Well, it had to happen; sooner or later I was bound to create another post for my blog. Surprise surprise: I have been painting and creating cards. I painted a cat for Halloween. I think painting may take more out of me than I think, but it’s hard to follow up a painting by coming out of the shoot running. I really like this painting. I call it “Bad Luck.” I went through a lot of scrap looking for the right cat. I bought a book about cats, which is good because I like cats and will probably paint more.
Next I want to paint a witch; but of course I can’t just paint a green skinned, pointy hat wearing, broom riding mother-in-law. No. I want to paint a woman from Salem Mass. circa 1692. I know, I know… these women (and men) were killed for being something they weren’t: witches. At least most modern experts agree they weren’t guilty of “bedeviling” their accusers. But it is precisely their martyrdom that makes me want to paint them. They were the oppressed, the marginalized. They were the easy targets. There are several quotes which illustrate their courage. One man was pressed to death. This means he was placed between heavy stones and unless he would name accomplices (more innocent people to be tortured and killed), he would slowly be crushed to death. His final words were reportedly; “more weight.”
It is really hard to find period costume for the area. I have looked at pictures from “The Crucible,” and books containing colonial art, and realised that the time period is the Baroque, and the clothing is similar to Dutch and lowland costume of the same period. This means Rembrandt and Vermeer. Yay! Rubens was Catholic and the Puritans were Protestant which is what the Baroque means to me. The clothing is still similar.
I painted a mermaid for my friend’s birthday. I’ve also been trying my hand at sanskrit caligraphy. The above is pronounced, “Namaste.” which means; “the holy in me salutes the holy in you.”
