Melissa Sullivan - The Mystic Wood

Down by the Styx, the boundary between, we listen to the owl's call, and watch patiently the pale light of the waning moon. Melissa Sullivan is a hedge-wandering art witch from Los Angeles, California. As a poet and artist, her work dwells on themes of the liminal, the spaces between things, the ghosts of moments that haunt us, and remembrance. When not working, she enjoys spending time with her daughter, shitposting on Twitter, watching black-and-white monster movies, and reading about old bones. Recent publications include Lost Futures:Thresholds, The Covid Verses, an anthology chapbook published by Paddler Press, and LOST FUTURES volume 2: still life Haunting the edges of the Los Angeles art scene since 2007, Melissa has exhibited at the following venues; the Majestical Roof in Pasadena, CA, (work was on regular display), the epOxybOx gallery in Venice, CA, the Cactus Gallery, in Eagle Rock, CA, the Artillery gallery in Echo Park, CA, and the Land of Odd Gallery in Eagle Rock, CA. Additionally, Melissa was the co-owner and curator of the Land of Odd Gallery from 2009-2012.

[themysticwood2]

Since i now have a website for my poetry and art over at https://themysticwood.neocities.org, i will be moving my tumblr activity back over to my main account at https://themysticwood.tumblr.com/. I would love to see you there! 💕

[themysticwood2]

PREORDER: lost futures: thresholds

Experience the next chapter of LOST FUTURES with this volume's all-new design and format! LOST FUTURES is a zine about worlds that could hav

Excited to say that two of my poems have found a home in the latest issue of Lost Futures.

This is one of my favorite zines, it feels like such a perfect place for my poetry and I feel honored every time I get to see my work appear in its pages.

This issue is huge and includes some really wonderful work, I can't recommend it more.

Back issues of Lost Futures are also available via the website, and you will not be disappointed!

"LOST FUTURES is a zine about worlds that could have been, should have been, or weren't. Futures that tried to bring themselves into existence but whose spark burned out. Of the lives you might have had if things were different.

'thresholds' is about the end, the boundary, the limit or portal. A threshold might be the point of no return, a liminal space, or the grief we find ourselves lost in. It might be something we find ourselves living in, something we cannot cross, or something we can’t let ourselves face. In this issue of LOST FUTURES, we come to know thresholds through stories, poems, found art, photography, and illustration.

featuring work by christian kitson, sean chua, em kinnear, duunya, steven french, graham lally, bec lambert, c. d. boyland, d. haas, lys, kaisa saarinen, anna wright, melissa sullivan, dan lockton, craig ballinger, chris bentley, leon hughes, mathew gostelow, j. simpson, katie taylor, joe howsin, and kieran cutting.

NOTE: This is a preorder. Orders should ship in the week of 19th Sept."

[themysticwood2]

Just a quick note to say that I have been working on things, it's just going slowly right now because I have recently started a new job freelance writing. Trying to balance my time between work and my creative projects has been challenging thus far, but unfortunately capitalism dictates that I must earn a specific amount of money in order to survive.

On the positive side of things, I got the very good news that my poem "We Meet" is going to be published in volume 4 of the LOST FUTURES zine!! More information on publication dates and where to purchase a copy when I find out!

[themysticwood2]

The Covid Verses

The Covid Verses, published by Paddler Press, is officially available for sale now.

I'm very happy and honored to have three of my poems included in this wonderful collection.

"Featuring 30 Poems written during the global pandemic, this eclectic collection from international authors shares the humour, the frustrations, the loves, and the loss that we all have experienced."

It's a wonderful and touching collection of poetry about these past several years and how it has affected us, altered us, impacted us, each in our own unique ways. It touches on loss, on revelation, on time spent with family, exploring new things, learning, and on the ways that we have all been changed by the experiences we've gone through.

It's a limited run and copes are selling fast, so if you want one please move quickly before they're all gone!

