Kelburn Castle Fights to Keep Brazilian Graffiti

 

Kelburn Castle, Scotland, Graffiti Mural, OS Gemeos, Nina and Nunca, 2007

photo: Minted Stereo

Long term plans to restore and maintain a 13th century castle in Scotland took a lively turn when Lord Kelburn, Earl of Glasgow, whose family has maintained the castle for 800 years, brought world class graffiti artists from Brazil to work alongside local talent creating a brilliant, psychedelic mural on a concrete sheathed section of the castle scheduled to be restored. Given temporary permission by historic preservation authorities to so lavishly adorn their castle, the residents of Kelburn Castle are currently seeking an extension. A popular venue for music concerts and festivals the mural at Kelburn Castle has itself become an premier attraction.

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Time Lapse Video - Creation of Kelburn Castle Mural

Summer Painting at Thornbush

I arrived for a week at Thornbush with three pale yellow panels. My assignment: to attend the chickens and Suzie the poodle while Anita and Roger were on vacation. My goal: to work on the triptych that Anita commissioned from me over a year ago inspired by a small Moon Mandala painting I’d done. It’s been taking me a very long time. My first efforts ended with sandpaper and gesso. But this week at Thornbush, with a little time off from The Whale Museum, it finally came together. A triptych is a different sort of beast than a lone painting. Painting a triptych is like juggling with three balls in the air.

Painting at Thornbush

I stuck pretty close to the Moon Mandala inspiration but unlike the original Moon Mandala, three moons imply the passage of time. I wanted the circular shapes to generate movement. Another inspiration for this project was the medieval illuminated manuscript, a Book of Hours called Très Riches Heures (Very Rich Hours of the Duke of Berry), where a blue arc divides the sky, again suggesting the passage of time. That is why I call the Triptych, The Very Rich Hours of Anita Barreca.

Work in Progress

One more inspiration is something Anita said, I think from a poem, about beautiful days, one after the other, strung together like a string of pearls. Day after day, moon after pearly moon these Mandalas are meant as an affirmation of the beauty of the seasons of Anita Barreca and her life at Thornbush.

 The Very Rich Hours of Anita Barreca, Oil on Board, 2011

Walking Mammoth: America's Earliest Known Art

Experts in the field assumed it was fake but after passing through a barrage of tests University of Florida forensic scientists believe that the etched image of a walking mammoth carved into fossilized bone is America’s oldest known piece of artwork.

Walking Mammoth, Fossilized bone, 11,000 BCE

photo: National Geographic

Fossil hunter James Kennedy had the 15-inch fossil in a box under his sink for a few years before, when cleaning it up, he noticed an image carved into the bone. Some 13,000 years ago when gigantic beasts roamed what is now Florida a nomadic ice age hunter carved this image of a walking mammoth. What is remarkable is that no other such artifacts have been found. With this discovery no doubt some very old bones will garner a closer look.

 Movie Still, 10,000 BC, 2008

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National Geographic

NPR

Starting a New Painting

Sandpaper and Gesso: A Fresh Start

Sometimes gesso and sandpaper are the best solution for a stalled painting. I just prepared the ground to begin this painting with a fresh start. To help get me into a centered and holy painting attitude I Googled "Tibetan Sacred Painting" and on Oregon Art Beat I found this short inspiring video about Thangka Painter, Sanje Elliot.

Thangka Painter, Sanje Elliot

A Very Brief History of Tempra Painting

 Judgement Before Osiris, Tempera on Papyus, 1285 B.C.

Ever since I noticed the sweet $152.00 egg tempera set in the nice wood case in the Daniel Smith catalog I think I need it. I like to think that in a past life I was a medieval manuscript illuminator. 

 Primavera, Sandro Botticelle, Tempera on panel, 1482

Why start painting with a new medium at this point?

Russian Icon, Tempera on panel

Because I love the light clean quality of the medium of the medieval manuscript painters, early Renaissance painters, Russian icon painters, Egyptians and Pre-Raphaelites… and Andrew Wyeth.

 Crown of Flowers, Andrew Wyeth, Tempera on paper, 1973