Tuesday 29 November 2011

Totempoles

Totempoles

totempoles






BABY (BABIES)
 
 
A baby is the symbolism of purity, innocence, life and the future. In the days of ancient Greece "Baby New Year" originated to celebrate the rebirth of the god Dionysus, a baby was carried throughout crowds of people celebrating Dionysus as the spirit of fertility. The Romans had the same god but known as Bacchus and this was famously portrayed in the painting by Guido Reni (1623), the rebirth of Bacchus as a wine drinking baby.

Baby New Tear takes over from Father Time at the end of the year, to begin a new life, an act of God bearing fruitfulness, a miracle. This can also be summed up with reference to the flower Baby's Breath - pure heart, innocence and the breath of the Holy Spirit.

Links
www.livingartsoriginals.com/infoflowersymbolism.htm#babysbreath

www.mahalo.com/baby-new-year/




GRIFFON - GRYPHON
 
 
The Griffon is represented in picture with a head and wings of an eagle and body of a lion. This mythical creature is also represented as showing wisdom and power but also shows strength, as in war. The symbol of the Griffon has been adopted by countries, armies and for the display on many coats of arms.

India is the origin of the Griffon and in the mythology of the Griffon, it is said that they sought gold and treasures to protect and keep any would be thieves away. Miton sums it up best with a description from Griffons, Paradise Lost, Book II :
 
"As when a Gryphon through the wilderness,
With winged course, o'er hill and moorydale,
Pursues the Arimaspian who by stealth
Hath from his wakeful custody purloined
His guarded gold"

Links www.gods-and-monsters.com/mythology-griffon:html

www.online-mythology.com/griffon_gryphon/



KNIGHTS TEMPLAR
 
 
The Knights Templar was founded in Jerusalem in the year 1118, their name was taken from their place of residence which was situated on the site of Solomon's Temple, therefore history has known them as the Knights of the Temple or Templars. This order was not officially confirmed until the year of 1128 and was placed under the rule and dictations of St Bernard, a monk of the cistertian order.

Knights Templar recieved their white tunic (mantel) as a symbolism of purity of their life and the red Templar cross was not added until 1146. The Knights were known as and represented as the Knights of Christ and their values and ideals were very Christian. Today the Knights Templar are still very strong in today's modern world and still attempt to live up to a just and moral ideal, ethnics and Christian values. The maintenance of this order is chivalric, hospitable, tolerance, traditional and maintained in a universal manner.

The order past and present is global and its members have and do include nobility, business leaders, royalty and military officers. Motto of the Knights Templar :
 
Non nobis, Domine, non nobis sed Nomini
Tuo da gloriam.
(Not to us, O Lord, not to us, But to your name give the glory.)

Links http://www.templars.org.uk/index-old.html





WOLVES
 
 
Wolves have dwelled alongside mankind for centuries and are classed as one of the many villains within the animal kingdom. Though the wolf (canis lupus) has rarely attacked humans, it has been giving a bad press throughout history of reported attacks on children and adults alike and has been misrepresented in fairy tales as evil and bad, "Little Red Riding Hood" to name one.

The howling of a wolf is a spine chilling sound, but there is a purpose in their howling and that is communication. A lone wolf will howl to draw attention to his pack and many howls communicate territorial messages from one pack to another. A wolf pack has an established heirarchy within the pack, a strong, virile male at the top and his mate not far behind, these two are the only ones to breed in this pack. The symbol of the wolf represents strength and power.
 
The Wolf Shall Rise Again
As the full moon falls over the sky the wolf
shall howl as a symbol it is there.
When mankind enters at him he shall stare.
As loyal as the dog yet still so wild.
As the sun falls over the horizon, the wolf shall
rise again.
Carley L (aged 11)
 
 
 links www.nationalgeographic.com/animals/mammals/wolf.html
www.wolfcounty.net/information/myth_stories/wolf_rise
http://www.wolveswolveswolves.org/MythAndLies.html





ANGEL OF DEATH
 
 
The Angel of Death is the fear of the unknown, man's feelings towards death. Also known as the Grim Reaper, there is a image of death and what it represents. Satan is also associated with the Angel of Death and this association has been around for thousands of years, it is has been said that when Eve touched the tree of knowledge she sighted the Angel of Death. There are many references towards angelic images and names throughout the bible, on God's decree the angels were granted limited powers.
In different cultures and relgions, the Angel of Death has many representations. Babylon has Mot, while Judea - Christian has the names we know commomly - Michael, Gabriel, Sammael and Sariel but in Islam theology the Angel of Death Azrael is forever erasing what he writes, the birth of a man is writen and when death has come his name is erased.

