The Middletown Fine Arts Center showcases nearly a dozen shows a year, and I've been blessed to not only teach a workshop there, but also win several prizes, including Best of Show, at some of their events. They hold workshops, classes and other art related opportunities throughout the year. It's a wonderfully nurturing place for artists of all ages. Next month, they are having their annual fund raiser.
This year will be different. Rather asking the people to donate a framed painting, they have asked us to paint an egg... a LARGE egg made of a special plaster/gesso mixture. After visiting a cave in the Dordogne Valley of France which had Cro Magnun's paintings on the cave walls, I was inspired to use that concept for the egg. 'Birthplace of art' - - - 'eggs are about birth ' - - - that was my thinking.
Hoping to capture the exquisite lines of the one bison that really impressed me in the cave, I began creating textures, first with more gesso and modeling paste, then with Fluid Acrylics. That bison on the cave wall was incredibly fabulous. Painted over 11,000 years ago, it had exquisite lines and shapes. No amateur painted it, but an early Michelangelo. It took my breath away because of its fluidity and sureness. My egg for Middletown didn't quite capture the mastery on the bison in that cave. Here's what I came up with -
Eggtravantgantly Ancient! Fluid Acrylics on Gesso, Modeling Paste, and Plaster Surface, Sealed with Varnish. 6 x 10" Egg Donated To Be COLLECTED
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19 comments:
Excellent work and a beauty. Love the textures, the history you brought to the egg. Good luck with the show and hope sales exceed your wildest imagination.
OMG Sandy that is so coool!!!
Sandy, your egg is incredible and the concept is genius! What a challenge to paint on a curved surface, too.
Absolutely fabulous! Love the way the egg turned out!!
I like it !! Very cool :)
This is gorgeous! I love the textures and the design.
Fantastic idea - so artistic. As for the actual work - marvelous and the colours you have chosen so so right. What a way to paint an egg!
Sandy, thank you so much for creating this beautiful work of art for the MAC. The concept of reproducing something from ancient times on to an egg as a rebirth is ingenious. Thank You again!!!!
Sandy! I miss you! I love the story about Middletown Fine Arts Center and their support of you and your students. I love the theme you've selected. It's perfect. It's wonderful. And I really love the translation of your style onto the egg. You're a master (but you know that). It's just a wonder to see the integration across surfaces and planes. Lots of love and admiration.....
Sandy, this egg is beyond awesome!
Eggcellent work! You are eggceedingly ingenious with your eggciting, creative mind.
PPM
I hate to be a broken record but, "How totally cool!"
All the texture and earth color Makes them look like real artifacts. I hope the auction winner pays some big bucks for these.
so very exact for the Easter season approach Birth. Beautiful piece Sandy.
Exquisite! Wonderful aging to go with the animal image.
Sandy, your egg is absolutely stunning. The texture resembles marble and the design is beautiful.
Sandy, this egg is beyond cool! I love everything about it! Would you share what paints you used? I love some of the textures and color blends that you achieved. Fantastic!!!!
Thank you , each of you, for your kind comments. The egg was made of plaster (not by me) and I added some molding paste as well as gesso to the surface before adding fluid acrylics to it. The textures formed a lot on their own but of course I adjusted and enhanced areas while adding the horse and bison. It was very rewarding to have it turn out so well. I did varnish it with several layers of varnish when it was done.
Dear Sandy,
Idea is wonderful. Skills are splended.
When I visit your blog, I always find your challenging spirit with LOVE for others... You're a so lovely artist!!
Cheers,ʚ(ˆ◡ˆ)ɞSadami
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