Cathedral

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