Paintings from the "Persistence of Worship Series"

 MARY AND KRISHNA

Oil on canvas, 48"x36", 2012

YOSHODA AND JESUS

Oil on canvas, 48"x36", 10/2012

 Yashoda and Jesus

Photograph of painting on easel

 

 Paintings from the Persistence of Worship Series 

 In my blog from August, I documented the painting on canvas of Yoshoda and Jesus.  After that blog I painted for a few more weeks.  I intended to document finishing the painting, and, I took some pictures but they did not come out well.  The pictures here show the completed painting, a photographed version and a digitally enhanced version of the photo.  Since the August  documentation I mainly changed the face of Jesus.  And did several days of detail polishing. 

 The finished work is a visual feast on canvas,  intriguing images in sumptuous color. My son said,  "It looks playful, inspiring.  I think that it means something, but I dont know what? "  Which shows that he does not read my blog. He is too busy, raising a family. I liked his uninformed feed back.

Don Marshal,  New Orleans art royalty at the Contemporary Arts Center said that my work is "fresh and edgy".  I thank him for that. 

After the painting was finished I took the photo and worked it in Photo Shop.  I am better at digital painting than photography.  So the whole process went like this,  I first created the digital image, made a print and used it as a model for the hard oil on canvas, then photographed, then worked again in digital.  I am resisting the urge to touch up the canvas again.  Art is never finished, you just move on to the next project.

I re-posted the Mary and Krishna, in order to have the pair, Mary and Yoshada, in close proximity.  These two pictures are an artistic epiphany.  Following my muse, I often do not know where she will lead, I get an idea for a picture and toss it around in my mind for a while.  Some of the work is done while I am sleeping.  The Persistence of Worship Series, has been a interesting vein to mine.  The words come after the pictures.  The concept is verbalized after the series is in process. The series has motivated me to examine my personal belief system, and scan the history of world religions. Artistic process as a form of research.  Introspective research combined with not very rigorous historical research. 

The Mary and Yoshoda pictures, (switched at birth), illustrate, to put it into a nutshell, "The universal human need to give and receive compassionate, nonjudgmental love."
 

I AM CONFUSED, IS THAT A PROBLEM?

When, in my last post, I said that I am an admitted stupid human, I am referring to the humankind predicament of not knowing.  Our not knowing of the most important big questions.  "What am I?  What should I do? Will Katrina come back?"  The human race experiences a constant, mostly unconscious and denied, insecurity,  because these questions are never empirically satisfied. Personally, I am blessed with a fairly sharp intelligence and abundant creativity but must admit that I am missing a few marbles.  Oh, well. You may have noticed the missing marbles part.  I blame it on ADD, Attention to a Different Drummer. 

Clipboard Notes

 Random Musings

Question Everything!!!  It is a Quest Thing!

Soul is the same, the world over.

Take me to your lier.

If you are bored, then be grateful.  Your mind is an empty house and the world is full of furniture.

Auntie Mame said,  "Life is a banquet, and most poor suckers are starving to death."

I think that greed is a big problem in this market fueled culture.  Our problem is to distinguish between our needs and our wants. 

When did shopping become the highest endeavor of human kind?

I am confused.  An acknowledged case of normal human stupidity.

There are many positive aspects to organized religion.  I am thinking about making a list.  Steven Johnson listed a few benefits of church attendance.  I only caught the end of the program.   He said, on Book TV, and I paraphrase, "Feeling of being a part of something larger than oneself.  Feeling of working to make things better.  Feeling of the sublime."

Yashoday and Jesus, oil on canvas

August 9, 2012

 

 Yashoda and Jesus

Creating Something that has Never Been Seen Before

A Picture Totally New to the World

Painting Process Documentation

May, 2012.  My muse has been leading me down a golden path of visual exploration and discovery. For many years, I dallied with graven images of ancient gods and goddesses. I began to see that celebrities inhabit the Hollywood pantheon of early twenty first century chaos. So, I wrestled with the features of celebrities. Following Queen Muse, step by step, I came to the place were celebrity faces inhabit the bodies of deified concepts. Celebrities were matched and mated with ancient deities and pictures created.  Belushi Bacchus,  Angelina Medusa,  Oprah Cleopatra, (Cleopatra not technically a goddess, but close enough).  

