The Bear, Moth and Ghost Wolf
November 14, 2007 | Filed Under my art | by Sarah Blank |I started this painting over a year and a half ago and I finally can call it complete. It’s changed and morphed over its lifespan and for me is very special (it’s going to be hung in my studio). It’s a ghost garden of sorts, and the woman and the wolf just might be from the same realm, it’s up to you to decide. One thing is for sure, the flowers are ghosts… they were created by pressing a century old piece of lace into the paint and slowly peeling it away. Bits of the cobweb lace are still lodged in the paint too. Texture gives me such satisfaction, and the fact I can replicate it in paint makes me very happy.
So here is is…The Bear, the Moth and the Ghost Wolf
prints are available in the shop
I am finally able to love my sketchbook to bits and not abandon it like ones in the past….tall figures, slightly distorted, shade of sepia, imprinting with found objects, lush textures, surreal objects and placements, a strange little winter garden…. more to come very soon.
I love the blue-white color of the woman’s skin and the wolf’s fur. I’ve got a passion for all kind of wintery, arctic animals (snowy owls, ermines…) and that’s what this white wolf reminds me of. I also like the fact that the two “characters” are looking in opposite direction, like a pair of lovers who have just quarelled - but are still very much in love with each other (as for me, the house in the distance reinforces this feeling). The woman’s face wears so ambiguous an expression - dreamy, half-smiling and very sad at the same time! It is so evocative!
There would be much to say about the moth as well but I’m afraid my comment would be too long!
Do you know that Victor Hugo, the French writer, was also an artist? He used old lace and all kind of found objects to leave imprints on his paper ; he also rubbed pieces of wood or stone long before Max Ernst! His usual colors are sepia (he sometimes resorted to coffee or tea because he painted in all kind of settings) and black (Chinese ink). If you haven’t seen his work already, I think you should take a look!
Best regards. Muriel.
Dear Muriel,
Wow, I didnt even realize the two were facing away from each other…totally subconcious I guess. That puts a few chills down my spine. Its strange how these images unfold.
I love arctic animals too. Their colors remind me of the work of Kiki Smith.
I am going to look up Victor Hugo now, thanks for dropping his name here!
and…thank you so much for your kind and beautifully descriptive comments.
~*~*~Sarah
Such a very beautiful, very haunting painting. I love the colors you used, it seems so quiet that you almost hear snow starting to fall! Love the vintage lace detail too, beautiful.
thanks so much Heather!
Gorgeous. So very haunting and mysterious. I love how you’ve treated the background…
Thanks Casey! I absolutely love sepia tones.
ps- I am trying to get on your beautiful elegant musings blog by clicking on your name link here and it wont let me….asks for a password?
oh so beautiful and so wintery,
Thanks so much dearie!
Oh yes, I love it too!!!! The colors and the faces of both her and the wolf. Almost like a different version of little read riding hood… In a way maybe? Dunno, just me babbling, but I love it…. And, your frost below, happy frost days for you! none here in sight…. ;*
Well, we got a dusting of snow here today( and my it looked pretty againt the autumn leaves)…would like much more (like a foot, haha) but I think I need to wait a bit before THAT happens!
THINK SNOW, and lots of it in all its sparkling splendor!
I’ll send some your way, yes I will!
oops! I meant to leave this comment here, but posted under your last post….
Your painting is absolutely stunning - haunting and beautiful and moody. I can see why you want to keep it. I’ve seen you here and there on Etsy and on people’s blogs, so I had to come by and say hello - you have a lovely site. And I love the idea of using lace as texture. One of these days when I get back to painting I will have to try it.
Thanks! I love your dolls… they are so delicate and pretty! They look like living characters from Dame Darcy comics. And you live in Maine, my most favore state. I’m going to add you to my weblog parade of favorites.
Thank you! Yes, I was very inspired by DD. I live in Montreal now, but still go back to Maine often. I’m going to add you, too (if I can remember how - I’m slow at these things!
I love your BirdCages and Ships and One Misty Morning… and you have such fun lovely images to share…. thank you.
Jen
oh, thank YOU!!!!
one of my favourites of all - im particularly taken by the story of how long it took to evolve, the fact that the flowers are real, ghostly impressions.
i also love the echoes of paleness - the girls face, the wolf the white hut.
a very serene and mysterious image, so beautifully symbolic.
thanks so much lou!
paintings have been taken me long as of late….I can’t seem to produce a constant flow that I would like. The work that you do and all the images you put out….such an inspiration!
This piece is absolutley stunning. Sorry it has taken awhile for me to get back to you - but it would be lovely if we could include some of your recent art in Magpie Magazine. I’m really excited about the next issue, its going to be lots of work but i think its going to be extra special!
I would love to have this piece in the magazine, what do you think? email some high res pics to magpiemagazine@yahoo.co.uk if you would like. thankyou deer xxx
Oh, that would be wonderful!
[…] I had fun painting this one and layering in things. My intention was to add textured ghost prints of antique lace such as in The Bear, Moth and Ghost Wolf. But when I tore up the lace it did not leave and imprint like it did in the previous piece….it just tore up the support paper and made a huge mess! So then I imagined doing encaustic over the whole thing so I got out my wax…but after some research I discovered that encaustic waxes can not be done over acrylics. The piece ended with me deciding to put a thick layer of Golden gels over the entire painting, attempting to create a faux encaustic finish. Well, it tured out very plastic-y as a result of the yucky gels (which I can’t stand in the first place). I used gels previous to this but now they have lost my attention forever. I am happy becasue they have a terrible chemical smell anyways. I am sticking with glue. […]