Harrison Park - Egg Tempera on Claybord 12 X 9

I've wanted to try Claybord with egg tempera for some time so I finally bought a few small panels and got started. It seems to work well - and certainly is easier and faster than preparing wood panels with gesso.

Harrison Park is a small part on the southwest side of Wichita. I tried to capture some of the atmospherics of a summer day.

Let me know what you think...

Mary - Icon

Mary - 7 x 5 1/2 Egg Tempera on Wood Panel

Here is another Icon of Mary - mother of Jesus, which I just completed. It still has to dry for a month or so before I put on the shellac. I have started using Russian Gold for gold leaf instead of metallic foil.

Ezekiel's Wheel - Icon

Ezekiel's Wheel 17 x12 Egg Tempera on Wood Panel

The elements of this Icon are taken from the vision of the Prophel Ezekiel as described in the Old Testament Book of Ezekiel. His vision of a "wheel within a wheel" the "color of beryl" which contained a lion, a bull, an eagle and an angel like creature has been given many interpretations. Most scholars believe the vision references the political turmoil contemporary to Ezekiel's experience. Some researchers attribute his vision to an encounter with a UFO or perhaps a brief look into the future.

Something unusual did happen while I was painting (writing) this Icon. I was about 60 percent finished after three or four days work and set the Icon on the floor next to my work area. When I came back the next morning, the Icon was completely blank - completely white gesso. Scout, one of our beagles, had licked the egg tempera (and three days work) completely off the gesso. I called the poison control center since the egg tempera contains so many toxic minerals and they said it was too late to do anything except to monitor his conditon. We watched him closely and he seemed his normal self - except for some very colorful poop.

ICON - Christ Casting out Demons

Casting out Demons

17" X 12"

Egg Tempera on Wood Panel

Finished at last except for the final coat of shellac to seal the egg tempera. The subject of this Icon does not appear often in liturgical art. Perhaps that's why it took so long to research the symbolic elements of the composition.

I added the Archangel Michael battling with the evil one in the background to reinforce the powerful strength that Christ brings to bear against the force of evil.

Comments???

Christ Casting Out Demons - ICON

This ICON - Christ Casting Out Demons - egg tempera on wood panel - has been in progress for about three months now. But I'm close to finishing.

As described by St Luke, Christ encounters a man living in a graveyard who is possessed by demons. The demons identify themselves as "legion" or many. Christ commands the demons leave the man and go into a herd of swine. The swine them drown themselves in a nearby lake.

In my Icon I have added the Archangel Michael fighting Satan in the background to reinforce the basic theme of good vs evil. The figure on the right side represents humanity poised between heaven and hell. In my representation, Christ is rising above the filth of the world as he exorcises the demons from the possessed man.

I'll post a better photo later when I have finished sealing the Icon with a mixture of shellac and alcohol.

Comments????