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Latest Posts
I'm Moving . . .
I've set up a MySpace page to promote my online gallery and blog in one location. MySpace comes with a built-in audience which seems to be much larger and more accessible than Blogger.
And if you have a MySpace page, don't hesitate to send me a friend request.
- The Light Within . . .
Joseph Christian Leyendecker, J.C. to his friends. J.C. Leyendecker was THE most successful, accomplished, famous artist of his day. He was beyond famous actually. When Norman Rockwell was a boy, he used to go to the train station in New Rochelle just to watch J.C. arrive from New York City, get off the train with his entourage and step into a waiting chauffeured limousin. Leyendecker was a celebrity on the level of the Beatles before they existed and his work defined American life by capturing the essence, the innocence which existed in the country in the years between 1900 and World War II. His work appeared as illustrations for The Saturday Evening Post, Collier’s Magazine, The American Weekly, Success Magazine and others, as well as magazine ads for companies such as Kelloggs, Kuppenheimer’s Clothiers and Arrow Collars (the character he created for Arrow Collars was based on one of the male models he frequently used. The Arrow Collar man became so famous and popular with the ladies that the company actually received fan mail wanting to know who he was, what was his name, where did he live . . . and he was even more famous than Rudolph Valentino) The covers of these magazines provided the perfect medium for reproducing his work in all its splendor. At the peak of his career he was the most famous Post artist they had ever had. He turned the Post covers into mini-posters, incorporating all of the elements of the cover into each piece.
Artistically speaking, Leyendecker was an incredible genius whose work is instantly recognizeable even today. He was the king of America’s “Golden Age” of illustration and through his work he virtually invented the look of the modern magazine cover as a purely attention grabbing device. Leyendecker’s work contains elements of both Art Nouveau and Art Deco, and it is dynamic, graceful, elegant and sophisticated. His unique style of painting captured the attention of the public as nothing before had, and only a handful since have.
J.C.’s work was about the endless pursuit of perfection. He developed his own system of creating an image based on the working methods of the great masters. He began with a series of thumbnail sketches, and from there he would work up a series of larger rough paintings. These were used to determine how to best proceed with the actual finished painting. When he applied his colors, he would let areas of blank, raw canvas show through. These were often areas which would be included as part of a highlight or the white background. J.C. was very secretive about how he worked and very little was known about how he achieved such luminous finished surfaces until his brother, Frank, shared the paint recipe with Norman Rockwell after swearing him to absolute secrecy. The colors were composed of Turpentine, stand oil and linseed oil, mixed fresh each morning in specific proportion. The colors were very thin, “slippery” if you will. When these colors were applied to the canvas they showed no sign whatsoever of having been applied by a brush. This resulted in a finished painting composed of precisely arranged areas of light and color. Every stroke was applied perfectly . . .once. J.C.’s brush control and mastery of his talents are legendary still today.
Leyendecker’s finished canvases were masterpieces of technique, color and magic. He influenced America at a time when we were just beginning to discover who we were as a nation. His work has influenced me to my very core and I am extremely grateful. I enjoy looking at his work over and over.
J.C. Leyendecker lived a quiet personal life that included a circle of very few friends. I wish I had been there. For all of his fame a fortune, for all of the love and admiration he received from his adoring public, he died alone in his home by the sea, in New Rochelle, New York. I feel him with me every day.
- The Light Within . . .
A Time to Grow . . .
As I write this I find myself at a crossroad, artistically speaking. All of my images up to now have been done using the hard-edge, flat technique I have perfected over the past twenty years. I have something different in mind which has been brewing inside me for several years. The subject matter, colors, and stylization will still be there, but the application of the paint will be different...painterly. My 40th birthday is in eight days. Time is passing...it's time to grow.
The subject of just how short our lives really are has been on my mind a lot lately. We’re just here for the blink of an eye and then we’re gone. It’s what you do in between that counts.
What seems like an eternity when you’re young and self-centered becomes more and more precious as you get older. As years go by and time picks up speed, you experience what is commonly known as “The Quickening”. This is when your life passes in blocks of five or ten years before you wake up and say “Where did those years go?” Pretty soon you reach a point where you begin to realize “Half of my life might be over” and you take stock of your priorities, your interests, your dreams. You keep the things that can help you move forward and discard those which hold you back. Time is the one thing we can never have enough of, that thing for which kings will give up a kingdom, yet we waste it anyways because there will always be more tomorrow.
