
perhaps we should separate religious belief and
then prosecution for being raped?
law (which the Archbishop appears to have forgotten about).
Will Sharia law indemnify Starbucks and Costa Coffee for non-payment by that, admittedly, small minority of female customers who are whisked off to prison immediately for having coffee with an
Column Post
Given that the only thing we can be confident in is that one person is unlikely to have the right view then we need a legal system that looks beneath the opinions and asks "what would the effect of adjudicating for this or that view be on all people?".
Using this law we can ask: what would be the effect of adjudicating in favour of the Archbishop's view? In my view the effect would be muddle, confusion and, what is worse, perhaps a little bit of the old ultra-violence could creep into the British legal system. The memory of the persecution of Salman Rushdie (see his great quote on Woody Allen in Quotes) is still quite strong in some of our minds. We need to ask whether, as with absolute pacifism, arbitrating in favour of permitting Sharia law would have the effect of removing a pluralistic view from the planet over a period of time. It is so hard to be certain about such complex matters and one should always be wary of jumping in with size 9's where
philosophers
have
treaded
carefully.
However, the 20th century has taught the British people to fear those who would seek to make peace with an enemy that would not permit the same peace on us. We would need to be convinced that Sharia law is not such an enemy. Ps: ..and if this doesn't start a debate I am hanging up my editorial spurs and becoming a priest!
Authearth, February 23, 2008
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