BOOKS BY RICHARD & SAMANTHA CROWE
Samantha and Richard Crowe have collaborated to produce an upcoming series of books which explore the relationship between word and image. The subject matter ranges from children’s books, poetry and historic novels to academic publications. Their joint projects have a playful side and often result in children’s literature. Individually they have each incorporated research as an integral part of their creative practice. The interplay between word and image is often central to this research. Both Richard and Samantha have a deep sense of connection to books and the illustrations and imagery which they contain. This is especially the case with medieval gospel books. It is in these manuscripts that the lines between word and image are completely blurred: the word becomes an image and the image becomes a word.
At the start of his career, Richard wrote a Master’s Degree thesis on the changing role of illustrations in the novels of Charles Dickens. Later, while working as a lecturer in Painting & History of Art in Port Elizabeth, South Africa (now Gqeberha), Richard conducted research on dating a manuscript from the South African Archives in Cape Town. He toured Europe while researching the Cape Town Gospel and was a visiting scholar at Trinity College, Dublin. Recently, Richard has resumed work on researching and dating medieval manuscripts. He also conducts wide-ranging research into the history and evolution of mankind. He explores these subjects in a highly visual manner, creating maps and paintings which span the worlds of academic research and visual arts.
Samantha began studying Celtic Mythology while living in Ireland. At the same time she began to focus intently on the wild landscapes which had once been seen to be inhabited by mythological deities. She became fascinated by the way the landscape changed as the seasons progressed and how this was marked out by ancient Celtic festivals. The passing of the seasons and the changing mental and emotional states evoked by these changes are a central theme of her creative practice. It was the wild-flowers of Ireland, though, which were to spark her deepest and most abiding interest. The world of plants, their connection to the seasons, and to the evolution of the earth are the subject of Samantha’s ongoing research. Plants and the passing season’s are also the abiding inspiration which underlies her visual work and her poetry. She is currently in the process of weaving her research and drawing into a book which explores the theme of environment and habitats from a plant-centred perspective.
UPCOMING PUBLICATIONS
PLANET RAA – part one
The first instalment of a multi-part series. A sci-fi story for children which explores themes of home, family, environment and nature with humour and warmth.
THE DREAM-HORSE AND OTHER TALES
A collection of stories for children, told in verse. Each poem is inspired by the richly graphic art-work of Richard Crowe. The stories they tell lead into richly coloured worlds of the imagination.
THE GIRL WITH FLYAWAY HAIR
A whimsical and entertaining story with an underlying allegory of losing touch with reality and finding it again.
MWEEP MACPONDICK’S BOOK OF MUDDLES
An absurdly silly tale about making faces from everyday objects.
TAM INISH
Tam Inish lives alone on an island with his pet donkey. Together they embark on a voyage of discovery which opens the secrets of the universe.
OF ANGELS AND OTHER SECRETS
A beautifully illustrated book which tells of a magical hidden world. Each page is a work of art.
UNDER THE DARK TREE
The story of a boy experiencing violence from an abusive parent. He discovers a hidden doorway leading into the ground and embarks upon an extraordinary adventure.
OF EARTH AND SUN – Celtic Deities Of Ireland
A richly illustrated book which brings Celtic gods and goddesses to life, exploring their connection with nature and the inner life.
PLANT-WOMAN – drawings and poems by Samantha Crowe
An illustrated collection of poems which weaves together words and images inspired by nature, plants and the passing seasons.
TELLIN’ THE TRUTH – poems and paintings by Richard Crowe
Richard Crowe’s poetry is strongly percussive, raw and immediate. It is set alongside his atmospheric and evocative paintings, creating a powerful juxtapostion of image and word.
FIRST AWAKENING
– THE BIRTH OF HUMAN CONSCIOUSNESS IN AFRICA
An exploration of humanity’s earliest awakening in Africa that explores consciousness from the perspective of creativity, picture-making and awakening to a sense of self. This is also an earnest outcry against the years of colonialism and prejudice which have denied Africa its true place in human history.