Section 13- Eye of God

It's crazy to believe the work is over. I've done 29 panels. The goal was to paint over 25 panels in 3 months. I realized I had to have a strong work ethic to get this ridiculous amount of work accomplished. I would do two to three panels a week at the studio. Some were duds. Those were the detours of the journey, where I would question "is this project going right?" But the next day a new successful painting was on its way. I sketched like a madman, seven to twelve hours a week. Thousands of computer paper and glue used up. I'm glad that I finished up the project. I have enough pieces to cover the solo room at Warehouse 1005. The show is February third Friday to March first Friday. I believe this series is epic weirdness, motivated by religion with a tad of whimsy. Like the Apothoesis show a couple months back it's a simple religious concept. But I hope to help people resonate what is the eye of god and it's historical implications. I will of course provide nicer photos for the finished paintings on the blog and pictures of the exhibition. Can't wait!

Angels are the centerpiece in this work. In the middle are angels with two wings pinned to them. The angels look like bulls or some animal. I hadn't yet attempted that type of wings yet in this series. Grass is in the center of the work. I've done enough clouds and skies. A group of man angels circle the piece. They create a swirling movement. Trees also circle the piece and become a decorative element in the work

I did the Egyptian figures with the striped black and peroxide hair color again. I've had fun doing the crazy hair style. It adds a playful and wacky feeling to the works. I had to repeat the crown shaped hair style. Except this time I wanted the crown haired people are angels. I put the striped hair style on them which made them look like bees. I thought it was a little tacky but liked the added tomfoolery. The two main figures are twins. This is a hidden motif in my work the idea of a doppelganger or a body double of you. When we think of side shows we think of conjoined wins.
I think of fun house mirrors where can see several versions of yourself. None of us are straightforward, our complexities make us have several personalities to a degree. Twins create a lampoon effect fun but twisted at the same time.

Eye of God Section 12

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I wanted to include the soccer ball motif that I had done earlier in the blog spot.  I felt that I should explore this motif some more.
I explored the college hazing theme here again except it is more sadistic. The figures are dunking some heads in water. Others are running around kicking the balls. The jolly fat king figure is in the front and at the bottom. I again included the peroxide hair. It looks wonky and madcap.Forests and cloud make this a dreamy landscape.

 

 I liked the coffin of Henutmehyt because it is noble and majestic but odd. The sculpture has two eyes with a huge gap in the middle. The eyes were exotic and weird, and looked like a face. I wanted to paint a face with the two eyes. The Eye of Horus symbol is generally one eye. I like the idea of using two Eye of Horus. It demystified the eye and makes it playful. I painted the eyes on the background figures. Except they have peroxide blond hair which makes it less Egyptian and idiotic. The trees and the clouds on the side of the painting help give the picture a soft and calming touch. I hadn't included the man angels in while. Two of them are flying overhead. They have a gawkiness that helps break some of the elegance in the picture.

I realized I hadn't yet attempted to do something with Egyptian writing. I added a simple cartouche shape at the bottom of the woman with Eye of Horus symbol. It helps give it a dignifying and lyrical feel.

 coffin of Henutmehyt

Eye of Horus symbol

Cartouche 

Section 11 Eye of God

Gold frame done and figures

Painting done

King Pepy I with white crown

The Tomb of Sennedjem

 I went to the library and finally grabbed a book of Egyptian art. I didn't want to have excessive Egyptian motifs in the series because I thought it would be tacky and stuffy. But I did see some shapes that I liked while flipping through the book. I liked the shapes of the Tomb of Sennediem. They are sarcophagus profile view. I like the shape of the beards and the repetition of the shapes. I had the sun shapes on the tops of figures. I sketched the shapes rotating around the circle. .I haven't done that yet. I thought it looked cheerful. I got two different reactions from studio pals. One person said it looked like a clock, another person said it looked like a roulette.
I looked at the sculpture of King Pepy 1. I found the crown-shaped head fascinating and the stick that he carries. I decided to make him the central figure. He has a cool and authoritative presence. I love the stick because the regal and superior power it possesses I included lots of white clouds and blue skies to make the picture winsome and dreamy.

It's blurred out but there is of the bottom a procession of figures holding the stick

east wall of chapel of Knumhotep at Beni Hasan

The sketch

Figures done background started

While flipping through the book I saw a photo of the chapel of Knumhotep at Beni Hasan. At the bottom of the wall was a group of figures in a line holding a stick. The panel is
the menial task of holding a stick. Four groups of figures are holding the stick. They are in a different body stance. The task has a beauty to it and there is a unique glory to the chore.
I had painted sky blue and clouds for the last backgrounds. This time I wanted to paint grass. But I couldn't have the whole panel painted green. I paint the top of the picture blue green which helps unite the picture.

I investigated the Egyptian book and loved the two color striped hair look. The book has several examples like the two that I pasted  below of  mask of King Psusennes and coffin of Hor.
I wanted to continue the dyed peroxide blond hair and I alternated it with dark brown. The hair has a look of supremacy. Each face was an individual sketch and I had no idea how to include them in a bigger sketch. I realized they looked stiff and statuesque I revisited my college hazing theme. What if the figures played with the statues and poked fun at their aloofness? Two tiny figures on the right and left sides are pinching their eyes. Other figures add to the backdrop of the picture. Trees and a calm sky blue help relax the tension in the picture.

 

mask of Psusennes

Mummy of Hor

 

 

 

 

 

 

Section 10-Eye of God

Some figures done

Figures done

Hill and gold frame done

With this painting I wanted to do a college hazing angel experience. It wasn't as apparent as other paintings. But some of the inanity is there. My favorite part are the two angels with the diaper over his head. One of them is one of the bottom left and one of them is on the top left.

  His eyes are like boggles, which appears mishap and silly.  I 

enjoy the angel with the lanky arm gesture. He helps give the picture more movement.

 The multiple figures help give the scene a daffy comedic theatrical feel.

This was the first time I had the grass cut in the middle of the frame. The landscape is stand alone which gives it a definite prominence.

The mainfigure is off center and on the further right. I stir up the picture and make it a little unexpected.

Black layer

Blue layer

Red layer and some of the background painted over white and sanded

Figures done

I realized I hadn't done the Egyptian style with the hair sticking up in the air. I wanted to have wild hair styles and have some sidesplitting fun. The figure in the upper center is normal and his hair sticks up in the air. One figure has hair that sticks out from his sides. Groups of figures have hair that sticks up in three or five rows.
I drew all the individual figures and sets of figures But I was having a hard time putting the sketch together.In community college I took a design class. The teacher knew how scatterbrained I am and suggested taking my individual design elements and dropping them and letting them fall where they may. This helped me escape my linear fine art "putting things in the center" mode of thinking.
 It was by using this method that I decided to put the figure sideways on top left.
The figure helps make the picture be fun and snazzy. Each set of figures was to have a grass island. I thought of having the whole background being green grass but I decided I wanted to show the signature blue dreamy sky of this series.