Art of Sherlock Holmes

Phil Growick

Description

The Art of Sherlock Holmes is a totally unique experience. Imagine a dozen or more of the finest artists in the U.S. creating art for some the best new short stories written by some of the finest Holmes authors in the world. Each artist has envisioned their version of one story specifically selected for them. All stories and art in one large, hardcover, coffee table presentation volume. This first edition features artists from West Palm Beach, Florida. Future editions will be global, with participating artists contributing from all over the world. The Art of Sherlock Holmes was conceived and curated by Phil Growick, himself a renowned Holmes author.

Informations

• Publié par: Andrews UK
• Date de parution: 08 octobre 2019
• Nombre de lectures: 1
• EAN13: 9781787054127
• Langue: English

Extrait

THE ART
OF
SHERLOCK HOLMES
WEST PALM BEACH
CONCEIVED AND CURATED BY
PHIL GROWICK




Copyright © 2019 Derrick Belanger, Anthony Hernandez, Phil Growick, Vicki Siegel, Mike Hogan, Tracy Guiteau, David Marcum, Terre Rybovich, Denis O Smith, David Teal, Spencer Perkins, Bobby Franano, Stephen Philip Jones, Robert St.Croix, Jeremy Holstein, Eddie Mendieta, Nick Cardillo, Bruce Helander, Marcia Wilson, Lupe Lawrence, Richard Dean Starr and E R Bower, JR Linton, Mark Mower, Amber Tutwiler, Thomas A Turley, Nune Asatryan, Paul W Nash, Pat Crowley,
Daniel D Victor, Andy Pereira.
The above mentioned persons assert the right to be identified as the authors of this work.
All rights reserved. No reproduction or transmission of this work may be made without express prior written permission from the copyright holders.
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, places, events, locales, and incidents are either the products of the authors’ imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental. Any opinions expressed herein are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of MX Publishing or any other party.
Published in the UK by MX Publishing
335 Princess Park Manor, Royal Drive,
London, N11 3GX
www.mxpublishing.co.uk
Digital version converted and distributed by
Andrews UK Limited
www.andrewsuk.com
Conceived and Curated by Phil Growick
A share of the net proceeds from the sales of merchandising and licensing of The Art of Sherlock Holmes will be donated to the following charities:
The Mandel Public Library of West Palm Beach
( www.wpb.org/mycitylibrary )
Happy Life Children’s Home, Nairobi, Kenya
( www.happylifechildrenshome.com )
Stepping Stones School, Hindhead, UK
( www.steppingstones.org.uk )




To the artists and the authors who inspire them.
And to Maiju, always Maiju.



Introduction
The Art of Sherlock Holmes is truly unique.
While there have been literally hundreds of Holmes pastiches written (even a few of mine), there never has been a volume where Holmes short stories are interpreted by some of the most accomplished artists in the world.
In this first local edition, fifteen artists who live or create in West Palm Beach have each had a story assigned to them—specifically dependent on the particular talent of each artist.
Whether the interpretations be from the forms of abstract, contemporary, realist, minimalist, symbolism, or an amalgam of various forms, each piece of art created is unique, hypnotic, mesmerizing and unforgettable. Each created specifically to express the essence of each incredible Holmes story.
The fifteen stories herein range from the impossibly baffling (except for Holmes) to the humorous, paranormal, or simply intellectually intricate. You’re presented with murder, theft, treason, betrayal, love, loss and greed. All the ingredients to make a delicious Holmes meal of mystery.
But please remember, art is in the eye of the beholder. So, we hope you’ll appreciate each creation for what it is: an inimitable interpretation of a truly unique Holmes story.
Phil Growick



The Tale of the First Adventure
By Derrick Belanger
This story first appeared in the MX Book of New Sherlock Holmes Stories Volume IV.
Derrick Belanger is an author, publisher, and educator most noted for his books and lectures on Sherlock Holmes and Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. A number of his books have been #1 bestsellers in their categories on Amazon.com including Sherlock Holmes: The Adventure of the Peculiar Provenance, Sherlock Holmes: The Adventure of the Primal Man, MacDougall Twins with Sherlock Holmes: Attack of the Violet Vampire!, and both volumes of his two volume anthology A Study in Terror: Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s Revolutionary Stories of Fear and the Supernatural. Mr. Belanger is co-owner of the publishing company Belanger Books which has reissued new editions of the August Derleth Solar Pons books as well as publishing new Solar Pons story collections. His academic work has been published in The Colorado Reading Journal and Gifted Child Today. A former instructor at Washington State University, and a current middle school Special Education teacher at Century Middle School in the Adams 12 School District, Derrick lives in Broomfield, Colorado with his wife Abigail Gosselin and their two daughters, Rhea and Phoebe. Find him at www.belangerbooks.com and http://belangerbooks-sherlockholmes.blogspot.com/ .
Anthony Hernandez was born in Havana, Cuba on October 16, 1972. His love and passion for art influenced his life as a young child. Anthony was fascinated by works of artists from his birthplace including Amelia Peláez, Mario Carreño and Rene’ Portocarrero. At the age of 12 he immigrated to Chicago and now resides in Florida. His work is predominantly in the medium of acrylic paintings on canvas and murals. Anthony is a firm believer that everything is somehow connected: “Our actions and our intentions, whether good or bad, create a chain reaction. Each work or piece in any medium I use will carry that message of connection. I always emphasize that art and life go hand in hand; it is about decisions not conditions” .
www.anthonyhernandezart.com
Artwork size: 36 ” × 48 ”
Medium: Acrylic on canvas