It is in the bible, that references to the Angel of Death have been completely absolved in the ending of life on earth. This is shown, when the angel of the Lord stands between heaven and earth yielding a drawn sword in his hand in Chronicles, Book 1 21:16

"David looked up and saw the angel of the Lord standing between heaven and earth with a drawn sword in his hand extending of Jerusalem. Then David and the elders, clothed in sackcloth, fell face down."
Samuel, Book 2 24:16

"When the angel stretched out his hand to destroy Jerusalem, the Lord was grieved because of the calamity and said to the angel who was afflicting the people, 'Enough! Withdraw your hand....' "

links http://www.allaboutspirituality.org/angel-of-death-faq.htm   




UNION JACK - UNION FLAG
 
 
The Union Jack is the representation and a symbol of unity and diversity. King James created the Union Flag in 1606, this was due to his inheritance of the English throne while still being king James VI of Scotland. This union of the two countries symbolised a new beginning, so a new flag was born but the flag we know today was not made represented until 1801, when Ireland was represented also on the flag. It was 1908, that saw the official name of the "Union Jack" becoming recognised by parliament and known as the national flag.

A union of nations is what is achieved by the amalgamation of England, Scotland and Ireland (now as Northern Ireland) and the purpose was not to isolate but to create a powerful union that was not insular in habit or mentality. The aim was to recognise, respect national values that would create an effective union. Thus the flag was to symbolise regard for individuality closely tied to communities.

Each flag within the Union Jack is a representation of the patron saint and symbol of that country :

St George's cross - England
St Andrew - Scotland
St Patrick - Ireland

www.know-britain.com/general/union_jack.html

Totempoles

       
Totempoles




There is no actual record for when the first totem poles were created but what is known is that they were created by the American Indians on the Pacific Northwest as a artistic expression. The totem pole is used to narrate the history and legends of different tribes through carving onto wood, usually Red Cedar, the story and tale of that tribe. Each pole shows a connection between the symbols carved, whether they be human, celestial bodies, animals, plantlife or the carving of a landscape. The relationship between the different symbols is to show the idea how they can interwine with one another but still be distinctive on their own.

The carver of the pole within the tribe holds a sacred position and it is him alone that knows the true meaning of the totem, the pole will tell the story but the carver holds the advantage of keeping the secrets and meanings to themselves. It was the late 1700's that we come to know the carved totem poles of today, the popularity began and grew with the influx of Europeans to the New World but one man disagreed, Captain James Cook descibed the totem poles as "truly monstrous figures".



Links :    www.totempoles.info/history.html                 www.history.howstuffworks.com/native-american-history/totem-pole.htm












Totem Cups is a fun piece of ceramic artwork that Rob Southcott has created, with the function of stacking the cups on top of one another to show a design of a totem pole. Southcott wanted to represent Canadian culture and Canada's indigenous people, the stacking cups are Southcott's showing of the First Nation's custom of totem pole carving.
 

www.robsouthcott.com/about.html


















Shawn Hunt is a Canadian artist of Heiltsuk, French and Scottish ancestry and comes from a family of artists, through his connection of having a well known father the artist 'Bradley Hunt', Shawn has developed his gift due to a five year apprenticeship with his father. This gift has enabled works of wood and jewellery carving along with traditional designs. Through his work he tries to convey that his work is neither ancient or modern but that his work shows elements of these.
www.shawnhunt.net/?cat=8






Monday 21 November 2011

Inventive Characters





Inventive Characters



What follows is inventive characters that I created and the expression I wanted to portray in the images :

 









 
Proud - I used a sailor for this inventive character, the sailor shows the proudness he feels in showing off his bare upper torso. The aim was to achieve a comic styled figure straight out of a twenties advertisement and using curved and straight lines in black ink I gave the image an Art deco style.











