The Swan Maiden

I have been working on this painting since February of this year. The inspiration for this piece came from reading the novel “Daughter of the Forest” by Juliet Marillier. She is a very gifted writer and folklorist. This beautiful retelling of the traditional seven swans fairy tale set in ancient Ireland, sent me on a quest of inquiry into a myriad of myths surrounding swans.

During this research, I was drawn to the Irish legend of a beautiful swan maiden “Caer Ibormeth”. Daughter of Prince Ethal Anbuai of Sid Uamuin in Connacht. Legend has it that every other Samhain she would change into a swan and would remain in this form for a year before becoming human again the following Samhain. This romantic Irish myth has become the main focus of my painting.

I have done several preliminary sketches of flying swans and will be adding these later when I have finished painting the maiden and the background. Sometimes when I am working on a painting, it becomes necessary for me to plan, to mull, and let some of my ideas percolate for awhile before I can proceed.

I will post this painting again when I am finished.

The Swan Maiden – Combined Media – 16 X 20 inches

The Swan Maiden – Sketch Charcoal & 2B pencil – 16 X 20

Life is a Journey

Life is a Journey, and the experience of being immobile for a few days, really makes one appreciate the little things we take for granted everyday. It taught me patience with my own body, something that can be very difficult to do these days, with everything needing to be done yesterday.

I feel so much better today and looking forward to getting back in the studio, and I can hardly wait to work some more on my new painting. I have miles to go before it is finished.

I did have some extraordinary dreams while recuperating and hope to develop sketches of the ones I wrote down in my journal. My dreams have always been a source of inspiration for many of my paintings.

Threw my Back Out

Last week, I was working in the garden and somehow threw my back out. It started with a backache, and ended up with me sitting in the emergency room on Saturday. After being examined and prescribed pain pills and a muscle relaxant, I came home and went to bed.

So here I sit on my chair in front of my computer with a heat pad on my back and waiting for the meds to kick in while I write this post.

Needless to say I haven’t been at my easel for several days. Hopefully tomorrow I will be able to do some painting using Painter IX and my wacom tablet.

The tablet is a little too large and heavy for me to put on my lap, so I will have to figure something out. I believe I have a smaller one packed away somewhere, but I’m in no condition to look for it.

It’s funny how we seem to never be prepared for these little mishaps in life.

“What a man needs in gardening is a cast iron back, with a hinge in it.”
– Charles Dudley Warner

Stone Pathway ( Luther Burbank Gardens) – Photography

“Do not follow where the path may lead. Go, instead, where there is no path and leave a trail.” – Ralph Waldo Emerson

Having Fun

It was another busy day working in the studio. I don’t know where the day went, but I got a lot accomplished. They say time flies when your having fun, and I sure had fun getting carried away with my new painting. I will post a picture later on.

Sundial – Photography

“Time is but the stream I go a-fishing in.” – Henry David Thoreau

“Hide not your talents. They for use were made. What’s a sundial in the shade.” – Benjamin Franklin

“Time is the coin of your life. It is the only coin you have, and only you can determine how it will be spent. Be careful lest you let other people spend it for you.” – Carl Sandberg

Lady Of The Lake

The Lady of the Lake painting is finally finished. I used Painter IX, the only program on the market that can simulate what traditional painting mediums can do.

First I used a customized pencil to draw the woman and sword with scabbard. Then I created a new layer and began laying in color, working on this layer allowed me to preserve my original sketch. Once I liked what I saw, I then flattened the image and began painting directly onto the original canvas.

At this point using customized soft charcoal, pastel, and oil brushes, I painted the woman and background. Then I finished the piece by adding detail and highlights

This painting took me somewhere between 20 to 35 hours to complete.

Lady of the Lake – Combined Media – 11 X 14 inches

Lady of the Lake’s Sword with Scabbard

The lady of the lake is an archetypal figure in the Arthurian legend, and known as Vivian, Nimue, Niniane, and sometimes as Morgan le Fay. She was also Merlin’s lover and rival and was credited with bewitching him.

The lady of the lake is best known for gifting the sword Excalibur to Arthur. Excalibur’s scabbard was said to have magical powers of it’s own, and was stolen by Morgan le Fay and thrown into a lake, never to be found again.

Alfred, Lord Tennyson, described the sword in his poem “Morte d’Arthur”, later written as “The Passing of Arthur”, one of the Idylls of the king.

“There drew he forth the brand Excalibur,

And o’er him, drawing it, the winter moon,

Brightening the skirts of a long cloud, ran forth

And sparkled keen with frost against the hilt:

For all the haft twinkled with diamond sparks,

Myriads of topaz-lights, and jacinth-work

Of subtlest jewelry.”