Each person’s life is like a string of time. It is finite in length, with a beginning and an end. Imagine where you are right now as a single point in your time. Where are you on your string of time? What are you doing with what you’ve been given? How are you living your life? When all is said and done, what will your history be? Did you realize the light within and share it with the world? Did you inspire anyone to live differently or reach for their dreams? Did you strive to reach upward and live vertically, aspiring to higher levels of consciousness and awareness? Did you come to know God? I’m thankful that I don’t know exactly where I am along my string of time. I only know that I try to make the most of what I have and inspire others to realize and do the same. History has proven it only takes one person to change the world.
The time allotted to us is analogous to the shutter of a camera; it opens with our birth, allowing in the small amount of light we must work with before it closes and the universe vanishes. With that light we must enter our “dark room” and develop our conception of existence--what we are, why we are here, and what is our relationship to the whole. There are pneumagraphs laying around that others have left behind--scripture, books, images and institutions. Some of them were successful in capturing the Light, others only darkness visible.
There is so little time, but time is literally all we have: we must work while it is day, for the night cometh, when no man can work. Saying you have no time is logically equivalent to saying that you have no life, light or freedom. If you are not free, then your time really is nothing more than duration. And if you have no light, you are free in the illusory way that an animal is--free to be led horizontally by your instincts and learned behaviors.
Time. Freedom. Light. If you don’t have one, you really don’t have the others either. Your life is history.
Live your life . . .Make A Difference . . .
- The Light Within . . .
Archangel Gabriel . . .
Gabriel is my guardian angel. He is my saint. I am Catholic.
Gabriel is of significance in each of the world's three major religions.
He is one of seven Archangels, and one of three mentioned by name in the Bible. It was Gabriel who appeared to the prophet Daniel to explain his visions regarding the Messiah...and it was Gabriel who had the most significant of all angelic appearances...appearing before Mary and announcing the birth of the Saviour. His name means "Man of God, God is my strength" and he is the patron saint of communication workers.
Gabriel came to me when my art was at a turning point 12 years ago. I was sitting at my art table, experiencing a severe creative block which had been going on for a couple of months, when I received a phone call in which I learned about the death of a life-long friend. After hanging up the phone, I returned to my art table and sat there in a state of shock. Since it was a Sunday, I naturally had the newspaper in a pile on the floor beside my table. I reached down and picked up whatever happened to be on top in an attempt to take my mind off of the just received news.......and there was Gabriel on the front page of the travel section. He was in sculpture form, of course. It was a story on traveling to Italy. The sculpture of him lives at the Vatican, holding up a large bath of Holy Water.
My friend's name was Keith Ebanks. He was Catholic before I ever knew what it meant. I think of him often and sometimes I feel him nearby, and I will be forever grateful for the sense of wonder and curiosity his Catholic faith instilled in me.
Angels exist as beings of pure line and color, pure energy, and they are quite real indeed, I assure you.
The actual title of this painting is “Emergence”, but over the past three years since its completion, Michael kept coming back to me over and over . . .and over. I wasn’t sure which angel this was when the painting was finished, so I used the title Emergence due to the fact that it seems to be emerging directly in front of you . . .also because it represents a landmark in the deepening of my style. With this painting I was led to a place of deeper knowledge and understanding of the abstract qualities in my work. There is line and color, and nothing else. It also represents a step towards understand something, the event, which led to the vision of my style 15 years ago.
This image is quite powerful, almost confrontational at times. It came to me during an extremely tumultuous and stressful time in my life. St. Michael is the warrior angel and protector of souls. He is revered in each of the world’s three major religions. He was created before Gabriel . . .he is the angel of mercy. His name means “Who is like God?”
One of my artistic heroes is the Italian Rococo sculptor Antonio Canova. This painting is based on one of his sculptures which lives in the Hermitage Museum, in St. Petersburg, Russia. Canova’s work was nothing short of absolute perfection. The lines, the shapes and forms are so pure, its as though they existed before the sculpture was ever conceived.
- The Light Within . . .
