Worn Down by Time

"Visage" 5 x 7in Chalk Pastel on Paper
Click here to buy print:
http://www.redbubble.com/people/nikihilsabeck/art/7323384-visage-pastel

This piece was based on a reference photo of a stone carving, which appeared flat on the back, with the face rising out of the stone front.


It started as a 15 minute daily painting, and ended up taking a bit longer (as most do) because I wanted to add depth to the piece. It was finished fairly quickly though, because I had been contemplating the photo off and on for the last week, visualizing colors and composition. I find that when I keep an idea on the burner a little longer, and revisit if frequently, it gives me a much stronger guide when the time comes to actually create the piece.


I think I like painting ancient things because they have been stripped down by time, and leave much to the imagination. In our high definition world, there is little room to imagine how things might look if their colors or shapes were altered. This piece probably had strong markings and a bright coat of paint at one time, but I prefer the basic core of the piece: the part that's left after time and atmosphere have worn it down.


I'm still not sure why I prefer Egyptian artifacts to those in other parts of the world, but I think it has something to do with the mathematical structure of the pieces. I also prefer the mystery of Ancient Egyptian culture. It gives me an extra little connection to what I'm painting.

This latest piece also looks nice next to the previous Egyptian piece, as they were painted on the same brand and tone of paper (Canson Mi-Teintes):




"Visage " (5 x7) "Vessels" (5 x 9.5)





To see more of my pieces inspired by the Ancient Egyptians, click here:


http://artbynikihilsabeck.blogspot.com/p/tomb-egyptian-inspired-art.html





To see original works for sale, click here:


http://artbynikihilsabeck.blogspot.com/p/original-works-for-sale-through-paypal.html

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Inspired by Light (Pastels on Canvas)

Image
"Morning Glow" 12 x 16 Chalk Pastel on Flat Canvas Email nicolehilsabeck@yahoo.com if interested in purchasing Been trying to get back into the daily painting routine, which for me either means a small painting a day, or a larger painting spread over two days.  It's a bit of a challenge with the growing belly and a very inquisitive firstborn, but I was lucky enough to get a little extra inspiration from an odd source: Sunday's eclipse. We have beautiful views of the canyon and hills behind us, and I watched the light change on this hill as the sunlight waned throughout the course of the eclipse.  I noted how the normally stunning lights and shadows on this hill were blunted by the general darkening (as opposed to the usual sunrise or sunset glow).  I thought I would be a little more appreciative of those lights and darks and try a painting of the trees and hills the next morning. I completed this painting in several steps, having struggled a little recent...
Read more

Painting Cats

Image
"The Bookeeper" Click here to view auction After many years of painting cats, I've learned a few things.  Every time I start a new cat painting, it follows its own unique path, bringing challenges that I don't seem to face when I paint my more traditional material (landscapes, birds, floral and botanical pieces, etc.) For example, cats don't stay put for too long (unless they're asleep, and even then they'll often stretch and change positions when you're least expecting it).  To combat this challenge, I end up working mostly from photographs.  That means adjusting the proportions, since the camera angle causes some distortion depending on the position and location of the cat. "Eye Contact" Oil Pastel Not for Sale "Side Glance" Oil Pastel Available on Etsy  One of the reasons cats are enjoyable to paint is that they have strong facial expressions.  When I'm painting a cat, I get so focused on rendering the cat...
Read more

A Hot Mess of Water Lilies!

Image
"Balboa Water Lilies" 9 x 12 Chalk Pastel on Paper Click here to view large or purchase So, every time I take great photos to paint later it turns into a learning experience for me. We took a little day trip in September down to Balboa Park in San Diego, California.  There wasn't much left of the water lilies after some recent vandalism (a bunch of geniuses decided to have a water gun fight and ended up destroying the lilypond).  It was a strangely hot day for downtown San Diego-- part of a series of heat waves that dogged me throughout the last months of my pregnancy.  I was thrilled to get some pretty photos while down there, particularly of the lilypads and turtles. I love to paint water, but I forget how time consuming it can be.  There are lots of layers involved, and I ended up using fixative as I layered in the lights and darks in this piece.  I also didn't anticipate how difficult it is to depict those peaceful, floating lilypads.  Af...
Read more