The Covid Verses

The Covid Verses, featuring 30 poems writing during the global pandemic is now available from Paddler Press. Order your copy today! The Covi

[themysticwood2]

I made a series of experimental prints with acrylic paint on cardstock several months ago. Since then I've been slowly adding things to them, so far mostly hand inking elements. I completed this one the other night, it was one of the more faint impressions, so I ended up completely redrawing the serpents with paint, and adding what I'm calling the Mercurial staff of Hermes behind the serpents instead of the branch. I do like how the faint image of the branches is peeking out from behind the staff still though...

[themysticwood2]

I'm really going to do this, you just watch me.

[themysticwood2]

Just little Haley saying hello. Stuffed crochet doll that I made and sent to my love early in the pandemic to keep them company and remind them that I love them. 🖤

[themysticwood2]

More throwback old art show photos from that time I did that show with my ex. Soft sculptures and mini hard sculptures by me, of his characters, but the ideas and poses for the sculptures were mine. I'm especially proud of the serpent in the garden of eden one at the top, with the toast tree.

[themysticwood2]

Throwback photos from way back, these are from a two person show, my ex and I did. I made so many sculptures for this show, both soft, which is what are pictured here, and miniatures in clay. (all the character designs were his creation) I was especially happy with my plush toaster, bottom pic, and the large nearly person sized dolls in the top photos.

[themysticwood2]

So, it's been forever since I've updated this blog, and that's probably not great. But, here's a drawing that I did of a burrito with french fries in it when I was really hungry and craving a burrito one night.

[themysticwood2]

Just a quick note to say that you can now find my crochet patterns for sale as digital downloads on ko-fi! Just listed them all there earlier tonight, as well as my digital zine about casting dice for divination.

My ko-fi

Also created a linktree so that it will be easier to keep tabs on everything I have going on online, even as it grows and changes.

My linktree

[themysticwood2]

Very excited to announce that two of my poems are being included in the upcoming issue of Lost Futures!

I've had a look at the proof, and it's both beautiful to look at and haunting to read.

I'll include the link here to purchase a copy, digital is also available!

Products

Browse all products from LOST FUTURES.

LOST FUTURES is a zine about worlds that could have been, should have been, or weren't. Futures that tried to bring themselves into existence but whose spark burned out. Of the lives you might have had if things were different.

volume 2: still life is a BIG OL' BUMPER EDITION. brace yourself for people lost in the changes of the pandemic, caught in the throes of addiction, or meditating on what they could've done differently. there's a lot of lost or frozen love in this issue, but also an exploration of drone music, a look back to the lessons of ferris bueller's day off, and a consideration what endlessly 'refreshing the feed' does to us.

[themysticwood2]

Just listed my first digital zine in my shop! Getting modern, or something like that. 🎲 "Digital Zine - Casting Dice for Divination - Simple Circle Casting Method"

TheMysticWood.Etsy.com

[themysticwood2]

Listed more dice divination kits in the shop last night, they had been sold out for a while. Only these few in stock until I get more dice! Also have a couple copies of just the zine available if you have your own dice to work with! Digital version of the zine coming soon, just finalized it this morning before I passed out. 😅

#divination #divinationtools #dice #dicedivination #witchystuff #witchyshit #magicaltools

[themysticwood2]

Just a little more before I find something to eat and get some sleep.

[themysticwood2]

Tonight’s progress, she’s coming along pretty well, but it’s nearly 5am and I imagine that I should eat something and try to get some sleep at some point.

[themysticwood2]

Started work on a project that I’ve been thinking about for the last several years. It’s funny how something as small as seeing a pair of eyes in a fabric scrap would be the thing to finally push me into action. There are a lot of pieces to this, a lot of pieces of me in a way, and this little doll is just a springboard I hope, that helps me to bring the things I’ve been ruminating on during my isolation, my hibernation from art and the world, into the tangible. Not to put too much pressure on her, but, in ways her little moth eyes are the perfect symbol, emergence from the chrysalis.