Gallery Additions . . .
If you haven't been to the gallery within the last week, stop by and sign the guestbook. Just look for "Sign the Gusetbook" on the gallery's homepage. Feel free to leave comments and let me know what you think of the angels, and let everyone know where you live. The Choate Gallery receives visitors from literally every corner of the world.
Here are some of the countries from which the Choate Gallery has received visitors since the beginning of April.
Singapore
United States
United Kingdom
Netherlands
Turkey
South Korea
Poland
Canada
Germany
Yugoslavia
France
Australia
Romania
Croatia
Portugal
Russia
Slovak Republic
Israel
UAE
Angola
Greece
Argentina
Japan
Austria
I appreciate the time everyone takes to visit the gallery. Please don't hesitate to sign the guestbook or send me an e-mail and let me know what you think. Finally, I'll be adding a forum to the website in a week or two so you can all have a place to get together and share your thoughts about the angels.
- The Light Within
Another Step Forward . . .
My charitable foundation project has taken another step forward. I have started accepting donations in order to fund the next step in the process.
I'm raising funds to purchase software upgrades in order to build the foundation's new website, as well as to purchase web-hosting space and services. Please make a micro-donation of at least $5, $10, or $25. Since the IRS has not yet granted me tax-exempt status these donations will not be tax-deductible.
You can read about the foundation's purpose here, here and here.
If you remember my earlier post “Hope & Light” you’ll recall my mentioning a charitable foundation, whose purpose will be to help families who have children with cancer. The time has come to get started.
I am currently in the beginning stages of getting the organization set up. Then I’ll establish an internet presence and begin. This foundation will be closely associated with the Choate Gallery, and sales from my prints will provide some of the funding. Once things get up and running I plan on auctioning off an occaisional canvas or two for the charity.
I’m also in the middle of creating a line of high-end licensed products using my paintings, such as calendars, bookmarks, book plates, etc. More on that soon.
- The Light Within . . .
In The Beginning . . .
Please allow me this space to explain, as fully as possible, exactly what these angels represent and why they appear the way they do.
The angels serve a bridge between God and man. They protect us…they inspire us…they are God’s messengers for the benefit of ALL mankind. We all have a guardian angel looking out for us, guiding us to fulfill our purpose in this life. God has a purpose for your life.
The white space represents purity, infinity, and the profound whiteness of pure… universal… white… light. The kind of light which can only emanate directly from God.
Angels are beings of light and spirit. In my images they are composed of line and color. The lines represent the surrounding energy and the colors are always clean and pure. I do mix quite a few of the colors I use, by hand, but the end result must always be perfect.
The roots of my style are based primarily in two distinct areas of art history. My drawings, which are done in line only, are deeply influenced by the sculptures of Michelangelo and Gian Lorenzo Bernini. Their influence on art history can only be described as “touched by the hand of God”. The purity and perfection of line and form in their sculptures is always the standard I set for myself. Nothing less will do. The finished paintings are deeply influenced by the French Rococo period of art history. Eighteenth century classical French painting is among the most beautiful in existence. This is especially true if you’ve ever had the privilege of experiencing a painting from this era in person. From the Rococo period, I have taken simplicity, purity of line and form, curvilinear rhythms, and classical subject matter and made them my own. Finally, I have taken the bold stylization from Art Deco…incorporating all of these into a style that is as unique as it is beautiful.
Each image begins as a full size drawing. Once the edges of the image have been defined, I use nothing but graceful, elegant lines to shape the space within in the purest manner possible. When the drawing is complete it is transferred to the canvas and everything is covered with white. Each color goes on in layers…water-thin layers which are built up and up (sometimes twenty or thirty layers) until the shapes become opaque. This technique causes light to become trapped between the layers and makes the colors luminous. In addition, there are certain colors which, when placed next to one another, will cause your eyes to see vibrations exactly on the line where they meet. Finally, the lines are painted in layers as well. They end up actually being sculpted by the repetition caused by the process of layering.
The process involved in capturing one of the angels on canvas is extremely time consuming but well worth it. Nothing is finished until the angel says it is.
One of the representatives at the Montserrat Gallery in New York mentioned that she sees something…a light coming from within…that captures her attention when she least expects it.