Calm - This word is what I wanted and hoped to portray in the image of the bear. I wanted the bear to come across as serene and not a scary and frightening image that a bear can often be portrayed as. My techniques I used to create this effect was black paint and a sponge.









Triumphant - The image of the king stands alone and is very triumphant in his pose but also in his character he expresses a regal splendour which I wanted to create. Black and white ink was used to achieve this image.




Also other characters which i've done below:


Owls










Other artists who have created their own inventive characters are as follows :


'Winter Smiles'

http://www.doughyde.co.uk/                                  

Doug Hyde produces his artwork on a large scale to achieve the full force of impact with each piece, this allows him to work in spacious conditions which he then creates a physical freedom and energy for himself to be seen in his work. The liberal use in his media of pastels, allows him to apply the use of his fingers, thumbs and sides of a hand or wrist to produce the artwork that has a big fan base.
 
 



John Wilson's artwork was inspired by the drawing that his four year old daughter drew of herself and was intrigued by the colours she used and the way she drew it. Wilson was fascinated how children look at the world and how they perceive things, drawing people with fat arms and legs or a stick body, this gave him the idea to mix child's art with the influence of adult artists refering to Picasso who once said "When I was a child, I painted as an adult" but as Picasso grew older he spent his adult life trying to paint as a child.


'Banksy Was Here'
 
 


www.washingtongreen.co.uk/artists/john_wilson

http://www.johnwilsonart.co.uk/






Mackenzie Thorpe's career was inspired by the film 'Lust for Life' portraying the struggle of the artist Vincent Van Gogh and his constant battle to express himself in his artwork. By owning a small artshop selling art materials, he was able to use the materials from his shop to create his artwork and display his work within the shop, allowing a fan base to build up. Mackenzie Thorpe wanted his work to show the human emotions of love, life, laughter, innocence and the daily challenges that are faced.









'Serenade'
 
Mark Grieves began his career in photography, which transfered itself over into the artist he is today and shown in his artwork. This is seen in his work by his attraction to shapes,shadows,light and contrast and greatly is influenced also by his being a fan of comic book artists and their use of fantasy. But Grieves also uses the memories of his childhood to create images that the viewer can wander into, a free reference library that he can access anytime and has great influence on his artwork.


                                    
http://www.castlegalleries.com/artist/mark_grieves








Yoji Shinkawa - Metal Gear Solid Series




 

 
 
 






 






'All The Love In The World'
 
 

Monday 26 September 2011

Mario Minichiello






You should look at some other military / war images - see some of Mario Minichiello's large war /reportage drawings. Your work will get interesting when it moves away from being a replica or a static representation. There needs to be comment or a point of view. This could lead to some interesting juxtapositions. Look back to Goya and some of the early caricaturists like Thoamas Rowlandson etc. What you are trying to say - is the important question to ask.

Monday 12 September 2011

Work



The Napoleonic era is thes etting for this drawing, which would have been a typical battle scene of the time.  A French Cussair is shown on Horseback slashing his way through English Infantry soldiers on the ground.  The aftermath is a bloody scene.
The drawing was created by my use of pencil,black ink and watercolour.




Again I chose the napoleonic era for this piece of work. It represents the defeat that napoleon's soliders experienced, the cold weather , hunger and the haunting look of near death shown on there faces.
French Grenadiers ans Fussiliers walk the walk of death through the freezing tempretures of Russia. 
My choice again in my work was the use of pencil,black ink and water colour.




I wanted to achieve an aesthetic look for this piece of work.  The effect I wanted to give was a representation of a battlefeild cluttered with corpses of dead soldiers, their skeleton remains piled on top of another.
Use of pencil and black ink was my media




                                                                      
 Alternative version

 I created an alterative modern war scene against the Adolphe Yvon painting.  The drawing has no major referance with regard to a particular Britsh Army Regiment but what I wanted to show was a similar scene that our Britsh troops are most likely up against.
Pencil and watercolour was my choice of media in this drawing.


Adolpe Yvon

Saturday 10 September 2011

concept work



These are a few concept works which i've done recent and in the past

Futuristic concept work 
Stormtroopers storm forward 









Templa Rifleman
Historical Medeval fantasy concept work
Rough sketch







Historical Nepolionic Fantasy concept work