Before The Flood

[Hobbes' Choice]

In honor of IC in the 'How To Tell Right From Wrong' thread, I decided to make a few new paintings for my latest exhibit. They are all on wooden crosses and this one depicts my aesthetic vision of what the animals might have looked like on their quest to find a mate, during their journey to the Ark. This one is called Destination Ark.

Thanks IC for the inspiration!

Why the cross?

Hi Hobbes. ..I wanted a different shape that I didn't have to frame for the aesthetic. I saw these and thought they looked cool for what I needed them for.

However, I will be going to garage sales this weekend to see if I can find other odd shapes to paint on.

My husband is Jewish and hates the appearance of a cross symbol. Lol personally, religion aside , I like it.

If it didn't have religious undertones...would you like the shape? Just out of curiosity. ...

It is sort of inevitable that the cross would be associated with a Crucifix, and for that reason I can't like it. I do, however, love the painting work, and would like to see something similar on a shape with fewer connotations.
As it is you have a Jewish myth built on a Christian symbol and it seems confused.

[artisticsolution]

It is sort of inevitable that the cross would be associated with a Crucifix, and for that reason I can't like it. I do, however, love the painting work, and would like to see something similar on a shape with fewer connotations.
As it is you have a Jewish myth built on a Christian symbol and it seems confused.

Thanks for the kind words. I did do a bigger square shaped painting which this one is based off of but it sold (pictured below) ...so I decided to do another...what I like about the cross paintings is that the composition is more weird as some of the painting disappears off the edges in an odd way. Hopefully, I can find other shapes. If I find a shape I think you would like I will send a pic of it and if you like it I will dedicate the painting to you.

P.S. Noah's Ark story is still in keeping with Christianity. Christians follow the old and new testament. So anything in the old testament, Christians believe is the word of God...the father...which is the same God as Jesus (the son) and the same God as the Holy spirit. The holy trinity IS one and the same God...there is no difference between the unit in Christianity. The old and new testament work together in the same way. Christians believe you cannot have one without the other. The 2 books are of equal importance.

[artisticsolution]

Okay, here is the progress on the first one... (This is not Doc's red one yet...still thinking...and I think it will be the only 'red' one in the show...I am not sure until I get to it)

I am not sure what I want him to be holding in his right hand. I like the self inflicted wound...sort of how I feel about what america is doing now with the idea that we have to be hard nosed and arrogant in order to rule/punish the world. I think it's a fools game as preemptive war mentality does not serve for a peaceful coexistence.

Anyway, I want to put something in his right hand....maybe something sweet and innocent like a see thru balloon...(with maybe some words printed on it,,,disappearing as it goes around the balloon?) to counter balance the aggression and serve to make it even more insane? Like the Christian ideal that you have to promote war in order to do God's work of promoting peace and kindness? An oxymoron...Christian soldiers? Title "As It Is In Heaven"?

Or is that too much? Maybe just simple put a small hand grenade pin, that you can barely see?

Just thinking....

[Hobbes' Choice]

Looks like work in acrylics? The colour is very vibrant. How big are they?

I'm more of a clay guy myself.
Here's my latest.

half size2.jpg (156.7 KiB) Viewed 2606 times

The image is a bit too compressed to see the detail.

[artisticsolution]

Looks like work in acrylics? The colour is very vibrant. How big are they?

I'm more of a clay guy myself.
Here's my latest.

half size2.jpg

The image is a bit too compressed to see the detail.

Wow...that is incredibly beautiful! I have done some stuff in clay but I have found to do the type of sculpture I want to do requires a ton of space and huge amounts of upper body strength, which I do not have. You must be very strong...huh hobbes?

Yes, Acrylics...I usually paint on 12"x24" or 12"x12" pieces of wood. Just so they are easy to carry to first friday and I can price them reasonably.

I used to do a whole bunch of colored pencil work...in fact...at my show last week...a very famous colored pencil artist came to take a look...the gallery owner said, "there is someone her to see you..." and I turn around and it's Jeff George! He smiled and said, 'Do you know who I am?" Of course I know who he is...just the week before he was in Atlanta to accept the CPSA award for best of show! His work is incredible and he is such a nice guy as well! He knew me from years ago when I enter a juried show and he was the juror...he reminded me that he gave me 'honorable mention' back then. I had forgotten...lol...I mean...what's this honorable mention bullshit? I want the top prize or nothing! Anyway, I was very flattered he remembered me and came down to see the show.

