@melovecarlgrimes / melovecarlgrimes.tumblr.com
My process of creating “Peace Like a River”… from the colour study, Lego model, charcoal sketch, acrylic underpainting, and then layers in oil… 656 hours in total.
This painting is currently available through Jonathan LeVine Projects, as part of my solo exhibition, Streams in the Wasteland.
If we’re all going down I'm going the way I lived, making shitty memes in the face of peril.
It’s been fun Tumblr. Only a few hours to go, so use them to follow me to twitter - https://twitter.com/LoodRoodnCrood - as I’ll be continuing to share lewd shit on there! Adios~
I’m really liking Princeton’s Elite 10/0s… perfect for capturing porous bone texture. https://www.instagram.com/p/BqJDntDD8YC/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=1muso3hjycly8
With Halloween on our doorstep, I decided to share why the visual motif of the skeleton has been appearing in my work. It’s not because I want to celebrate the macabre. In contrast, I’m fascinated with how, as we stare in the face of a skull we are forced to confront our mortality as finite humans. The 17th century Dutch still-life painters had this in mind when they employed skulls as a way to indicate the vanity of life. I’ve been studying the ancient wisdom book of Ecclesiastes, in which Qoheleth (teacher) advises that “it is better to go to a house of mourning than to go to a house of feasting, for death is the destiny of everyone; the living should take this to heart” (7:2). In a similar fashion, my inclusion of bones exhorts the viewer to push through the blinding banalities that distract us from death, evoking an existential reflection of the reality we must all face. For me personally, it is also an invitation to ‘remember my Creator in the days of my youth’; the one who designed my skeletal frame is also the one who sustains my every breath. Ultimately, I believe death is just the threshold to my eternal home, so bones don’t creep me out 💀
Okay, who knows their bird species?
Reaching heights of 72”, its regal pose and outstretched neck reminded me of Greek marble statues from antiquity 🏛 • • • • • #art #fineart #painting #realism #newcontemporary #hyperrealism #joshtiessen #wildlifeart #animalartist #birdart https://www.instagram.com/p/BnHb1tPBTGs/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=199qoe7tengu4
Some artists have beautiful women as their muse… I on the other hand am beguiled by the Double-wattled Cassowary 😂🐦
Work in progress of the sunken treasure chest, which I discovered in Colorado at a western antique store.
Oiling out my work is so important to achieve an even and vibrant sheen. I use a 1:1 ratio of @gamblincolors Galkyd Lite to @naturalearthpaint Eco-Solve.
Atreus appreciation post
God of War
Painting the Cassowary’s wattle had to be the most challenging but rewarding part of the whole piece 😆. It’s rare for me to paint with colour straight from the tube at full vibrancy.
I’ve now finished another western painting, but will have to keep it under wraps in light of an announcement in the New Year. In the meantime, I’ll be posting some sneak peak work in progress shots.
Now framed, here is “Forged in Time” Oil on Baltic Birch 33" x 34" 2017
The City of Hamilton commissioned this painting of an historical blacksmith shop from the 1800’s, located in upper Stoney Creek. The work is based on my own photographs at the site where only the stone walls remain, and also black and white photos passed on to me from the historical society. They gave me artistic freedom, so I added the carriage and curious red fox. The painting will eventually hang in the new Interpretive Centre at Battlefield Park and Museum, located just down the road from my studio gallery.
Super fast portrait practice! Only 20 Minutes each! Im quite proud if I do say so meself…
