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Thursday, 24 May 2012
The Greening of Oaks and Circles of Birds...
Circles of Oaks and Feathers - For Alexis
It seems like a really long time since I posted here, and there have been so many things that would have been nice to post if I'd had a little more time. Some things I probebly still will if it means walking back in time a bit, I have some Tales of Wales from our week away in early May, and perhaps some Dragon Tails too!
But for now, I will show you this little painting I did this week as a present for a dear friend on her birthday...
I really enjoy this kind of work and get lost in the making of patterns and the simplicity of it. When I'm working on a big, serious illustration I can get quite stressed and anxious about the painting of it and often have to keep dragging myself back to the drawing board. But with this Kells style work it is sheer enjoyment and I often find I am smiling away to myself as I paint. A nice way to make a present for a friend!
Hopefully in the next day or so if I can wrest the time, I will post the May sunshine walk that inspired this painting and filled me up with the vibrancy of green growing things, and the awe inspiring freedom of the sky dwellers... It has been just what my soul needed!
So, for now I will leave you with a song I have loved for a long time - usually in a high energy electric rock, but I have just disovered this great acoustic version which holds the spirit of the song even better...
Bye for now...
Well, I'll be happy to be your first comment here today. Your painting for your friend is lovely. The music was very nice - I'd never heard the song, but think the acoustic version is very good.
I enjoyed reading several of your more recent posts.
Your affinity with crows and ravens is something I enjoy as they are close to my heart as well.
Lovely to read your comment Brenda! Proud magnificent Ravens and in particular the wilderness souls of birds of prey always resonate for me... I always get a thrill watching them in flight. I am so pleased you found my posts uplifting, what a compliment, thankyou indeed! :)
I like it! -- Took me a minute to work out the design -- One of those moments where your brain has to chew on it a minute, and then the pattern just leaps right out at you. I love those. Doing those intricate designs is very meditative. Your brain works in a different way than when you're doing representational art, and it's not nearly so active, because it doesn't have to be continually thinking about light source and shadows, and shapes and colors, and textures, and positioning, and relationships between different elements of the painting and comparing the images in the painting to the mental images of the things you're painting, and having to continually assess whether the painting is "working" or not. Plenty of room for anxiety and doubt to wriggle in while all that activity is going on. Some folks just multitask better than others.
Yes you have it right there WOL! I feel like my big illustrations have expectations weighed around them and critisms necessary to push them up to standard. The Kells work feels like its just for me to enjoy, its a very different approach and can be a refreshing change of pace too...
Your painting is gorgeous. Such an intricate, delicate, magical pattern. (A few years ago, I went through a phase where I was making small Kells styled watercolours and I would find myself in the most wonderful, almost trance-like state.) A very special gift indeed.
Thankyou Lynn! It does make you think, the medieval monks creating such works of wonder, they must have worked with a reverence, the painstaking dipping of brush or quill working by candlelight... I constantly marvel at the details hidden within the Book of Kells, I love it!
I am Carrie, an aspiring illustrator and writer, slowly (very slowly) building a portfolio for children's illustration. I am mother of two little elfin folk - Elora and Elswyth (who can squabble like young trolls!) I would love to share with you the things that inspire me, my love of literature, art, mythology and wilderness. And if perchance some of these things strike a chord with someone else out there, it would be a wonderful bonus and I'd love to hear from you.
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Wonderful painting! I like the edge of this music.. probably would be too much for me in its "high energy rock" form, but this is great, thanks!
ReplyDeleteThankyou Valerianna! Yes, I do like this song... its funny how you can know a band for years and still discover something you didn't know they'd done!
DeleteThis turned out so beautifully. Lyrical and symmetrical.
ReplyDeleteThankyou so much Kim, I like your description of it as lyrical, what a nice comment! :)
DeleteWell, I'll be happy to be your first comment here today.
ReplyDeleteYour painting for your friend is lovely.
The music was very nice - I'd never heard the song, but think the acoustic version is very good.
I enjoyed reading several of your more recent posts.
Your affinity with crows and ravens is something I enjoy as they are close to my heart as well.
I found your posts uplifting.
Thanks!
Brenda
Lovely to read your comment Brenda! Proud magnificent Ravens and in particular the wilderness souls of birds of prey always resonate for me... I always get a thrill watching them in flight.
DeleteI am so pleased you found my posts uplifting, what a compliment, thankyou indeed! :)
I like it! -- Took me a minute to work out the design -- One of those moments where your brain has to chew on it a minute, and then the pattern just leaps right out at you. I love those. Doing those intricate designs is very meditative. Your brain works in a different way than when you're doing representational art, and it's not nearly so active, because it doesn't have to be continually thinking about light source and shadows, and shapes and colors, and textures, and positioning, and relationships between different elements of the painting and comparing the images in the painting to the mental images of the things you're painting, and having to continually assess whether the painting is "working" or not. Plenty of room for anxiety and doubt to wriggle in while all that activity is going on. Some folks just multitask better than others.
ReplyDeleteYes you have it right there WOL! I feel like my big illustrations have expectations weighed around them and critisms necessary to push them up to standard. The Kells work feels like its just for me to enjoy, its a very different approach and can be a refreshing change of pace too...
DeleteThat would make such a wonderful dinner set! Imagine a whole set of different sized plates and bowls with this on.
ReplyDeleteHa, ha! Yes that would be interesting! I think I'd quite like that!
DeleteYour painting is gorgeous. Such an intricate, delicate, magical pattern.
ReplyDelete(A few years ago, I went through a phase where I was making small Kells styled watercolours and I would find myself in the most wonderful, almost trance-like state.)
A very special gift indeed.
Thankyou Lynn! It does make you think, the medieval monks creating such works of wonder, they must have worked with a reverence, the painstaking dipping of brush or quill working by candlelight... I constantly marvel at the details hidden within the Book of Kells, I love it!
Delete