The Haiku Foundation honors the work of contemporary masters of the dual art of haiga: visual image wedded to haiku. This month’s featured artist is Ellen Peckham.
“Way, way back, when I was young, in the age of specialization, we were taught that the artist should concentrate on one medium: oil, sculpture, pastel, etc. and certainly should not presume to communicate in more than one voice. I remember being fascinated by Van Gogh’s letters, Blake’s prints with his poetry and philosophy and the work of other multi-faceted geniuses. But, listening to my masters, I accounted these flukes beyond the normal range of living mortals, certainly of a female. So when, little by little, I became aware of the duality of expression by artists of both genders, I broke from my cultural limits and began to include and to publish separately my poems and a few essays. Recently poems have appeared in the United States, Japan, Great Britain, Peru, and other countries. I use the two voices alone or layered. Sometimes the words – my own or those which have spoken especially clearly to me – are included in the visual art as subject, as gloss, as decoration. Other times there are poems and visual pieces created together but not produced as one. And occasionally drawings or prints or collages are added to the printed word as small grace notes, related but not included in one work. Two volumes of my haiku and haiga (the art in which the poems appear) are being collected in editions of 7 each. When first asked to give readings, as aside from mounting poems at an exhibit or publishing them, I balked. Now it is a joyful aspect of the total, akin to hanging my work on a wall, and the interaction is exciting and informative. To my great pride, The Harry Ransom Center For The Arts at the University of Texas in Austin is creating an archive of my drafts, published work and art.”
Amethyst Sea
a gift — waking to amethyst sea, rose quartz sky tied with mauve ribbons media: Solarplate Etching with Chine Collé plates: Irregularly 12" x 9" paper size: 22" x 15" date: 2010
Aspirin
half an aspirin is quite enough for this empty shriveled heart of mine media: Solarplate Etching with Chine Collé plates: Irregularly 12" x 9" paper size: 22" x 15" date: 2010
Backlit
backlit by store lights her shadow cast in puddles — rain pixilates it media: Solarplate Etching with Chine Collé plates: Irregularly 12" x 9" paper size: 22" x 15" date: 2010
Blowing Spring
outside my window wheels paddled by Gods whirl wind round and round media: Solarplate Etching with Chine Collé plates: Irregularly 12" x 9" paper size: 22" x 15" date: 2010
Cold Summer
cold summer window screens shiver ice won’t melt media: Solarplate Etching with Chine Collé plates: Irregularly 12" x 9" paper size: 22" x 15" date: 2010
Ghost Ships
Circle Line’s “ghost ship” crossing cold April Hudson without voyagers media: Solarplate Etching with Chine Collé plates: Irregularly 12" x 9" paper size: 22" x 15" date: 2010
Golden Orb
golden orb end of twenty-third — autumn moon media: Solarplate Etching with Chine Collé plates: Irregularly 12" x 9" paper size: 22" x 15" date: 2010
High Iron Walkway
high iron walkway loaded with plants passable just heel to toe media: Solarplate Etching with Chine Collé plates: Irregularly 12" x 9" paper size: 22" x 15" date: 2010
Hospital
hospital dares show lights after you are gone media: Solarplate Etching with Chine Collé plates: Irregularly 12" x 9" paper size: 22" x 15" date: 2010
Iced Roses
the last white roses now antique ivory against the new-fallen snow media: Solarplate Etching with Chine Collé plates: Irregularly 12" x 9" paper size: 22" x 15" date: 2010
In Rain
in rain pungent smoke rings round remembered evening Gauloise — Manhattan then disappear media: Solarplate Etching with Chine Collé plates: Irregularly 12" x 9" paper size: 22" x 15" date: 2010
Lima Morning
Lima morning fog blowing thick into my room limp curtain’s jealous media: Solarplate Etching with Chine Collé plates: Irregularly 12" x 9" paper size: 22" x 15" date: 2010
Littered Embankment
littered embankment: either side of the tracks gilt forsythia gold media: Solarplate Etching with Chine Collé plates: Irregularly 12" x 9" paper size: 22" x 15" date: 2010
Magi
magi this year bring not myrrh but foods’ scents — each one’s specialité media: Solarplate Etching with Chine Collé plates: Irregularly 12" x 9" paper size: 22" x 15" date: 2010
Milky Way
in New York Milky Way’s just a candy bar media: Solarplate Etching with Chine Collé plates: Irregularly 12" x 9" paper size: 22" x 15" date: 2010
Montauk II
so cold today spume flash freezes, ice long before it can sink away media: Solarplate Etching with Chine Collé plates: Irregularly 12" x 9" paper size: 22" x 15" date: 2010
Montauk III
shadows of gulls across my shadow which precedes me darkening the sand media: Solarplate Etching with Chine Collé plates: Irregularly 12" x 9" paper size: 22" x 15" date: 2010
Montauk V
Nirmala’s temples — driftwood and shells created offerings to tides media: Solarplate Etching with Chine Collé plates: Irregularly 12" x 9" paper size: 22" x 15" date: 2010
