Jeffree Skewes Plan for Project 52

My plan for Project 52 is in two parts, involving two differently themed projects.

I aim to continue developing and honing the material I contributed to project 365+1 during August, 2016. 

My 365+1 titled Silk on the Road stint is an unfolding project I have been developing in various forms such as paintings, poetry and essays. More recently I am moved to committing this series of writing and artwork towards a future published manuscript and/or book. 

Poetry is a great fit for a writing, visual artist like me to sketch out texts that may develop into wider narratives with supporting pictures and graphics.

Silk on the Road sign posts my idea of a journey that takes place during an inexact time across the imaginary lands I've been conjuring to part-mimic those of the fabled Silk Road (although please think magic-realism with many historical and geographical liberties) in order to form a more lucid narrative.

In Silk on the Road, I unveil stories that emerge from my own persistent memories which seem like a dream-time amalgam of historical and contemporary influences (including writers and adventure diarist eg Aurel Stein c 1906 and others).

For Project 52, I imagine completing enough pieces to tell the story of a journey, intertwine art, spiritual awakenings and adventure etc... with a completed weekly-piece to essentially form 'steps' or chapters that flesh-out a coherent poetic narrative which I could (with help) hopefully fine-tune the final draft suitable for publishing. For example, I could create/release a first-draft on a Sunday, working/responding on it all week and finalise it by the following Saturday and release the next one on the following Sunday.

Silk on the Road unfolds personal stories as if they all are experienced on a journey. This perhaps well-worn 'road story' theme poses metaphorically and perhaps also predictably as the big picture of 'the journey of life '. In this way, personal events can be seen taking place on some allegorical mountain pass, desert, sea or mystical land that I can hopefully craft well enough to be universally interpreted and understood.

I will be including my own artworks with each piece with the intention they accompany the selected poem in the future publication. Responses and comments are also welcome here too.

I hope and trust fellow 52ers, if inclined would make comments and/or offer any guidance.

The other important part for me in Project 52 is to leave enough space and time toward its 'end' to commence the next-in-line artistic project I've already titled 1909. In it, I intend to somehow tell the story of a special and marvelous meeting place and it's frequenting characters set at the birth of modern art. The poems, texts and narratives for 1909 may be librettos, but who know?

I'm really looking forward to participating in Project 52.

Here's hoping for a productive creative and enjoyable 2017 for everyone.