THE BUCOLICS PROJECT
This project began as a random encounter with a book of poetry by Maurice Manning titled “Bucolics.” I came across the book while browsing my local bookstore in October of 2025.
In 2025 I spent a lot of time working with poetry and using it to inform my drawings and paintings. I read and hand copied a lot of poetry from a broad range of authors. Once I found this book the notion to dive completely into the collection made itself loud and apparent.
There are 78 poems in the book which I intend to use as anchors for each of these panels. Each panel is 10 x 13.5 inches and heavily worked in a variety of media.
boss of the grassy green
did you ever have a nickname Boss
the night is trotting toward me Boss
what color is your collar Boss
you're the hay maker boss
do you get happy Boss do you
do you have a table
O Boss sometimes you take it all
are you ever sorry Boss ever
you spread the nighttime Boss
I told that old dog he
why Boss why do the days drift by
are you ever in my chest Boss
if you had a feed sack Boss what
how big is your hand Boss hold it up
the light inside the shadow how
i like the weaving bees i like
there was a fox Boss in my dream
you swirl the dirt like nobody's business
I've got butterflies Boss
you make it all seem easy Boss
yes I've tried to hide my face
did you pull yourself up by your bootstraps Boss
I'm sure you've got a sweet spot
I guess you've got a lot
you toss the stars like clover seed
that bare branch that branch made black
the two of us we're cut
Boss of the blue sky Boss
you move in every direction
did you teach the woodpecker how
the birds the bugs even the trees Boss
when you push the clouds so close together Boss
the river looks so level Boss