I thought, who is the biggest celebrity of all times?  Mary Madonna became my muse.  I gave her a modern day makeover.  Her look was sooo unfashionable. 

In May this year, I discovered that Jesus and Krishna had been switched at birth in an alternate reality. I visualized the two pictures and started working them with Photo Shop. 

August 9, 2012.  I start the Yoshoda and Jesus painting on canvas on a quiet, overcast day. The creation of this image began earlier when I made the digital version.  I print out the digital version and use it  as a draft, a reference, a study.   The first marks on the 36"x48" canvas are conte chalk,  to map out the primary lines.   I do measurements on the study,  to translate the proportions to the canvas. I have dyslexia for the measurements, finally I guesstimate placement.  I have a nice studio where I can work, mostly undisturbed, in a beautiful setting.  An estimate of the hours that I work in the studio is 30-40 hours per week.  I do Photoshop almost daily.

August 12.  After the third day,  I have the main areas of color blocked in.  The dogs,  Harpo and Princess Fou Fou, hang out with me.  When it rains, almost everyday, the weather cools slightly, and I open the two sets of double doors of the studio, the north side looks onto a small scraggly lawn and trees, and the west side looks into the Louisiana jungle.

 I work all over the canvas.  I use large brushes first and work my way down to tiny red sable brushes for detail. Brush techniques include lines, scrubbing with the ragged bristles of old brushes, scrumbling (which was a favorite of  Monet),  dancing brush, and lots of glazing.  I want the style to be painterly, but often that desire is overruled by the wish for fine detail in some places. The small brush is annoying, I consider changing my style.  I wont change, I like this style. It is pop art influenced.

There are many Yin/Yang decisions to be made.  Painterly vs detail.  Realistic vs expressive design.  Saturated exciting color vs elegant muted tones.  For the past few years I have exploded with saturated colors.

 August 16.  Continuing to paint all over the canvas, I refine and define.  I think that my current style looks like vintage illustration for children's books.  My Mother read to me when I was a child and I read to my children. I give my grandchildren books.  This is one of the best things that a mother can do for a child. "The Color Kittens", was a preschool favorite of mine. It taught me the color wheel early. I was tuned into color as a baby, I remember.

I just gave you advice on child care.  That correlates with the interest in mother and child icons.  This image is a visual metaphor for the human longing for joyful, comforting, totally accepting, supportive, heavenly, motherly love.   The use of figures from different cultures emphasizes that this longing is global, a desire of all humans. The image comforts us because it portrays ideal compassion.

Even excellent mothers sometimes let their children down.  It is the most challenging job in the world. The care of children gives us a second chance, to attempt the creation of perfect love.

Here is a vast generalization;  Mother love is accepting, father love challenges us to be better. We need both the Yin and the Yang. 

 August 17.  The digital version of this image has a camellia flower for an aura.  Aura's allow lots of  room for play.  I used to see aura's in time past, when I was doing a lot of meditation, fasting and yoga. When in an altered state, I saw lights around people.  Somehow, I have moved away from those spiritual practices.  I always plan to get back to it.  But, I would rather paint and garden.  Maybe next week.

I think that you might call me an explorer of inner consciousness.  This is part of my artistic practice. 

August 18. Auras appear as ethereal, transparent, colored light; with flow, movement.  Here I made large halos with floating flowers.  The digital study has a tree, here I put the figures in heavenly clouds.

The baby face really does not please me.  I change the features many times.  But, still trying to get it right.  I wish that I could paint better. 