- The Light Within . . .
Gabriel III . . .
The Archangel Gabriel is a theme upon which much of my work is based, and he will make many appearances on canvas before I leave this world. This painting was completed during a time of great personal stress and anxiety. It is titled “Gabriel III” and is Gabriel’s third appearance. He always appears when I need him most . . . when I’m not sure which direction to go with my life and when I don’t know who to turn to. There have been several times in my life when I was forced to choose between painting and supporting my family. Being forced to give up something you love so dearly, something that is a part of you, is painful . . . . . . . however, something tells me that these paintings, these images were meant to be. Each time circumstances forced me to give up my art, to let it go, it always came back stronger . . . more focused and more real.
In this painting, Gabriel is reaching out to you, the viewer. He reaches out of the picture plane, to touch you, to heal and comfort you. The halo behind his head if full of golden light which envelopes nearly all of his being.
In my earlier post, In The Beginning, I shared with you my process of building the colors up in layers. This allows light to become trapped between a color’s layers . . . creating a strong and luminous appearance. This is the light within. It is also how I painted Gabriel’s red robe. I first laid down enough pure magenta to become opaque, about a dozen layers. Then I added layer upon layer of red, allowing for drying time in between. Each color is applied in this manner, but the jewel tones (reds, blues, greens and purples) usually require an opaque underpainting.
The lines in this painting are full of energy. They have an electricity about them which appears immediately. In some places the lines are actually sculpted in layers. In other places the lines are exactly as they appear . . . laid down in a single stroke, even some of the longer ones. Those are the best ones. The brush does it’s thing and I sit back and watch.
I have had to come to terms with this painting. For the first two years after it’s completion I did not think it was up to my standards. But the more I see it I realize that it is. Perhaps it was ME who was not living up to my standards at the time, rather than the image. It can take weeks to finish an image. Half of this one was completed in a single thirteen-hour marathon session. By the time I was done I was mentally, emotionally and physically exhausted. I was driven to do it.
This painting, Gabriel III, was displayed at the Montserrat Gallery, in New York, from September 2004 thru May 2006.
Title: Archangel Gabriel Print Type: Giclee on Canvas Dimensions: 17 7/16" W x 22 7/16" H Edition Size: Open
- The Light Within . . .
Follow Your Dreams . . .
When I was a kid I used to have this recurring dream where I was always struggling to wake up, to become completely conscious. I couldn’t wake up completely, at least not enough to do whatever it was I had to do in the dream. There would always be things happening right in front of me that I wanted or needed to do . . .join my friends, tie my shoes, get on the school bus. Then there was always the big one . . .answer the phone or remember phone numbers. I was always afraid that I was going to miss out on something really important. Eventually, as the creativity inside of me began to really evolve and take control of my life, the dream faded. Finally, when I began painting angels the dream went away completely.
Too many people in this world sleepwalk through their lives, going through the daily motions on autopilot completely unaware that their life is passing before their eyes and they are missing it. They don’t know what their dreams are, or if they even have any. They fail to see the surrounding signs, the beauty of God’s world and the universe he created for us. They never see the gifts all around them, the people they meet who drop little clues as to where to go next or what to do . . . people who come up to you out of the blue and share something with you. The people you don’t expect are the angels and they have something meant just for you. There are no coincidences in this world.
As an artist, I am poignantly aware that time is passing before my eyes. It gets worse as you watch your child grow and become their own person. Time flies. I am constantly reminded of the struggle to follow my dreams . . . to live my life as consciously aware of everything in my human experience as possible. There are successes and triumphs, there are failures and setbacks, there is joy and sorrow and sometimes pain. But it’s through living in this state of awareness that I’m able to see the big picture, to share and enjoy the gifts I’ve been given.
Wake up and realize that your life is passing before your eyes and make the most of it. Do something to make people’s lives better . . . something to enrich their experience. Always be aware of where you are in your life and what you’re doing.
Never be afraid to follow your dreams.
- The Light Within . . .
Time . . .
There is a line from a song on side one of the greatest album of all time which changed my life in an instant one day. It sank in and woke up something inside of me..."...and then one day you find, ten years have got behind you...No one told you when to run...you missed the starting gun...". That's from Time, on side one of Pink Floyd's "Dark Side of The Moon".