It was with exciting news that I hurried to 221b Baker Street one late autumn afternoon. I had just received an unexpected patient, and the man came with information about my dear friend Sherlock Holmes. The man, a Mr. Zenas Cooper, had arrived at my doorstep supporting his back with a well-worn wooden cane. He had injured himself in the process of lifting a large trunk of clothing, and was afraid he had caused serious damage. His brother, Tobias Cooper, a regular patient of mine, had recommended Zenas see me before his long ride back to Devon. After a few tests, I could see that my initial diagnosis, that Mr. Cooper had strained his lumbar, was accurate. I assured the man that while the pain and discomfort were debilitating, if he rested and stayed off of his feet, he would be healed within a week’s time.
Mr. Cooper was a good twenty years my senior. A large man with ruddy cheeks, wispy white hair, emerald eyes, and a jolly laugh, he was in good spirits despite his situation and said he felt blessed that his wife had packed his cane on his London sojourn to visit his brother. Just as he completed his visit and I assisted the man to the front door, he paused and asked in his booming voice, “Say . . . I think . . . no, no, I’m sure it is a coincidence.”
I inquired as to what the gentleman was puzzling about.
“You wouldn’t happen to be the same Dr. Watson who wrote that story in Lippincott’s? . . . The Sign of the Four , I believe it was called.”
I assured him that I was, and the man let out such a bellowing laugh that for a moment I thought he had become Dickens’ Ghost of Christmas Present. “My good man,” he started, “you tell Master Holmes, for he will always be Master Holmes to me, that Mr. Cooper still remembers the good turn he did for me, and that I am and will eternally be grateful.”
I asked the man whatever Holmes had done for him, and his face brightened to an even warmer shade of red. “Why, Master Holmes saved my marriage, the lad did. Bright boy. Exceptional, really. The top student I ever taught in my first year class. Suppose with Master Holmes, it’s hard to say how much I taught him and how much he taught me. I could tell you more, but I am afraid I have a train to catch. Please do give Master Holmes my kind regards, and ask him about the good turn he did for Mr. Cooper. You’re Dr. Watson, after all. You’d want his telling of the events if you see fit to turn the tale into one of your publications. I’m sure I’d miss some of the important details for it was so long ago, but that Master Holmes, with that brain of his, even though he was just eleven at the time, I’m sure he remembers every detail.” And with a wink, he hobbled off down the steps to his awaiting taxi. I assisted the man into the cab, and no sooner had his left then I hailed one myself, for with this information, curiosity had seized me. Mr. Cooper had been my final patient for the day, and I knew Mrs. Watson was visiting a friend for the afternoon and wouldn’t return until early in the evening. I just had to see Holmes, had to know about this mystery he’d puzzled out at such a young age.
As the hansom pulled up in front of 221b Baker Street, I nearly leaped out of the cab. I found the door to my friend’s residence unlocked and practically flung it open. Fortunately, Mrs. Hudson was not at home, for I’m sure she would have scolded me for not knocking before entering. Not tarrying a moment, I bounded up the seventeen steps to Holmes’s sitting room as fast as my legs could carry me. When I was almost at the top of the stairs, a sharp jolt of pain shot through my left leg, which still suffered from a wound I’d received from a Jezail bullet in the Afghan War. I gave out a holler, winced, and cursed myself for my over-ambition. Using the railing of the stairs, I supported myself and limped up to the door of the first floor rooms. I didn’t bother knocking, but with a swift turn of the knob swung the door wide and found Holmes in his armchair, reading over several papers with a magnifying glass.
“Watson,” he said, barely taking his eyes off of the document he was inspecting, “it appears that the ransom letter to the Australian businessman Robert Steele was not written by his daughter, but rather by his wife. The curl of the q and the curve of the g are quite definitely the same.” He lowered the papers and motioned for me