Weather remains hot,  but if I dress lightly, I like the doors open.  Love bugs land on the canvas, while doing a flying fuggle.  The love bug season comes every year to Louisiana.  They can be annoying, their gism gets tragically splattered all over our cars.  They come in swarms.  But, what an inspiring reminder that this creature on this amazing Earth, exists simply to do the Flying Fruggle.

 Adjusting placement of features, and detailing take a lot of time.  Pleasurable time.  I like the clouds, they get better everyday.

To be continued

MARY AND KRISHNA

MARY AND KRISHNA

Oil on canvas,  36"x48", July, 2012

This continues the themes of  "The Persistence of Worship", "Luminous Femme", and religious mash-up.  Previously I published the digital version of this px, which I used as a study for this painting on canvas.  In the digital version I used a cosmic Hubble image for the background.  When I started painting I blocked in the Hubble image, but as I painted I saw this fiery aura developing.  So, I went with the biker tatoo inspired aura.   As I work, I often see unexpected things happening with the paint.  These surprises are one of the things that keep me making art, year after year.  

So, this fiery aura appeared,  woven by the paintbrush in my hand.  This is no soft ethereal aura, it is a blast of strength.  It is an explosion of fire. This is a visual metaphor for a spiritually strong Goddess.

Paring the Christian Mary with the Hindu baby Krishna continues the religious mash-up vein that I have been mining.  The companion piece, "Yoshoda and Jesus",  indicates that Jesus and Krishna may have been switched at birth.  A harassed nurse switched the little bead name bracelets on the babies.  It seems that someone in the hospital nursery would have noticed that the pink complected baby belonged to the pink complected mother and the blue complected baby belonged to the blue complected mother. Oh well, glitches worse than this have occurred in hospitals.

Anyway, these two paintings are companions.  I am currently painting the Yashoda on canvas.  One might wish that companion paintings look similar.  One can wish all one wants, but the brush has a mind of its own.  The Yoshoda painting is coming out all ethereal, light and airy, it is developing heavenly clouds.  While the Mary px is fiery and earthy.  Maybe that is the point?? Yin and yang, the interweaving of opposites.

I am taking photographs of the Yoshoda as I work.  Will try to document the step by step, creation of the painting.

Keep those cards and letters coming, folks. (Dean Martin).

Yoshada and Jesus

Yashoda and Jesus

 

According to  Hindu myth,  Krishna was born to Devaki. He was conceived without sexual union, by "divine mental transmission" from the mind of  his father Vasudeva and into the womb of Devaki.  The couple's first six children were killed by Devaki's brother King Kansa because prophecy foretold that one of the children would kill him. Before the birth of Krishna,  Kansa locked Devaki and Vasudeva in prison. Krishna was born in prison and secretely taken to foster mother Yashoda for protection. Yashoda is often portrayed as his mother.

Lets look at this.  Krishna was born without sexual union.  A King wanted to kill him.  These are parallels with the story of Jesus.  Even the unusual birth places, a prison and a manger have similarity.  Hinduism is older than Christianity.

Joseph Campbell studied and wrote about comparative mythology.  He found similarities between creation and salvation myths all over the world, in many different cultures with different religions.

Here is what Wikipedia says about Campbell:

As a strong believer in the unity of human consciousness and its poetic expression through mythology, through the monomyth concept, Campbell expressed the idea that the whole of the human race could be seen as reciting a single story of great spiritual importance

 

Its ultimate meaning relates to humanity's search for the same basic, unknown force from which everything came, within which everything currently exists, and into which everything will return and is considered to be "unknowable" because it existed before words and knowledge. 

Myth fulfills basic human needs, the needs based on the human condition of not knowing. In the words of Gauguin, the not knowing, the source of deep insecurity, are derived from these mysterious questions,  "Where do we come from?  What are we?  Where are we going?"

In my recent art work I have been mashing up, mixing up, different religious stories.  I have switched the characters around.  Mary is holding Krishna and Yashoda is holding Jesus. 

