Gawain at the Penfold Press /  by Clive Hicks-Jenkins

Gouache study of a detail for a Gawain print.

Gouache study of a detail for a Gawain print.

Daniel Bugg of Penfold Press and Clive Hicks-Jenkins have begun a long-term project to produce a series of fourteen editioned screen-prints on the theme of Gawain and the Green Knight. Clive Hicks-Jenkins has been exploring the subject in paintings and drawings since reading the Simon Armitage translation of Gawain published in 2007. The prints will be released sequentially at yet-to-be-agreed intervals.

The writer James Russell has produced an impressive collection of books about the British painter Eric Ravilious, and is the curator of the comprehensive and much praised Ravilious exhibition currently showing at Dulwich Picture Gallery. James will be lending support to the Penfold Press Gawain project, observing and writing about the creative processes between Daniel Bugg and Clive Hicks-Jenkins.

 

Maze of Blood /  by Clive Hicks-Jenkins

Out today, Marly Youman's new novel, Maze of Blood, from Mercer University Press. 

 

The novel is Youmans' fictionalised account of the life and death of Robert E. Howard, the American author who wrote pulp fiction in a diverse range of genres. He is well known for his character Conan the Barbarian, and is regarded as the father of 'sword and sorcery'. Clive Hicks-Jenkins provided the cover art-work and the many page decorations throughout the book.

 

Hansel & Gretel /  by Clive Hicks-Jenkins

Clive Hicks-Jenkins is collaborating with Simon Lewin of St Jude's Prints to produce an artist's picture-book of the fairy-tale made famous by the Grimm Brothers. The book will be produced in the Random Spectacular imprint, and this version will introduce new elements to the tale, including gingerbread zombie henchmen, and a witch who removes her prosthetic nose to better scent her prey. (According to the original text, witches have weak eyes!) The book is due out in 2016.  

The book-trailer for the project is a collaboration between Clive Hicks-Jenkins and artist Phillip Cooper (see image below for Cooper's model of the witch's house) with camerawork and editing by Pete Telfer.