THE DECEMBERISTS SERIES
July 21, 2011 § 3 Comments
I just graduated from CCA(C) with a degree in illustration back in May. Scary, right? But I decided it was about time to share my thesis work with anyone who may be interested.
My thesis was a collection of pieces based on songs by one of my favorite bands, The Decemberists. I chose pieces from throughout their catalog, spanning from their first album, Castaways and Cutouts, to their latest, The King is Dead. Their music is some of the most inspiring I have come across; each song tells a rich, nuanced story. The lyrics can be vague enough to be open to interpretation, but contain enough specificity to make a detail freak like me joyfully hunt down reference images of columbine flowers and mistlethrushes.
A Cautionary Song
So be kind to your mother
Remember what she does when you’re asleep
The Mariner’s Revenge Song
“There is one thing I must say to you
As you sail across the sea
Always your mother will watch over you
As you avenge this wicked deed”
Won’t Want for Love (Margaret in the Taiga)
Mistlethush, mistlethrush,
lay me down in the underbrush
My naked feet grow weary with the dusk
January Hymn
What were the words I meant to say before she left?
When I could see her breath leave where she was going to
Other pieces from the series, such as The Crane Wife, We Both Go Down Together, and From My Own True Love (Lost at Sea), can be seen here (including a few close-ups for details) on my website.
cool ilustrations, cool band… I love the decembrists too
Yay! I’m always glad to meet another fan.
[...] The Decemberists Series“My thesis was a collection of pieces based on songs by one of my favorite bands, The Decemberists. I chose pieces from throughout their catalog, spanning from their first album, Castaways and Cutouts, to their latest, The King is Dead. Their music is some of the most inspiring I have come across; each song tells a rich, nuanced story. The lyrics can be vague enough to be open to interpretation, but contain enough specificity to make a detail freak like me joyfully hunt down reference images of columbine flowers and mistlethrushes.” Caitlin Clarkson [...]