Friday, January 9, 2009

The Hell Hound




Ever look back and find those sinister echoing footsteps that follow you are your own? That the searing pain in your tail is inflicted by your personal razor-sharp canine teeth? If we could only reason with ourselves, life would be simple. But as my Dad used to say, "To outsmart a dog, you have to be smarter than a dog" And when you are your own Hell Hound, you have to outsmart yourself. Easier said than done.

So I came up with this design (Yes it's a twist of, and an answer to, a line from Robert Johnson) to remind myself that Hell is frequently where we baste in our own juices. Once you know that, you have a chance to change the recipe.

6 comments:

  1. Looks like it would be a great album cover - perhaps a collection of your songs is in order?

    BTW Pete, in case you hadn't noticed, it's 2009 now. You should update your copyright logo.

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  2. Well-scrutinized,oh anonymous one! A careful look such as you gave the drawing Is a high compliment. But perhaps you're not seeing the Hell Hound for the fur. Sure, it's "2009", but isn't time merely an illusion driven by our inability to take in all of reality at once?

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  3. Peter, this is beautiful, and rather sinister. Very evocative, an odd, amusing, and disturbing mix: silly, lovely, and creepy.

    Really great work.

    And regarding time as an illusion: I'll say! I used to think it was all over the place, lots of it, quite solid and present (so to speak). Hah!

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  4. Peter Dunlap-Shohl said... Sure, it's "2009", but isn't time merely an illusion driven by our inability to take in all of reality at once?

    Time may be merely an illusion, but if so, why put a copyright onto your work in the first place? If you've decided that you're going to participate in the culture, then you should go along with the culture's mass delusions.

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  5. Hey Deidre,

    Wow! Sinister? Great word, and not one I've heard applied to my work before. I intend to mull this over at length. Will you be coming to Anchorage for J-Week?

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