Montauk VII
the mist at cliff’s rise retreats as I approach — veils one will never wear media: Solarplate Etching with Chine Collé plates: Irregularly 12" x 9" paper size: 22" x 15" date: 2010
Montauk VIII
last January Lord Neptune’s bankers offered far richer returns media: Solarplate Etching with Chine Collé plates: Irregularly 12" x 9" paper size: 22" x 15" date: 2010
Montauk IX
a fisherman casts in the surf for mist — can’t see his translucent catch media: Solarplate Etching with Chine Collé plates: Irregularly 12" x 9" paper size: 22" x 15" date: 2010
Montauk X
sand-clams’ blow-holes dot the shingle I walk upon goddess — destroyer media: Solarplate Etching with Chine Collé plates: Irregularly 12" x 9" paper size: 22" x 15" date: 2010
Montauk XI
competitive kids dig holes to China in sand then disappear media: Solarplate Etching with Chine Collé plates: Irregularly 12" x 9" paper size: 22" x 15" date: 2010
Montauk XII
beach fire late at night — within a tent of sea spray marshmallows in brine media: Solarplate Etching with Chine Collé plates: Irregularly 12" x 9" paper size: 22" x 15" date: 2010
Montauk XV
just today the curl under the breaking wave crest shows luminous jade media: Solarplate Etching with Chine Collé plates: Irregularly 12" x 9" paper size: 22" x 15" date: 2010
Montauk XVI
Friday — arriving hotel guests tentatively toe at water’s edge media: Solarplate Etching with Chine Collé plates: Irregularly 12" x 9" paper size: 22" x 15" date: 2010
Montauk XVII
pounding rain last night washed away the seagulls’ tracks — fans etched every which-way media: Solarplate Etching with Chine Collé plates: Irregularly 12" x 9" paper size: 22" x 15" date: 2010
Montauk XIX
scintillating bag (old like this one) caught in weeds torn, tired — now still media: Solarplate Etching with Chine Collé plates: Irregularly 12" x 9" paper size: 22" x 15" date: 2010
Montauk XXI
pilgrimage: too soon — trees only glazed autumnal waiting one good frost media: Solarplate Etching with Chine Collé plates: Irregularly 12" x 9" paper size: 22" x 15" date: 2010
Montauk XXII
speckled seagull perched on driftwood — hard to tell which marks it leaves behind media: Solarplate Etching with Chine Collé plates: Irregularly 12" x 9" paper size: 22" x 15" date: 2010
Montauk XXV
black plastic bag blows cavorting — flirting yet it leaves the snow-fence cold media: Solarplate Etching with Chine Collé plates: Irregularly 12" x 9" paper size: 22" x 15" date: 2010
Mourning Doves
mourning doves driven away by building’s fall leave two white eggs up here media: Solarplate Etching with Chine Collé plates: Irregularly 12" x 9" paper size: 22" x 15" date: 2010
Musty Sheets
musty sheets melting soap rusty bicycles media: Solarplate Etching with Chine Collé plates: Irregularly 12" x 9" paper size: 22" x 15" date: 2010
New York Ants
New York ants high up drenched with no umbrella media: Solarplate Etching with Chine Collé plates: Irregularly 12" x 9" paper size: 22" x 15" date: 2010
One Plump Bee
one plump bee harvesting city balcony media: Solarplate Etching with Chine Collé plates: Irregularly 12" x 9" paper size: 22" x 15" date: 2010
Paper Blown In
paper blown in caught in branches, creased by rain origami flower media: Solarplate Etching with Chine Collé plates: Irregularly 12" x 9" paper size: 22" x 15" date: 2010
Patio at Ariosto
with perfect timing that blossom drifts by just as camera’s shutter snaps media: Solarplate Etching with Chine Collé plates: Irregularly 12" x 9" paper size: 22" x 15" date: 2010
Platinum
more precious metal in the mirror every day — turning platinum media: Solarplate Etching with Chine Collé plates: Irregularly 12" x 9" paper size: 22" x 15" date: 2010
Rebecca’s Photo I
strange joy and solace came — a gift — with a photo of you watching me media: Solarplate Etching with Chine Collé plates: Irregularly 12" x 9" paper size: 22" x 15" date: 2010
Rebecca’s Photo II
old photo: we lean towards one another — engaged irradiated media: Solarplate Etching with Chine Collé plates: Irregularly 12" x 9" paper size: 22" x 15" date: 2010
Shelter Island Haiku
curtain billowing though there’s no breeze blowing now? moths at my window media: Solarplate Etching with Chine Collé plates: Irregularly 12" x 9" paper size: 22" x 15" date: 2010
Skinny-dipping
skinny-dipping late phosphorescence silver gilts every stroke and plunge media: Solarplate Etching with Chine Collé plates: Irregularly 12" x 9" paper size: 22" x 15" date: 2010
Sunbeam
when i stood up that sunbeam sitting on my lap curled up on my chair media: Solarplate Etching with Chine Collé plates: Irregularly 12" x 9" paper size: 22" x 15" date: 2010
Watching Rain
“real” work calls but watching rain fall matters more media: Solarplate Etching with Chine Collé plates: Irregularly 12" x 9" paper size: 22" x 15" date: 2010
welcome mat
look at the door mat — forsythia petals blown cemented by rain media: Solarplate Etching with Chine Collé plates: Irregularly 12" x 9" paper size: 22" x 15" date: 2010