Month: April 2013

Hell Hath No Fury…

Just finished Fury, a character from my painting Temptation of Saint Anthony in the Desert.

She is part of a cast of  tempting characters and notably the most feminine ; although the Spouseman swears it is a portrait of him. I think his daffy.

 Anyway dashing off to meet him for our date night, but wanted to post today’s progress first.

IMG_3854detail from Temptation of Saint Anthony in the Desert

She has really developed from this little doodle-print I made ages ago.

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 Well I must get ready, until next time, take care,

LG

Revisiting the Dead Mother

Awhile back I posted a quick sketch of the Dead Mother and discussion about the subject ,link to post ; the following is a continuation upon the theme.

I’ve just finished it, I believe it is as far as I can or want to take it…for now.

IMG_3853

The Dead Mother

oil on canvas

20 by 30 inches

Symbolically it is a self portrait, the middle aged man finally realizing the breast is dry; analysis thanks to my psychologist. Or it is just a really creepy painting, best forgotten.

Until next time,

which I promise will have cheerier fare,

take care,

LG

Perversion Therapy, a new relief print

I mentioned earlier that I attended a two day conference last weekend in LA, devoted to Mesoamerican art and culture. Many prominent scholars were at hand, some personal heroes, I was enthralled.

One of the topics that many of the scholars returned to time and again was the issue of culture clash. Dr. Manuel Aguilar-Moreno, Professor of Art History, California State University, Los Angeles, summed up this clash as Culture A crashing into Culture B creating Culture C, a distinct and legitimate aesthetic.

This is a very appealing notion as the colonial period has for some time been dismissed as inferior to the indigenous  creative efforts and I assume to its Spanish roots. I have never felt this prejudice personally, Indian Christian art (Dr. Aguilar-Moreo’s phrase) always seemed terribly vital to me and brought  me great pleasure.

This quick little relief print, dashed off this afternoon is an attempt to capture that clash, the Christian God bringing the Maize God to his knees. It is the first state, done awkwardly with my trusted wooden spoon, I will clean it up a bit and make a proper series of prints when I return to class on Tuesday. But in the spirit of keeping up momentum I decided to post it.

IMG_3846Perversion Therapy

relief print on paper

That’s it for tonight, until next time, take care,

LG

Dispatch from the Wilderness

Several months ago I posted my intention to begin a new painting  The Temptation of St. Anthony of the Desert ; these few months later the painting is progressing well enough that I feel able to post an update. I have been working on it in between class assignments and several other smaller paintings.

It is a rather large painting, 36 by 48 inches. The image is a bit fuzzy as I’m having difficulty photographing the painting ; but as the painting is still unfinished a bit of fuzziness allows for progress. The sheet of paper, which I use to wipe off excess paint, hides the Abbot, he is of yet  just a sketch.

IMG_3843

Temptation of St. Anthony of the Desert

unfinished

oil on canvas 36 by 48 inches

As I have been noodling with the painting,  I am  as usual kept company by the pugs Rose and Viola. This image below explains my slow progress, Viola just demands a certain amount of attention, she is my greatest Temptation.

562180_10200625206982204_1520932710_nViola, the vigilant studio assistant

I’m taking a break, my eyes grow weary with  the tight work, I have a Dead Mother  I am working on,  a far looser painting; I  will switch off after my dinner break.  Viola is at this moment in the study with me, snoring away, delightful company as always.

Until next time, take care, LG

Strange Fruit,II

Just a short post, this is the revised print that I posted on Easter, link, this time with the second color.  I’m hooked, if reduction relief did not  work for me, individual color plates do. A certain obsessive compulsive inclination is satisfied by working each plate meticulously so that the image aligns. This is by no means a perfect print, the alignment is most noticeably askew when looking at the Princess’ upward reaching hand. But now I have a better grasp on the process and feel confident enough to work with more color, quite a relief -lame printmaking pun intended.

strange fruit

Strange Fruit, II

relief print on paper

I am attending a Mesoamerican conference this week in LA, I’m very excited, two days of Meso fun. Starting off with a workshop deciphering  Mayan glyphs, I haven’t great expectations, but if I can recognize just a few glyphs I will be pleased.  The spouse has arranged a vacation in Mexico City for the Day of the Day festival ; I’m eager to check out the museums and the ruins, planning a trip to Teotihuacan as well.

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Until next time, take care,

LG

St. Kevin and the Blackbird

Fresh off the Press: St. Kevin and the Blackbird

IMG_3837

St. Kevin and the Blackbird

relief print on paper

12 by 12 inches

I have been intrigued with St. Kevin since having seen Clive Hicks-Jenkins  wonderful depictions of the long suffering saint.

Falling in love with Seamus Heaney’s poem St. Kevin and the Blackbird closed the deal.

I have been doodling this wonderful fellow ever since, what isn’t there to love?,  a pious man yet all too human,  stuck in his cramped hermitage, in conflict (or perhaps not) as to how to proceed in life, which path to take. Happily charity and compassion triumphs over self-interest.

 I was unfamiliar with this saint, perhaps he is an Anglican saint ; I do not  know, but I do know I am smitten.  I imagine a few more images of the fellow will pop now and then.

Until that time, take care and may St. Kevin bless you with patience and grace,

LG