The subject of just how short our lives really are has been on my mind a lot lately. We’re just here for the blink of an eye and then we’re gone. It’s what you do in between that counts.
What seems like an eternity when you’re young and self-centered becomes more and more precious as you get older. As years go by and time picks up speed, you experience what is commonly known as “The Quickening”. This is when your life passes in blocks of five or ten years before you wake up and say “Where did those years go?” Pretty soon you reach a point where you begin to realize “Half of my life might be over” and you take stock of your priorities, your interests, your dreams. You keep the things that can help you move forward and discard those which hold you back. Time is the one thing we can never have enough of, that thing for which kings will give up a kingdom, yet we waste it anyways because there will always be more tomorrow.
Each person’s life is like a string of time. It is finite in length, with a beginning and an end. Imagine where you are right now as a single point in your time. Where are you on your string of time? What are you doing with what you’ve been given? How are you living your life? When all is said and done, what will your history be? Did you realize the light within and share it with the world? Did you inspire anyone to live differently or reach for their dreams? Did you strive to reach upward and live vertically, aspiring to higher levels of consciousness and awareness? Did you come to know God? I’m thankful that I don’t know exactly where I am along my string of time. I only know that I try to make the most of what I have and inspire others to realize and do the same. History has proven it only takes one person to change the world.
The time allotted to us is analogous to the shutter of a camera; it opens with our birth, allowing in the small amount of light we must work with before it closes and the universe vanishes. With that light we must enter our “dark room” and develop our conception of existence--what we are, why we are here, and what is our relationship to the whole. There are pneumagraphs laying around that others have left behind--scripture, books, images and institutions. Some of them were successful in capturing the Light, others only darkness visible.
There is so little time, but time is literally all we have: we must work while it is day, for the night cometh, when no man can work. Saying you have no time is logically equivalent to saying that you have no life, light or freedom. If you are not free, then your time really is nothing more than duration. And if you have no light, you are free in the illusory way that an animal is--free to be led horizontally by your instincts and learned behaviors.
Time. Freedom. Light. If you don’t have one, you really don’t have the others either. Your life is history.
Live your life . . .Make A Difference . . .
- The Light Within . . .
Influences - J.C. Leyendecker
I intend to post this from time to time. J.C.'s work is so extremely influential to my approach and work that I owe it to him.
Joseph Christian Leyendecker, J.C. to his friends. J.C. Leyendecker was THE most successful, accomplished, famous artist of his day. He was beyond famous actually. When Norman Rockwell was a boy, he used to go to the train station in New Rochelle just to watch J.C. arrive from New York City, get off the train with his entourage and step into a waiting chauffeured limousin. Leyendecker was a celebrity on the level of the Beatles before they existed and his work defined American life by capturing the essence, the innocence which existed in the country in the years between 1900 and World War II. His work appeared as illustrations for The Saturday Evening Post, Collier’s Magazine, The American Weekly, Success Magazine and others, as well as magazine ads for companies such as Kelloggs, Kuppenheimer’s Clothiers and Arrow Collars (the character he created for Arrow Collars was based on one of the male models he frequently used. The Arrow Collar man became so famous and popular with the ladies that the company actually received fan mail wanting to know who he was, what was his name, where did he live . . . and he was even more famous than Rudolph Valentino) The covers of these magazines provided the perfect medium for reproducing his work in all its splendor. At the peak of his career he was the most famous Post artist they had ever had. He turned the Post covers into mini-posters, incorporating all of the elements of the cover into each piece.
Artistically speaking, Leyendecker was an incredible genius whose work is instantly recognizeable even today. He was the king of America’s “Golden Age” of illustration and through his work he virtually invented the look of the modern magazine cover as a purely attention grabbing device. Leyendecker’s work contains elements of both Art Nouveau and Art Deco, and it is dynamic, graceful, elegant and sophisticated. His unique style of painting captured the attention of the public as nothing before had, and only a handful since have.
