Here is my latest illustration for Penumbric.com:
I also have an illustration reproduced in the Best of Penumbric
Here is my latest illustration for Penumbric.com:
I also have an illustration reproduced in the Best of Penumbric
The author, Donna Tartt, once wrote that sometimes, people fail, no matter how hard they work, no matter that they make all the right moves, and that this is a bitter pill to swallow.
I have been failing as a writer. During the last two months, I’ve been in and out of the hospital five times. I am 52 years on this Earth, and despite my very best efforts, I have been largely unable to sell my literary work.
During the past three or four years, I have decided to quit writing on four occasions, the very most recent one being yesterday. I’m far too thin-skinned, and I cannot find a reliable critique partner (except for Dave, of NC: you know who you are! And occasionally, Dean, of Canada). If I could let go of it, I could spare myself much heartbreak and focus solely on my illustration work…except I can’t.
To paraphrase William Burroughs, “[writing] is a virus from outer space.” For those of us unfortunate enough to be infected, quitting writing is on par with ceasing to breathe. So, I have basically been cursed to suffer, and KEEP suffering…except that, the act of writing, those times when I am so lost in the Realms of Story that I cannot hear the phone ring, are the limited hours that I get to spend time in heaven. Heaven is addictive, much like heroin, and falling in love, again and again….
I still draw (though during the interminable periods of my hospitalizations, I cannot touch the stuff), but I have failed, repeatedly, to exclude writing fiction, so that I must bounce back and forth like a ping pong ball, between visual and literary work. It only feels like a trap because I cannot manage to sell anything, which is an experience diametrically opposed to my writing experiences during the 90s. So I must fail, and keep failing, at something that I consider holy.
But life is tough all over, and I must stop whining about it.
This drawing is based on a photo that appeared in Porter magazine.
The Ace of Shadows
This drawing just developed organically. No part of it was planned or sketched out—I just made it up as I went along. That is unusual, at least, for me. As for the woman in the drawing—perhaps she is my muse. My muse carries a dagger. How cool is that?
Michael Rowe is the author of the horror novels Enter, Night, Wild Fell, and October. I consider him to be a master of the Canadian Gothic, if there is such a creature. After reading his emotionally devastating Wild Fell, I felt inspired to do a drawing based on it, featuring the dark witch at story’s center, Rosa Blackmore. Michael asked to buy it, and a friendship was born.
Michael is also a journalist as well as the author of three non-fiction books. He is the winner of the Lambda Literary Award and was a finalist for the Shirley Jackson Award.
This drawing was a gift for my cousin Shweta. There are also matted 8”x10” prints available for $10.00 plus $2.00 shipping (in the United States 🇺🇸). If you’d like one, email me at SacredGlyphs[at]outlook.com.
My battle with depression is my own private “Forever War,” and will likely be fought on the battlefield of my heart until the day I die. The title to Elton John’s famous song seemed an appropriate title for my drawing, as well.
My gifted friend and once-upon-a-time co-author, Mary SanGiovanni, has a brand new novel coming out August 28th. You can preorder Behind the Door for Kindle, or a variety of formats, and early buzz indicates that it is not to be missed. So please, check it out, along with the first Kathy Ryan novel, Chills.
In America, we learn young to worship our celebrities. It’s not right, but it’s not entirely wrong, either. As such, I indulge my passion for drawing actresses. Here is one of the very best:
Actress Natalie Portman