Skylight Press has been truly blessed in many ways in its first two years of existence and one of the more marvellous developments, completely unforeseen and unplanned, is that many of its authors and compilers just also happen to be wonderful visual artists. In recognition of their work and contributions we would like to offer this special blog and invite you to wander through our Skylit Gallery…
MARGARET RANDALL
Margaret Randall is the author of Something’s Wrong with the Cornfields and a renowned photographer. She is known for her landscape and architecture photos from around the world, as well as a series of portraits. Examples here include a photo from her Sandinista Nicaragua 1979 series (auctioned off to benefit the SouthWest Organizing Project), Escultura más antigua que se conoce from her Ruins series (many of which featured in her recent book of poems by the same name), and Bryce Canyon Tree (Utah) – © Margaret Randall. More information about Margaret’s photography, writings and activism can be found at http://www.margaretrandall.org/
WILL ALEXANDER
Acclaimed as a visionary poet Will Alexander is also a painter and illustrator. He provided the painting for the cover Diary as Sin as well as his many books with other publishers. Will’s work is both abstract and cosmic, matching the style of his unique poetry. Included here is his illustration, The Subconscious Eye and a painting from his Emerging from the Mists of Treason series – © Will Alexander. Will doesn’t have a website for his artwork but a good biography can be found at http://www.poetryfoundation.org/bio/will-alexander
BASIL KING
Basil King is a well known New York Abstract Expressionist painter and writer that came through Black Mountain College in its heyday. He is the author of Learning to Draw/ A History (featuring one of his paintings on the cover), a work that chronicles the many sources of inspiration for his art and his experience as an artist. Basil is also the subject of an upcoming film called Basil’s Arc: The Paintings and Poetics of Basil King. Examples here include a painting from his Green Man series, Calligraphy for Portraits (marking pens on Stonehenge paper), and Mr & Mrs/Mrs & Mr Heart – © Basil King. You can find out more about Basil’s art and writing at http://www.basilking.net/index.html
DEE SUNSHINE
Dee Sunshine is a poet, novelist and artist extraordinaire. His poetry book, Visions of the Drowning Man, features one of his paintings on the cover and many of his illustrations throughout. He is equally adept at drawings, etchings, paintings, photomontages and collages – as can be seen at his website gallery at http://www.rimbaud.org.uk/main.html Examples here include The Bad See (ink), The Drunken, Melancholy King (charcoal), and With Inner Sight She Saw (pastels)– © Dee Sunshine
RIKKI DUCORNET
Despite being a world renowned novelist and poet Rikki Ducornet is better known in some circles as a painter and illustrator. Her work has featured in notable exhibitions as well as appearing on the cover of Skylight’s 2nd edition of her own work, The Cult of Seizure. A visionary creator as well as the producer of detailed botanical paintings Rikki has also illustrated books by Jorge Luis Borges, Robert Coover, Forest Gander, Kate Bernheimer, Joanna Howard and Anne Waldman. More information about her writings and artwork can be found at http://www.rikkiducornet.com/work/ Examples here include Vanished, and paintings #2 and #12 from her water color and gouache on St. Armand 100% rag paper series – © Rikki Ducornet.
MIKKI NYLUND
Growing up in Finland and Sweden Mikki Nylund brought his unique brand of Scandinavian art to New York. His paintings have featured on the covers of two Skylight books, The Dream of the Black Topaze Chamber and Diddle – and he has recently exhibited his work in Brooklyn. Mikki’s work is both surreal and folkloric. Examples here include The Lovers , Untitled, Nix Luring Women to Drown by the East River (all mixed media) – © Mikki Nylund. For more information on Mikki’s work visit http://www.mikkinylund.com/
MATT BALDWIN-IVES
Matt Baldwin-Ives is a dynamic and adventurous photographer that has supplied cover image photos for a number of Skylight books, including The Magical Battle of Britain, The Rollright Ritual, Working with Inner Light, Merlin and the Grail Tradition, The Fat Git, and The Irish Celtic Magical Tradition. He has also worked with Skylight in various other illustrative capacities. Matt’s work features a diverse range of styles and moods. Examples here include At Midnight My Mirror Sighs, The Arte of Divine Madness, and Stream of Knowledge and Power – © Matt Baldwin-Ives. Matt’s work can be found at http://milescross.co.uk/ and http://www.flickr.com/photos/mattbaldwinives/
REBSIE FAIRHOLM
Rebsie Fairholm is a writer, musician, and gifted photographer – as well as the graphic designer of all Skylight covers. Her photos have featured on the covers of Faery Loves and Faery Lais, Gwenevere and the Round Table, The Abbey Papers, Weaver in the Sluices, Depths and Dragons, In Different Skies, Magical World of the Inklings, Faversham’s Dream and On Winsley Hill. She also painted the cover of Red Tree White Tree and coloured illustrations for The Romance of the Faery Melusine and Both Sides of the Door. Rebsie takes photographs of the glorious Gloucestershire landscape, as well as historical architecture, sacred sites and countless other things. She also experiments with a number of photography techniques. She is the author of This Wretched Splendour and In Different Skies (as Rebecca Wilby) and her photographs can be found at http://www.flickr.com/photos/rebsiefairholm/ Examples here include Greenwood, Tewkesbury Stone Carving, and one of her infrared photographs of Crippets Long Barrow – © Rebsie Fairholm
The Writings and Illustrations of the above artists can be found at www.skylightpress.co.uk Please respect each artist’s copyright – links to their websites have been provided.
Through the Skylight 