J.C.’s work was about the endless pursuit of perfection. He developed his own system of creating an image based on the working methods of the great masters. He began with a series of thumbnail sketches, and from there he would work up a series of larger rough paintings. These were used to determine how to best proceed with the actual finished painting. When he applied his colors, he would let areas of blank, raw canvas show through. These were often areas which would be included as part of a highlight or the white background. J.C. was very secretive about how he worked and very little was known about how he achieved such luminous finished surfaces until his brother, Frank, shared the paint recipe with Norman Rockwell after swearing him to absolute secrecy. The colors were composed of Turpentine, stand oil and linseed oil, mixed fresh each morning in specific proportion. The colors were very thin, “slippery” if you will. When these colors were applied to the canvas they showed no sign whatsoever of having been applied by a brush. This resulted in a finished painting composed of precisely arranged areas of light and color. Every stroke was applied perfectly . . .once. J.C.’s brush control and mastery of his talents are legendary still today.
Leyendecker’s finished canvases were masterpieces of technique, color and magic. He influenced America at a time when we were just beginning to discover who we were as a nation. His work has influenced me to my very core and I am extremely grateful. I enjoy looking at his work over and over.
J.C. Leyendecker lived a quiet personal life that included a circle of very few friends. I wish I had been there. For all of his fame a fortune, for all of the love and admiration he received from his adoring public, he died alone in his home by the sea, in New Rochelle, New York. I feel him with me every day.
- The Light Within . . .
Exercise in Line & Light III . . .
If you haven't already done so, please take the time to become familiar with the Art Renewal Center. It is an online museum, which is dedicated to the restoration of truth and beauty in contemporary art, and the revival of long lost standards of draftsmanship and excellence. It is a worthwhile visit indeed, and I truly hope that my work will someday be included in their collection.
It all begins with the basics. Draftsmanship. It's ALL about the drawing in the early stages. This is where you work out problems in symmetry, proportion, and perspective. It's where you decide areas of light and shadow. It's where you get to know your subject . . .let it in . . .so it can be expressed. The drawing is where you create the underlying structure for the painting. It's where you define your space. Structure and space are fundamental. The drawing is where I decide line thickness to show weight and volume. The drawing I ‘m presenting to you tonight was extremely difficult. It is a study of an angel which lives in the Hermitage Museum, in St. Petersburg, Russia. I tried to reduce everything to line, while showing you the volume and mass. The lines have an energy which leads your eyes along their lengths. This drawing will probably make it onto canvas someday. Until then it remains an exercise in line . . .and light.
My favorite draftsmen are Michelangelo, William Bouguereau and Jean-Auguste Dominique Ingres. If you look at their drawings, the first thing you'll notice is the quality of their lines. They are at once expressive, beautiful, subtle yet bold, forceful and inviting . . .so few lines, so much life.
Michelangelo's drawings are instantly identifiable. At first glance they appear quickly done. But upon further study, you will notice a sublime beauty that reveals itself like a flower, opening layer after layer . . .telling secrets. Each drawing is just a few lines, weight here, volume there . . .the thoughts inside. Michelangelo's drawings are studies in the psychology of his subjects, their souls, as much as they are about their image.
William Bouguereau had the rare ability to work from memory as well as he could work from life. He believed in absolute perfection of the finished image, and thus would create numerous drawings, mastering the history of his subjects. He made a deliberate, careful study of form and technique, and saturated himself in knowledge of classical sculpture.
Jean-Auguste Dominique Ingres was a master of line. In his time, he created an unrivalled and highly detailed record of the female image, primarily through portraiture. Ingres could, using nothing but line, make you experience the sensation of touching the fabric on his subjects. He was obsessed with perfection and mastery of form. He was an idealist in pursuit of "high art", combining the purity of draftsmanship with a love of classical historic painting.
The Light Within . . .
A Christmas Poem . . .
Merry Christmas . . .
Forever Dusk
A setting sun, her colors bold, cast light and dark reflections cold upon the early winter sky . . .
The evening dimmed, this Holy eve, called my witness I believe, to eternity before my very eyes . . .
As darkness fell but never quite, my soul was greeted by the sight of crescent blue and silent misty veil . . .
- The Light Within . . .
Cathedral . . .
Every once in a while God pulls back the curtain to give you a peak of what's on the other side. A vision of true beauty whereby you become witness to the suspension of time itself.