Here is Reggae musician Bob Marleys take on this subject:

One Love, One Heart
Let's get together and feel all right
As it was in the beginning (One Love)
So shall it be in the end (One Heart)
Give thanks and praise to the Lord and I will feel all right   

Gauguin's oil painting,  "Where Do We Come From?  What Are We?  Where Are We Going?"

Peace, Love and Art,

 Janet

Babee Hapee

Babee Hapee

Here is a smile for your day.  Put it in your pocket to keep it handy.

Audrey Ascending

 

Audrey Ascending

What is Inspiration?

This is a px of Audrey Hepburn in clothes and a setting similar to traditional Christian Mary pictures .  I am wondering if people find this px inspiring?  Are the clouds and halo inspiring?   Mary has been a subject of art for close to two centuries. By substituting Audrey's face for Mary's face, the legend of Mary is removed.  If the legend of Mary is divorced from the gilding, the clothes and environment of her traditional paintings, does the px still inspire?  Is it the visual effects that inspire, or is the inspiration derived from the belief thoughts assigned to Mary?

Celebrities are our current idols.  We have a vast pantheon of revolving deities.  A few like Audrey have survived for over fifty years. Mary has been worshiped 40 times longer than Audrey.  Still, maybe Audrey inspires you.  She inspires me to work at being classy.  But, I still reserve the right to be tacky,  if the mood hits me. 

 Speaking of tacky and celebrities, please, Dear Goddess, deliver me from the Kardashians and Paris Hilton.

Humans have a need to be inspired, because, as you may have noticed, life on Earth can be tough.  When the going gets rough, you want to believe in something.  

In a documentary about George Lucas a fan told him, "Thanks for giving me something to believe in."  That surprised me.  I thought,  "This guy's belief system came from a science fiction film??? Oh wait, he was talking about The Force.  Of course, I believe in The Force."  This fan illustrates the human need for a belief system to explain the phenomena of life on Earth.

The comedian W.C. Fields said,  "Everyone should believe in something, I believe that I will have another drink."  Hey wait,  I also, believe I'll have another drink.  

Classy, inspiration, and another drink,  maybe I will survive life on Earth for a few more years.  Put that in your survival pack.

So, we have three references in this px:  1)  The legend of Mary.  2) The clothes and environment that Mary's stylists, many stylists, thousands, over the centuries, have developed, and 3) Audrey Hepburn.   Which of the three elements makes it inspiring?

 I would like to hear what people think about this px.  I am aware that some people will find this picture sacrilegious.  I would especially like to hear from my Christian friends and relatives.

If you have been following me you may have noticed that I am confused.  And, I want to know if that is a problem?  

I have more questions than answers.

Two other facts about me that may account for my current artistic subject matter. 1)  My muse compels me to do things that my rational mind understands to be, perhaps, counterproductive. And, no, I do not think that I am hallucinating.  Well, that all depends on your definition of hallucinations.    2)  I was raised by fanatical Christians who beat the hell out of me.  Oh wait,  here I am a grandmother, and I still want to raise hell. I thought that they beat the hell out of me.  But, I still get notions to raise Hell.   It is stressful to be so confused.  I thought that God told my parents to lay onto me with belts and other instruments of red ass because I was so bad. This experience alone may explain a lot about me.

 Next fact about ME;  I now have a good supporting peeps.  Maybe, I am doing something right.  I dont know what.  Maybe, LOVE.

I am still trying to decide what..."I believe IN....."

Here is one thing that I believe:

If anyone ever tells you that you should not ask questions,  you should  turn around and walk away quietly, and with dignity, and a swan neck, and do not go back.  

QUESTION EVERYTHING!

Am I putting the apostrophes in the right place?  Hey,  I have questions,  talk back to me. 

I like to prune bushes.  That is easier than making art on canvas.  Thank you, Goddess, I have a lot of bushes. Thousands.  Pruning relaxes me after a hard day on Earth.

What do you like to do?