[Hobbes' Choice]

Looks like work in acrylics? The colour is very vibrant. How big are they?

I'm more of a clay guy myself.
Here's my latest.

half size2.jpg

The image is a bit too compressed to see the detail.

Wow...that is incredibly beautiful! I have done some stuff in clay but I have found to do the type of sculpture I want to do requires a ton of space and huge amounts of upper body strength, which I do not have. You must be very strong...huh hobbes?

I usually paint on 12"x24" or 12"x12" pieces of wood. Just so they are easy to carry to first friday and I can price them reasonably.

The sculpture is only half size, and stand about 30inches tall. So no great strength needed. It was made with the help of Catherine the model who managed to keep her pose from 10-13, 14-16 hrs for a five day stretch.
There are ways to make big sculpture without huge amounts of weight, though. One technique I've use involves making a core out of polystyrene and then coating it in fibre and Jesmonite, around 10-20mm thick. Last year I made a lifesize dog!

For such small canvases you have put in lots of detail. This is very pleasing.

[artisticsolution]

Oh wow, it looks huge! Great proportions and detail...do you have your own kiln? Will you make a cast? Do you have a pic of the dog?

[thedoc]

Okay, here is the progress on the first one... (This is not Doc's red one yet...still thinking...and I think it will be the only 'red' one in the show...I am not sure until I get to it)

I am not sure what I want him to be holding in his right hand. I like the self inflicted wound...sort of how I feel about what america is doing now with the idea that we have to be hard nosed and arrogant in order to rule/punish the world. I think it's a fools game as preemptive war mentality does not serve for a peaceful coexistence.

Anyway, I want to put something in his right hand....maybe something sweet and innocent like a see thru balloon...(with maybe some words printed on it,,,disappearing as it goes around the balloon?) to counter balance the aggression and serve to make it even more insane? Like the Christian ideal that you have to promote war in order to do God's work of promoting peace and kindness? An oxymoron...Christian soldiers? Title "As It Is In Heaven"?

Or is that too much? Maybe just simple put a small hand grenade pin, that you can barely see?

Just thinking....

I like the balloon idea, the long thin kind that they make animals and other shapes out of, but with just letters on it. W.W.J.D. That would really lend a bit of Irony to it. And have some tears coming out of his eyes.

[thedoc]

Just a quick note, after my wife and I did the dialogue for the children's sermon, she asked the kids what they thought about God talking to them about the prayer. And my granddaughter spoke up saying, "That was grandpa".

[Impenitent]

Looks like work in acrylics? The colour is very vibrant. How big are they?

I'm more of a clay guy myself.
Here's my latest.

half size2.jpg

The image is a bit too compressed to see the detail.

nice work, but your latest clay guy looks more like a clay girl...

-Imp

[Obvious Leo]

nice work, but your latest clay guy looks more like a clay girl...

Gee. What gave you the tip?

[thedoc]

nice work, but your latest clay guy looks more like a clay girl...

Gee. What gave you the tip?

Unusual pectoral development? and inadequate external genital development?

[Obvious Leo]

You're as sharp as a tack, doc. I thought it might be just me who noticed such things.

[thedoc]

You're as sharp as a tack, doc. I thought it might be just me who noticed such things.

It's a gift, that sometimes I regret.

[thedoc]

You're as sharp as a tack, doc. I thought it might be just me who noticed such things.

Many years ago I learned to see things as they really were. I was doing oil paintings, and to paint something accurately, I had to actually see it accurately. I remember trying to paint the Hbg. capitol building once and it was late in the day and the light kept changing. I would paint what I saw, and when I looked again the light had changed and the colors were different, so I repainted. And then it happened again, and again. I finally gave up because I couldn't keep up with the changing colors of the scene. I had learned to actually see what was there, not what I expected to see. I don't mean to trivialize that I have seen your sculpture as it is, but that is just one of my failings. Are you going to add color, and if so will you post photos of the lifelike sculpture?

Years ago my wife and i were in a church choir, and the director decided that we would sing together better if we knew each other better. So she started to ask us to say our favorites, food, movie or TV, etc. She finally got to asking us our favorite color and I was getting tired of the game, so it started with the soprano's and everyone was giving the typical answer, red, blue, green, etc. I was in the bass section and when it was my turn I said my favorite color was "flesh", everyone broke up laughing and the director decided that we should just get back to singing.