It is during these moments, when the sky is abalze with layers of bright golden orange and magenta . . . purples and blues . . . I am convinced that God uses sunsets to draw us to Him. He uses them to hold our attention and slow us down long enough appreciate the majesty and beauty of the catherdals he builds for us . . . using only the sky.
Cathedral
The evening sky begins to slow, Heaven’s own transcendant show intensely burning colors glow ethereal silver light...
Brilliant blue, orange, gold, a painter’s vision to behold,
this lonely fire the sun does hold,
receding to quiet darkness...
- The Light Within . . .
For Art Lovers . . .
A perfect Christmas gift for the art lover in your life.
Title: Archangel Gabriel Print Type: Giclee on Canvas Dimensions: 17 7/16" W x 22 7/16" H Edition Size: Open
- The Light Within . . .
Decide to Make A Difference . . .
A few years ago we sponsored a child through the Christian’s Children’s Fund. It was a pretty rewarding experience in that we knew the money we were providing actually went to that child and her family. She would send us letters and drawings and pictures she colored, and keep us up-to-date on how she was progressing and growing. I still have a picture of her , her sister and grandmother on my refrigerator and I think of her often. The money went towards providing everything from medical care to school books, shoes, clothes, and anything else she needed as she continued on her journey. A little money goes a long way.
Last week I made the decision to sponsor another child and did just that. This time I was able to browse through a database of children and actually see a small picture of each one. Each picture was accompanied by a brief description of the child’s situation and needs, where they lived, how the family made a living (or didn’t), etc. I browsed through the pictures until my heart told me to stop on a picture of a little girl from Honduras. She is seven years old and, as I found out later, has the same birthday as me. What are those odds? So I decided to sponsor her.
If you haven’t thought about it before, look into sponsoring a child through the Christian’s Children Fund. The process couldn’t be made any easier and the rewards last a lifetime. The cost is nothing.
The week after Thanksgiving provides some of the most beautiful and intense sunsets of the year. Dusk seems eternal as as it struggles to remain, before it finally withdraws into the night of deep Autumn. This time of year inspires my poetry like no other . . . here is one.
Burning Twilight . . .
Fiery canvas set ablaze by nature’s own mysterious ways, defiant sun with all it’s might denies the falling of the night . . . Visceral silence absent time my soul is witness true sublime . . . . . .beauty . . .
Vatican Inspirations . . .
Gian Lorenzo Bernini…his name conjures visions of Rome, the Vatican and the incredible sculptures, architecture and artwork contained therein. He was, and still is, the most widely recognized star to shine throughout the seventeenth century… not to mention the most prolific and accomplished representation of seventeenth century Catholicism. He is responsible for giving Rome its baroque character.
Inside the Vatican you will find a sculpture titled “Habakkuk and the Angel”…this is the angel. The angel is smiling persuasively at Habakkuk…seizing him by the hair with his left hand, and pointing to where he wants to remove him with his right.
I deliberately focused on the angel’s face in order to capture his expression, the smile, while he stares directly into Habakkuk’s eyes. The secondary area of focus is the robe, which is wrapped around the angel’s left forearm. The layers of folded and wrapped cloth force your attention to hold just long enough to accentuate the sweeping reach of his left arm in the direction of his gaze.
The sharp contrast of light and shadow in the angel’s hair is repeated down the front of his body and under his left arm. This only adds to the power of the image.
This painting, entitled “Baroque” is acrylic on canvas, 40w by 30h inches. It has been exhibited at the Austin Diocesan Fine Arts Council winter exhibition in January 2006. The exhibition was held for the 2006 Southwest Liturgical Conference, held at St. Margaret Mary Parish, Cedar Park, Texas.
Gratitude . . .
Happy Thanksgiving.
Remember to give thanks to God for everything and everyone in your life.
- The Light Within . . .
In The Beginning . . .
Please allow me this space to explain, as fully as possible, exactly what these angels represent and why they appear the way they do.
The angels serve a bridge between God and man. They protect us…they inspire us…they are God’s messengers for the benefit of ALL mankind. We all have a guardian angel looking out for us, guiding us to fulfill our purpose in this life. God has a purpose for your life.
The white space represents purity, infinity, and the profound whiteness of pure… universal… white… light. The kind of light which can only emanate directly from God.
