1001 Flamingos

I started painting little 4x4 flamingos a few weeks ago...

I painted four of them - and couldn't come up with names - so I named them Flamingo #1, Flamingo #2, Flamingo #3.... you get the idea. Not very original - but it works! So my husband commented on the name - and I said, "yeah, I'm going to paint a thousand of them - a thousand and one." He laughed... and my creative brain said "YES! That's a great idea!"

So, why not? I've got the rest of my life, right?

1001 Flamingos it is then...

Numbers 1-4 are already sold. These are only $14.99!! Soon I hope to give them there own little blog and post them as I do them... but until then, here is where they shall live :) Unless they want to come live with you! Here are numbers 5 though 8... I am on number 15 right now... have a long way to go - but I think that's the fun of it!

a little art history...

(my sketch of the Delphic Sibyl from Michelangelo's Sistine Chapel)

I finally got up from my chair (see last post) and figured out who the figure was that I had painted from Michelangelo's Sistine Chapel... She is (drumroll....)

The Delphic Sybil.

huh?

Yeah, I didn't know either - so I did a little research. She is one of five "sibyls" in the Sistine. 'Sibyl' is word meaning Prophetess. The five depicted on the chapel ceiling are heralded as having prophesied about the death of Christ.

"Youngest and loveliest of the five sibyls, Delphica sits in a pose suggested by Jacopo della Quercia's Prudence which then still stood alongside the central basin of the Fonte Gaia in the principal square of Siena. She adjoins the Judith spandral, the symbol of Mary's triumph, and not unnaturally is developed from Michelangelo's early Madonna's... She shares with Greek tradition only her Apollonian beauty. In reality the meaning of the image is based, as in the other sibyls, on the little book by Filippo Barbieri dedicated to Sixtus IV, builder of the Sistine Chapel, that was surely available to Cardinal Vigerio and to Michelangelo. Barbieri tells us that Delphica, guided by the Holy Spirit, wrote many poems about the Incarnation, the Virgin Birth, the Passion, the Crucifixion, and the Resurrection. Not by accident, therefore, she is not only Madonna-like but placed directly below the Drunkenness of Noah which foreshadows the death of Christ as the planting of the vine does His daily resurrection in the Eucharist."

How fascinating!! I wish I could read that little book by Filippo Barbieri!!

Here is a list of all the prophets/prophetesses on the ceiling: Jonah, Jeremiah, Persian Sibyl, Ezekiel, Erythraean Sibyl, Joel, Zechariah, Delphic Sibyl, Isaiah, Cumaean Sibyl, Daniel, Libyan Sibyl

One day, Michelangelo and I will have some real time together in that Chapel... one day :)

(The quoted info is an excerpt from my Michelangelo tome of a book... titled, of course, Michelangelo. The text is by Frederick Hartt)

Michelangelo

I figured since Van Gogh and I spent some time together, I should maybe spend a little time with Michelangelo too.. Gotta keep things even you know :-)

This is a sketch from one of the figures in the Sistine Chapel. I have a giant book on Michelangelo - and there is a wonderful closeup of this beauty... I can't remember who she is right now and I'm too comfortable in my current chair to go into the next room and find out!
I am totally happy with the way she came out. I love this sketch journal paper... it's Canson Mix-Media "XL" if you are interested... I got the 9x12 but they make all diferent sizes.

P.S. I love being able to blog from my PHONE! I do hope the photographs are looking okay?

Van Gogh again..

I had to blog him just once more... I am very proud of this litle painting.
It's a 6x6 in acrylic.

in process...

I have been processing some thoughts about my business - exactly what my business is - what I want it to be and where I'd like it to go... I guess I've been in the process of creating myself - then re-creating myself! and perhaps a few more times before it's all said and done. (do we ever really stop? I hope not!)

One thing I know for sure - without a somewhat clear vision of what you want and where you want to go - you'll NEVER get there... I know this from very real experience. You see, I am not a planner. I am not a goal-setter by nature (is anyone? i dont know). And so for most of my life - I've just kinda trotted along - sorta, kinda having a dream of where I'd like to go - but never really making a concrete action plan to get there. I fully believe in what being intentional can do for your life, for your dreams. I've seen this in action as well.

Right now I am still working on the 'somewhat clear vision'. Bear with me :)

Today I will invest my time in progress, growth and joy.

"To follow, without halt, one aim: There's the secret of success.: - Anna Pavlova

"The formula for success is simple: Do your best and someone might like it." -Marva Collins

Fou-Roux

Van Gogh and I spent some valuable time together today...

and what we figured out is that acrylics are a very forgiving medium and quite addicting. I think I might be stuck on them for a while... though, not to worry - watercolor will always be my first love. Anyway, my second favorite artist in the world (Carol Carter) is visiting Sarasota in November to teach a watercolor class!! I can't even begin to tell you how excited this makes me!

The painting of Van Gogh is affectionately titled 'Fou-Roux' - taken from a nick name he was given... but you'll have to read "Lust for Life" - a novel about Van Gogh by Irving Stone to get the whole story. It's a wonderful read if your interested in Van Gogh. It was very defining for me personally and made me fall madly in love with his paintings. I think I might be a little looney like ol' Fou-Roux... but not quite as crazy as he ;)

I stumbled across a new book that looks equally as fascinating. I think I'm going to order it. It's called 'Leaving Van Gogh' by Carol Wallace.

"but one can't do everything one wants just like that. It will come little by little."

-Van Gogh (speaking about his displeasure in his own watercolour paintings)