This time though, they were for the gallery and the visual impact of the words was more important. When creating any piece of work, some of the questions to consider are "who is it for" "where is it to go?" "who will read it?" Calligraphy in a general art gallery is still relatively uncommon, and unless people are familiar with modern calligraphy, they do like to be able to read it... just capturing the sense of the words is not always enough.
I loved the pencil texture of last time, but silver gouache on canvas was my choice this time around. I kept the plaster 'rocks' as before, and splattered silver paint & powder to emulate the 'strands of light'.
The first and last phrases were with a draughtsman's ruling pen... the centre part was with a Mitchells broad edged steel nib. The brighter, silver lettering created a much stronger effect, which I softened with the lighter italic in the middle to balance with the silver & grey in the background. Some glossy black added to the shimmering reflection of light.
Silver strands thread light downwards...
Into the heart of darkness...
Winds with the ebb and flow of time...
To send our hearts and minds
once more into these weavings...
Of magic and the old ways to bind and connect
our hearts once more with She who knows
Melanie Leavey
Cheers mel x
Silver Strands
24 x 36 inches
mixed media on canvas
£175 plus postage
10 comments:
I am not sure which of the two versions I love the most, they are both so beautiful!
I bet they both look better in reality, the photos suggest so much texture and I reckon the play of light across the silver is stunning...
Mmm... photos never do them justice really rose. They're both so different, i couldn't pick a favourite either.
Thinking on this some more in light of the things I have been mulling on tonight. Because these words sing so deeply to your soul, you can revisit them again and again and pull something subtly (or substansially) different out of them every time. Every work sings....
Your calligraphy makes me study the words more carefully every time, it brings the words to life for me.
yeah... as i write i feel different things... discover layers that i want to interpret another time. perhaps because writing slows me down i find more than if i had just read the words.
Mel... did you know how many layers you wrote? Or were they there in your sub-conscious to be discovered later? Or are me n rose off on a flight of fancy, lol?
lol - i wish i could claim high-brow notions of intended layering and conscious effort. i plucked them from the swirling mists.....just borrowed...on loan to me, really.
this is gorgeous Suzi....i love the textures and the silver reflectiveness...like Grandmother Moon herself....
you honour me more than i could ever say...
xoxoxoox
ps. i meant to say that the colour/texture combo reminds me of those topographical photos of the moon's surface.....
cool, or what?
xoxoxo
phew... thanks mel! I sometimes worry that you might think i'm stalking you, lol.... but yes... honour... you, your words, wherever they came from... whatever meaning we glean over time....
Wish i could say i'd deliberately tried to catch the moon's texture... something i plan to try, but hadn't thought about it here... lucky eh? Something to work on a bit more, thanks for making the connection x
bloomin gorgeous. wish i could afford it..lol..and sisters of the red moon..mmmm wanting.. :o)
hey suz they'd make great cards..prints..??
yeah, good idea sue... x
Another gorgeous piece, Suzi! As with all of your artwork I would describe it as beautiful, mysterious and contemplative.
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