Great news yesterday evening when the author Daniel Morden phoned me from the Tir na n-Og Awards to say that his book 'Tree of Leaf and Flame', illustrated by yours truly, won the award in it's category of Best English-language book! This is doubly good because back in 2007 (I believe it was), it's sister volume, 'Dark Tales from the Woods', also illustrated by myself, won the same award that year. Hearty congratulations to Daniel and to the Pont team at Gomer Press up in Llandysul.
If you have ever had the chance to catch Daniel in one of his live shows you will know what a brilliant performer and storyteller he is - he is the only person who has made me jump in my seat from a distance of 20 feet away! He delights in telling eery, spooky, scary and weird tales which give you shivers down your spine as he narrates. His live performances are usually accompanied by a trio of deft musicians weaving wonderful folk music sounds around the often macabre stories he tells in his own unique style. Well worth looking out for! BUT, if you can't get to see him live, the great thing about these books is that you can actually hear him in the words he has written, his voice in your head as if he is there telling you rather than you reading from the page.
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| Mice destroy the harvest at night |
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| Rhiannon awakes, covered in blood.... |
My job was to grasp a few of the seminal moments from the stories and to illustrate them in a way that complimented the mood. The scraperboard style was perfect for that - harsh black and white, no fiddling with greys - just like in the text, everything in sharp focus, good against bad, beauty always at the peril of absolute darkness!! Yes, I loved doing them, and only hope we get together for more potential award-winning sometime in the near future :-)
