Collaborative Book 'Water Rising' Merges Poetry and Watercolors by Leila Philip and Garth Evans

In 2012, writer Leila Philip and sculptor Garth Evans initiated a creative partnership, resulting in the 2015 publication 'Water Rising' by New Rivers Press. The book combines Philip's realist poems with Evans's abstract watercolors, exploring themes like nature and emotion. Matthias Waschek, Director of Worcester Art Museum, contributed an introduction noting how the work redefines connections between painting and poetry. Carter Ratcliff, a poet and critic, praised the collaboration for blending Philip's precise observations of natural phenomena with Evans's translation of sculptural forms onto paper, creating a unified artistic dialogue. Philip, a Guggenheim and NEA awardee, authored previous books including 'The Road Through Miyama' and 'A Family Place'. Evans, a British sculptor with works in major institutions like The Metropolitan Museum and Tate Gallery, heads sculpture at the New York Studio School. The book, priced at $50.00 with 60 pages, includes poems such as 'Here' and 'In the Drawing', accompanied by corresponding watercolors. artcritical featured excerpts from the publication in its Poetry for Art series, highlighting three poems and artworks. The collaboration's environmental mission is detailed on water-rising.com.