Angels are beings of light and spirit. In my images they are composed of line and color. The lines represent the surrounding energy and the colors are always clean and pure. I do mix quite a few of the colors I use, by hand, but the end result must always be perfect.
The roots of my style are based primarily in two distinct areas of art history. My drawings, which are done in line only, are deeply influenced by the sculptures of Michelangelo and Gian Lorenzo Bernini. Their influence on art history can only be described as “touched by the hand of God”. The purity and perfection of line and form in their sculptures is always the standard I set for myself. Nothing less will do. The finished paintings are deeply influenced by the French Rococo period of art history. Eighteenth century classical French painting is among the most beautiful in existence. This is especially true if you’ve ever had the privilege of experiencing a painting from this era in person. From the Rococo period, I have taken simplicity, purity of line and form, curvilinear rhythms, and classical subject matter and made them my own. Finally, I have taken the bold stylization from Art Deco…incorporating all of these into a style that is as unique as it is beautiful.
Each image begins as a full size drawing. Once the edges of the image have been defined, I use nothing but graceful, elegant lines to shape the space within in the purest manner possible. When the drawing is complete it is transferred to the canvas and everything is covered with white. Each color goes on in layers…water-thin layers which are built up and up (sometimes twenty or thirty layers) until the shapes become opaque. This technique causes light to become trapped between the layers and makes the colors luminous. In addition, there are certain colors which, when placed next to one another, will cause your eyes to see vibrations exactly on the line where they meet. Finally, the lines are painted in layers as well. They end up actually being sculpted by the repetition caused by the process of layering.
The process involved in capturing one of the angels on canvas is extremely time consuming but well worth it. Nothing is finished until the angel says it is.
One of the representatives at the Montserrat Gallery in New York mentioned that she sees something…a light coming from within…that captures her attention when she least expects it.
- The Light Within . . .
Endless Leaves . . .
This one was born of frustration.
There are times when I am paid a visit by a phrase, or a sound, or a sentence . . . something that reveals itself slowly, and always when I least expect it. It's as though something unseen walks right up behind me and whispers only what it wants me to have. I was standing outside one cool November afternoon, treading my way through piles and piles of leaves, while thinking about my art, where I was going in my life . . . thinking about my dreams. The leaves were enjoying themselves riding whirlwinds around and around and around while making that crunchy sound that only leaves of late November can . . .when everything suddenly stopped, and it was silent, and I could see.
Endless Leaves
The season's change called out to me before it settled in the trees and scattered light upon my dreams like endless piles of endless leaves I try to gather from the breeze, collecting colors no one sees . . .
endless leaves fall through my hands my hopes my dreams I take my stand through darkened forest, weathered trees, to find the path through endless leaves, the path my heart does see . . .
there's something about the light today . . . the endless leaves have blown away revealing colors here to stay, leaving whispers on the breeze . . .
I await the colors of my dreams . . .
- The Light Within . . .
Awareness . . .
Do you ever find yourself completely caught up in the moment of something, so much so that everything else recedes into the background or disappears completely…if only for a short while? That short while seems to last forever doesn’t it.
That’s a magical place indeed. One exercise I do each year is to try and remain completely aware of the beautiful Fall season as it passes by. Until late September I was looking forward to the beginning of Autumn, Indian Summer, realizing that the time of its arrival was drawing nearer with each passing day. As September turned into October the season’s light began to change…getting sharper and more focused. It became golden. Now that October has given way to November, the time has changed and we have the beautiful early evenings. Autumn has given way to Fall, cooler temperatures, misty-grey skies and the season of Thanksgiving. In a week or two the trees will begin to reveal their true colors, and their leaves will blanket the ground…preparing for the coming cold and their winter’s sleep. There is something magical about the silhouette of bare trees against the darkening evening sky of Fall. Soon, November will give way to December and the Christmas season, cold temperatures, Yuletide decorations and “the darkest evening of the year”. It’s been quite a fulfilling experience so far to watch nature reveal herself and time and life happen before my watching eyes. I’m looking forward to all of it. All it requires is an awareness of life around you.
Don’t let a day of your life go by without trying to be fully aware of friends and family, gifts from God…aware of your experience in this world. Make a conscious effort to live fully and completely.
