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Tuesday, April 13, 2010

Cathedral

untitled

Cathedral 12" X 12" mixed media on cardboard on board for The Three Muses and Inspiration Avenue.

Much Later....I wanted to tell you how I made this piece because it does have a story behind it. I was rushed last night when I made this post, but since so many of you have responded with such kind comments, I'll tell you now:

After I read the Three Muses prompt, I immediately thought of a map of Alaska. Saturday night I had dinner with my son, Andrew, and his girlfriend, Whitney. Andrew is majoring in English and wants to teach high school, and Whitney is a psychology major. They told me that, after graduation, they are considering working on a reservation in Wyoming or Alaska, Whitney to do substance-abuse counseling and Andrew to teach. Although I would hate for them to move so far from home, I would be so happy and proud if they did this. They are both extremely compassionate people, and I believe they would change so many lives and do much good. So that's what inspired this painting. I glued on bits of a map with other ephemera that represent our family and the love we have for each other. There are Valentines from my nieces and the infamous " Your Own Personal Jesus" photo taken by my sister and used by me time and time again in my art. There's part of a program from the play The Laramie Project that my younger son Wesley directed when he was in high school and a few parking stubbs and tickets from outings with my husband. There's a cigar box label that reminds me of my grandfather, and, of course the, the dove is a symbol of hope and returning home (I hope). The colors, as you know, are my favorites, and the whole thing is done on a piece of cardboard because I didn't have a small canvas handy that day. I layered on the collage bits, painted over them with acrylics, sanded and scraped some paint off, added various shades of ink, charcoal, and conte crayons, finished the painting with three coats of thick gel mediaum, and glued it to a board. The painting was originally called "Ascension," but ,after I read a few of your comments, I changed the name to "Cathedral." It is a very emotional piece, so I'm not surprised that it evoked so many personal feelings. I feel very blessed that "Cathedral" touched you.

Love,
Kathy

36 comments:

Poetic Artist said...

love this..The colors are great.

indybev said...

Yummy, yummy colors, and the white bird is such a sign of hope! Beautiful, Kathy, just beautiful!

Sandy said...

How incredibly gorgeous this one is, i love the beautiful colour and design and it looks totally gorgeous.

Rosie said...

Kathy, your paintings in mixed media are so beautiful and had I more cash available, I'd buy 1 for each room in my home! It's the beauty and vibrancy of your palette that gets me every time! *sighs*

johanna said...

i love the vibrant colors and the white dove is wonderful against that background!

Marie Theron said...

Vibrant, spiritual, you get a message through. I like the inner light that shines through this painting like a cathedral window!

José said...

Wow!

Sadie said...

Color anoints me
I kneel in your cathedral
You bring me to life.

Ozstuff said...

Wow! The background is such a feast of colours and textures that it made me gasp when I first saw it. The white dove is exquisite. This is one of your finest pieces and I can't find the words to tell you just how much I like it.

(Kathy, thankyou so much for your kind words. I am the youngest of six siblings in a very spread-out in age family. I will miss my brother but he was terribly frail and crippled because of post-polio syndrome. I think he is in a better place now. Your kindness is deeply appreciated. Marie).

Daphne said...

Wow, beautifull colors!
And the bird, looks like he is flying of youre piece!

Taluula said...

Your use of such vibrant colours Kathy, with your splash of white dove is just wonderful. Everything you do is so joyful and this is no exception. Standing O from me.

Diane said...

Kathy, this is beatiful!!

Kim Mailhot said...

The peace flew right inside me...

Love to you.

LivArtNow said...

Wow this is gorgeous!! love the background, the textures and colours. The dove is beautiful!! BRAVO!!

Linda

Willy said...

What a wonderful piece, Kathy!

Janet Ghio said...

Beautiful work!!

Lisa said...

Ok, I just want to cry looking at it. That doesn't happen very often for me. :) So beautiful. Your blog makes me happy as it loads. So many gorgeous colors.

Terri Kahrs said...

W-O-W!!! This is the epitome of stunning, Cathy! I truly believe this is one of your finest pieces. Kudos & Hugs, Terri xoxo

Lori Saul said...

Beautiful and inspiring Kathy- it has so many dimensions!

Unknown said...

This is amazingly beautiful...it reminds me of my mom :)

DMG said...

Oh, Melanie, now you've made ME tear up. What a beautiful thing to say.

Crissi Harvey said...

wow this is really really beautiful

Marit said...

Thanks for "the making of" story... it speaks even more now that I know all that. It IS a touching piece of art! You're awesome!

WrightStuff said...

Wow look at that! It's so rich in every sense of the word - rich with colour, story, meaning, passion, love... A wonderful piece.

Silvia(Barnie) said...

This looks great, love the colours and the dove.

Unknown said...

I am amazed!!! So incredible!

Elena said...

I cannot believe I have missed such gorgeous creations. Where've I been? Beautiful story & awesome work. Your blog is 'eye candy'!

Katherine said...

Kathy I feel like this is a breakthrough piece for you , don't you? Beautiful, congratulations.

Giggles said...

Kathy, beautiful energy, very spiritual,and rich! Love the colors and depth! Thanks for sharing the process, much appreciated!!

Big hugs Sherrie

Janet said...

Your process is what I enjoyed the most....putting your heart into this piece. It's beautiful beyond words!

PS - my son lives in a very small town in Alaska! He loves it.

Maggie said...

I love the vibrant colors and the story behind the piece. Very touching!

Unknown said...

WOW! What a wonderful piece and I love the story behind it. It is so rich in colors. I am so happy you came out to play with us on IA so I could find your inspirational blog. Your paintings are amazing!

Just Me Again said...

Your art is so beautiful. Stunning.

A new blog to stalk. I mean love. :)

artangel said...

Wonderful art - you have a great sense of colour! And what a lovely story behind it! :)

Priti Lisa said...

I love this piece and all of your other art I saw as I looked through your blog...I'm a color lover!

Michele said...

I can see why you got so many comments, it's absolutely beautiful!