Just off the Drawing Board...

A few trials.... which of course work out better than the 'real ones'

A bit blurry, but you get the idea...

I can't show any more until this new Bride surprises her husband with this 

Valentine's gift... her wedding vows to him....
but I can tell you, that we have gold powder dropped into watercolour.

My Workspace This Wednesday!

When you work in a small space (ie the top of the cooker) it probably doesn't need a brain surgeon to say that deciding to switch from painting pale sandy backgrounds to black, isn't the most sensible of ideas. But while one canvas was drying I spotted some little wooden plaques with moon photos stuck on.... that i was going back to finish off 'later' more than a little while ago!

It wouldn't really have mattered if any black splashed onto the canvas at the back as it is due to be re-pianted. Honestly, for something that is supposed to be simple with a "white beaches across the seas" sort of look, I've been having a major dilemmas! Although it is textured this version is just too... bland. And the spacing is a bit 'off'. I could 'rescue' it but it isn't feeling right & it's taken a fortnight or more to see that it needs to be landscape format... which I'd originally avoided because of the length of the poem & the canvas size.

 

Suddenly it feels so much better....A few layers later & this is where I'm at.... except I now want to reverse it to have more 'beach' & less 'sea'... & tone down the colour a touch so it won't fight with the lettering... why it took me so long to get to this point, I really don't know, but sometimes that's the way things go (or don't!).

And no... I didn't splash any black.... but i did get a bit of white on a couple of moon pics. My plan is to collage some lettering on to them anyway, so I'll sort them out "later"....

Audacht Morainn ~ in progress

I've attempted this canvas several times & never got very far with it... although things looked great on the prep work I just couldn't make myself proceed further... it just didn't feel right. I was waking up on a morning with ideas of what to do, but still couldn't progress. Usually that's a sign that I'm on the wrong track, but, as I never received a deposit I was thinking it was maybe down to my customer changing his mind. Even so, I decided i wanted to work with these words... if he pays great, if not, I won't add the personalised details.

 Is tre ḟir flathemon rosaig cech dán mochtide mind suíthi.  

It is through the justice of the father that each great man of art 

attains the summit of his knowledge.  

Then one day last week I painted the whole thing out & started again with this dark blue background. There is still a good bit more to add, but it suddenly feels good & I wonder why I never did this to begin with! How many hours of staring & trying different ideas, lol??!!  Isn't it strange how the Muse strikes & the Awen flows...

Toléci dorche do ṡorchi. 
Toléci brón do ḟáilti. 
Toléci borb do ecnu.  
Toléci dóer do ṡóer. 
Toléci dochell do chlothaib.   
Toléci anflaith do ḟírḟlaith. 
Toléci debuith do chóri. 
Toléci gó do ḟír.  

Darkness yields to light, 
Sorrow yields to joy. 
Ignorance yields to wisdom, 
Slavery yields to freedom. 
Selfishness yields to generosity,   
Anarchy yields to order, 
Conflict yields to peace, 
What is false yields to truth.  

The Audacht Morainn is an old Irish text, giving advice to a king, but here it has been adapted to 'father' to suit the recipient. 'Fraid you're not seeing anymore til i'm finished tho!!

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??A leap of consciousness??  i often wipe the tops of paint tubes & frequently use a scalpel to scrape away a build up of dried paint... I've warmed tubes of paint up in hot water when the cap won't undo.... so why have i never thought of just dipping the crusted paint tube into some water to dissolve it when the cap won't go back on properly??  is it because i just like using sharp knives rather than cleaning the tube every time i use it or do i just need help, lol? Why does the obvious seem to be so bloody elusive? Please tell me i'm not he only one that suffers!

I'm working on...

I have some words....

—From an Old Irish text, Audacht  Morainn which consists of advice from Morainn to a young king.... 


Comath fírinni, cotnofathar.Ocbath trócairi, cotnocéba.  

Let the father preserve justice, for it will preserve him.  

Toléci dorche do ṡorchi. 
Toléci brón do ḟáilti. 
Toléci borb do ecnu.  
Toléci dóer do ṡóer. 
Toléci dochell do chlothaib.   
Toléci anflaith do ḟírḟlaith. 
Toléci debuith do chóri. 
Toléci gó do ḟír.  

Darkness yields to light, 
Sorrow yields to joy. 
Ignorance yields to wisdom, 
Slavery yields to freedom. 
Selfishness yields to generosity,   
Anarchy yields to order, 
Conflict yields to peace, 
What is false yields to truth.  
Air ní soí soithcedach sechtair. 

Let him exalt mercy, for it will truly exalt him. 

Is tre ḟir flathemon rosaig cech dán mochtide mind suíthi.  

It is through the justice of the father that each great man of art attains the summit of his knowledge.  

A prosperous man does not need to turn to the outside.   


and i have more than enough inspiration...

Images from the Book of Kells...

and from The Secret of Kells....

and work by Denis Brown...

It's the 'Secret of Kells' film that really tickles my taste buds.... i wrote about it before over here where there are more images to see. I'm actually trying very hard not to look too much... i don't want to be over influenced or try to copy.  Luckily i lent my copy of the dvd out & haven't asked for it back yet so I can't get too absorbed in it (did i say how much i love this animation??!!) Another excellent review is here

The text was written around 700AD & The Book of Kells is dated around 800 or a little earlier, but I am writing now, so I'm using my updated version of an uncial script & the illustrations won't be too traditional. This is for another 'memory canvas' which is why the translation here talks about 'the father', rather than king, as in the original. I'm playing with layout & fitting together ideas at the moment, so I'll show you more as I go along...