Lofty Discoveries!
Hello Icon Friends,
I am making up for time lost last week when I was out tying ‘Missing’ posters to lamp posts and scouring the internet for our pet cat. Not the little fellow you might have seen eating up my egg mix in November, but our older cat Ollie. Two nights away is unheard of for this home-loving creature. A long story cut short, we now have new friends down the road and if you lose a pet, enlist St Francis and put up posters! Ollie had climbed into their loft space where they were building an extension and got stuck. I am overjoyed to have her home and very thankful to St Francis!
So, back to the paper trial. The Saunders paper is without a doubt a treat to work on but having tried the Fabriano Artistico, I have to say that I found blending the egg tempera just a little bit easier. The paper is almost luminous and seems to make St John more appear more present.
Monochrome study of St John the Evangelist
Looking back on my posts, I have spared you my earlier image of St John. This will never do! I should be showing you how my work is hopefully progressing.
Why is it we always see things (where we have gone wrong) more clearly when we take a step back?
Let’s see, St John above is my most recent work, on Fabriano Artistico paper. St John below was painted on rough white water colour paper, about 2 months ago.
Blending the paint is clumsy and the overall appearance is hard. See my post ‘Core, Clarity and Confidence’.
It has taken a few attempts and I am still a long way off, but I think the blending above is getting a bit softer. That said, looking at the uppermost one as I write, his whole head shape is still too round, the shape of his face too wide and flat, the eyes looking too much to the left…oh…I am going to have to have another go!
Homework update from the icon course day five: Day 5 Notes Icon Screens Day 5 26th November 2013 Feet
Before I say cheerio, here are five more quotes from “the mustard seed garden Manual of Painting” to follow from the last blog post:
Originality should not disregard the ‘Li’ (the principle or essence) of things
Learn from the Masters but avoid their faults
Posess delicacy of skill with vigour of execution
The second fault is described as ‘carving’ (‘K’o) referring to the laboured movement of the brush caused by hesitation. Heart and hand are not in accord. In drawing, the brush is awkward.
He who is learning to paint must first learn to still his heart, thus to clarify his understanding and increase his wisdom.
Icon Diploma Student 
2 Responses to “Lofty Discoveries!”
Thank you Ronnie. This is fascinating.
Sr Benedict
You are very welcome Sr. Benedict! It is far too exciting a course to keep to myself. Feel free to tell anyone else about the blog who may be interested and I am always happy to answer questions – if I can.