Adoramus Te

Here’s  an attempt to talk about the meaning behind this picture, which is called 'Adoramus Te'.

The composition is quite simple. An angel and a butterfly in a landscape.

As usual this falls within my usual Landscape of Dreams and I generally paint the things that feel right at the time without thinking too much about why they feel right.

This painting was done in 2012 and I’ve had time to think about it since.

This picture is about the relationship between the Divine and creation:

‘Adoramus Te ‘means’ We worship you’  in Latin.

Angels are creations of God made specifically to worship God.

In this picture the angel is worshipping the butterfly, which is either a creation of God, or a product of nature ( depending on your point of view).

The Divine can be found in the smallest and most delicate of creatures.

Until next time

Adieu

German heraldic field divisions

There are two specifically German variations of classic linear field divisions.

Both are combinations and  are always shown counter charged.

The  first is  barry bendy

The second is paly bendy

Interestingly, an achievement that looks like it might be another such combination turns out to be something else entirely.

The arms of Bavaria( shown below) are actually blazoned as” fusilly in bend argent and azure”.

Until next time

Adieu

End of Days

As my paintings use realist imagery, I am often asked what they mean.

I am painting the Landscape of Dreams, so I often put in imagery that feels right without being able to fully articulate why.

Thus, when someone looking at a painting suggests meaning to an element, I, after some thought may well agree with them, even if that wasn’t consciously in my mind when I painted it.

I will, however, attempt to put some interpretation to this work “End of Days”.  (painted in 2012.)

This is my first attempt at analysing one of my own paintings, so we’ll just have to see how it goes...

This is a fairly apocalyptic image.

Set against a sunset, The headland has been battered and eroded by the sea; the cathedral, a work of great art, skill and faith, is on fire;  the space shuttle rises from the north transept and a Divine arm reaches down from the heavens.

For me this has a lot to do with the contradictory nature of Man.

We create, but we destroy; we despair , but we also have faith.

For me, the arm shows Divine intervention and the hope of faith and  the shuttle is both a destructive force and  a symbol of hope, rising from destruction towards a future home.

The one force that is unstoppable, however, is nature.  The sea has eaten away at the land the cathedral is built on until it is perched on the end of a narrow headland. Even if it was not being destroyed by fire, this building would soon fall .

Thus I conclude that this is more of a nightmare of what might happen ,or Man might cause to happen .

Yet  there is always hope. By the wit of God or Man we may escape the destruction.

Until next time

Adieu

Differencing Arms 2

When Bishop Theophilus was elected monarch of the Far Isles (then a principality), he was also elevated to the rank of archbishop.

Consequently, arms had to be approved for the Archdiocese of the Far Isles.

The arms of the Far Isles are as follows:

Gules an oak branch slipped and fruited argent enbowed palewise and an apple branch slipped and fruited or counter enbowed palewise.

Appearing thus

I always looked on differencing as a challenge, as the arms must both look like the original and be significantly different.

I differenced these arms for the archdiocese by charging a gold mitre between the two branches and adding white border argent with ten red crosses.

The blazon becomes:

Gules a mitre or between an oak branch slipped and fruited argent enbowed palewise and an apple branch slipped and fruited of the second counter enbowed palewise within a border of the second with ten crosses pate of the first.

Which looked like this

Until next time

Adieu

Steampunked Nerf Derringer

I Steampunked this little Air Derringer for my Fiancée, Teddy.

I  sanded off the logos with a mini drill.

I airbrushed dark grey and dark brown under the metal areas and airbrushed and painted the metal effects over

I then applied a matt varnish

The pistol still fires

Until next time

Adieu

New crest for great helm

For the second version of the de Velmont crest, I managed to find a small block of wood suitable for carving and carved it as a single piece.

For this I used a fairly cheap set of woodcarving chisels and a mini drill.

The mitre has come out flatter, due to the restrictions of the largest bit of wood I could buy, but I was able to carve more of the demon’s head and face.

I then drilled a hold in the base so it could be attached to the helm with a screw.

I sealed the wood with a coat of diluted acrylic and then painted the crest, shading into the contours to enhance them.

Once it was dry, I glued some jewels to the mitre with Araldite.

It now looks like this

Until next time

Adieu

The Purple Pimpernel

I have posted previously about the design and construction of a costume called Dastardly in Motley, showing how I brought a drawn concept to life.

This is another good example.

I have always liked the cut-away coats of the 1790 and had acquired some purple crush velvet.

This would be inappropriate for an authentic coat, but lead on to the costume concept.

What, I asked myself, would a Goth have worn in 1790?

I decided on black breeches and waistcoat, a black shirt with black and gold lace and a choice of either purple stockings with black shoes, or black stockings under black knee-boots.

I drew this picture

I used black calico for the shirt and stock and black denim for the breeches.

I had some grograin silk for the waistcoat. This had a chequered patterning at one side, which I used on the turn-back lapels. I used black and gold buttons on the coat and waistcoat.

For the presentation, I made myself up white face and used black and purple lipstick. I spray-dyed my hair( long at the time) black with a central purple stripe and accessorised with one black leather glove , a black and gold quizzer mask and a cane.

The pictures are by Paul Holroyd and are used with consent.

It is still quite gratifying how closely the completed costume resembles the concept drawing.

Until next time

Adieu