More on "The Desert Places"

I am fortunate enough to have two books coming out this autumn, a fully illustrated version of Joseph Conrad's Heart of Darkness coming in November from my fine publisher Tin House Books, and a unique hybrid text, The Desert Places, written by Amber Sparks and Robert Kloss with 16 full color illustrations and a cover by me, coming in October from Curbside Splendor. I'll post the cover below and here is a press release with more info about the book. Take a look.

THE DESERT PLACES: Day Without End

11 inches by 14 inches
ink on watercolor paper
February 3, 2013

(This is the last of my 16 illustrations for The Desert Places.)

THE DESERT PLACES: [...The Incomplete History of What Passes for Evil, continued...] (The Final Banality of Evil)

11 inches by 14 inches
ink on watercolor paper
February 2, 2013

THE DESERT PLACES: The Silver City

11 inches by 14 inches
ink on watercolor paper
January 30, 2013

THE DESERT PLACES: Butchers in Space

11 inches by 14 inches
ink on watercolor paper
January 29, 2013

THE DESERT PLACES: [...The Incomplete History of What Passes for Evil, continued...] (Useless)

11 inches by 14 inches
ink on watercolor paper
January 27, 2013

THE DESERT PLACES: Monsters in Fancy Dress

11 inches by 14 inches
ink on watercolor paper
January 27, 2013

THE DESERT PLACES: Interlude

11 inches by 14 inches
ink on watercolor paper
January 22, 2013

THE DESERT PLACES: Cadavers and Cutthroats

11 inches by 14 inches
ink on watercolor paper
January 21, 2013

THE DESERT PLACES: [...The Incomplete History of What Passes for Evil, continued...] (Conquered)

11 inches by 14 inches
ink on watercolor paper
January 21, 2013

THE DESERT PLACES: The Symbols of God

11 inches by 14 inches
ink on watercolor paper
January 20, 2013

THE DESERT PLACES cover

Now I can share the news. The series of illustrations I am in the midst of posting are all from a forthcoming book titled The Desert Places by Amber Sparks and Robert Kloss. It will be released some time later this year by Chicago-based Curbside Splendor. The cover below is one of my illustrations in a beautiful layout and design by Alban Fischer. I'm really pleased with what Alban did here, and thrilled to be a part of this with one of my old favorite authors Robert Kloss and one of my new favorites Amber Sparks. Creating these illustrations as visual responses to this book has been intense, harrowing, and nightmarish but I am so fucking proud of the work it almost hurts. I'll have more information on how to order the book when that is available, and the cover will be polished up when I can get Alban a higher resolution image, but here is a rough cut.

THE DESERT PLACES: Strange Beasts

11 inches by 14 inches
ink and marker on watercolor paper
January 20, 2013

THE DESERT PLACES: [...The Incomplete History of What Passes for Evil, continued...] (Wars)

11 inches by 14 inches
ink on watercolor paper
January 20, 2013

THE DESERT PLACES: The Rise of Their Glory

11 inches by 14 inches
ink and marker on watercolor paper
January 17, 2013

THE DESERT PLACES: A New Kind of Name

10.75 inches by 14 inches
ink on watercolor paper
January 13, 2013

THE DESERT PLACES: [...An Incomplete History of What Passes for Evil...]

11 inches by 14 inches
ink and marker on watercolor paper
January 9, 2013

THE DESERT PLACES: Above is the Light

I am creating 16 illustrations that will appear in a new book later this year. I don't want to say too much more about it until more information is made official, but it was a searing read and I jumped at the chance to do this. The illustrations will be printed in black & white, but I am creating them with some color since there is a possibility one of them will be used as the cover. Hence, as I post these, you will see both the color and black & white versions.

ABOVE IS THE LIGHT

11 inches by 14 inches
ink on watercolor paper
January 3, 2013