The Pen & the Plan: @ 50% Complete

by Steven McCabe

I am now 50% complete working on the B&W roll of 5′ X 33-35′ paper. When I complete this second roll of paper I will have a diptych. I considered a triptych but talked myself out of it.

Brushwork with inks & gouache + drawing with water-soluble graphite pencils create different blacks and different whites in contrast.

I repeat & develop two images that begin the first blue roll of paper. The moon-ish figure and the dna figure (below) & seen above.

https://poemimage.com/2023/05/01/druidica-blue-deja-vu-cave-art-for-the-new-psyche/

A fountain springs from ‘bird-human’s’ hand and at the same time is a swan’s neck.

Within the fountain or swan’s neck a series of images depict a beast ‘vomiting’ a seed which shoots into the earth (mound), takes root and rises.

The green bit of tape shows the 17′ mark. Animal shapes and double faces. A joker or fool. Figures in the mound. ‘Watery spray’ opening into what comes next…

Being 50% complete with this roll of paper equals being 50% through completing a triptych. The plan is for visual poetry on the third roll of paper. The challenge now, in completing the second roll of paper, is to move away from intricate detail.

The idea is to keep track of my hours (with the pen & the book) after each day’s effort.

I’ve organized (with high-tech paper clips) the rough sketches and ideas to complete the second roll of paper. I don’t know yet how I’ll use these ideas – deliberately composing or spontaneously expressing.

Previously in progress:

Beginning where I left off @ 25% with this face & beginning to elaborate.

Ceremonial crown inspired by the European deer-god idea Cernunnos. Antlers look branch-like as well.

Check out the previous work on this B&W roll of paper (and the blue roll of paper preceding it) @ https://poemimage.com/2024/01/25/the-pen-the-book-the-plan/

Building the figure & relationships between figures: