CapallGlas

A few years back, I was researching the techniques of Byzantine icon writing. I prepared three boards from scratch. One board was hand carved by a man who prepared icon boards for an Eastern Orthodox community in Pennsylvania. Pieced from strips of birch, it was a thick slab, with a lovely indentation at the center, providing the requisite broad border area for this sort of art.

I will go into greater detail on this process when I prepare another board from scratch, suffice to say that I began with rabbitskin glue sealing all sides, and a piece of glue-soaked muslin laid over the face of the board. Then I mixed a rabbitskin glue/chalk/whiting into a traditional gesso and applied it in 12 layers as specifically described, gradually thinning the mixture every three layers until I obtained a deep surface of it, with the smoothest and thinnest layers on top.

I let the boards cure, but shortly thereafter I obtained a job contract that left me little time for the elaborate process of icon writing. When checking back at six months, it became obvious that the birch board had warped from left to right, leaving it straight from top to bottom, like the side of a can. This is not acceptable in an icon writing support. I have since found much better results with cradled boards, or uncradled boards which are not pieced in any way. When using boards, I am more careful to seal all sides with multiple layers of rabbitskin glue before applying gesso.

I couldn’t bring myself to throw out the birch board. A lot of good energy had been invested in it, and the curve was so smooth and symmetrical. Only a single, thin crack had developed in the gesso surface, easily repaired. This meant that the surface itself had been well-prepared, with no extensive cracking during the movement of the warping board, and was unlikely to be damaged further as time went on. A light sanding was all the preparation needed.

So, in reviewing my options, seven years later, I decided to use the birch board, curve and all, in one of the Angelus pieces. Birch Interlace was a perfect fit, both physically and poetically, and considering I prepared the two at separate times, it is really amazing how it has worked out.

The initial work on the design for Birch Interlace began three years ago, with some inspiration from a brooch of a crescent moon in Art Nouveau style. The design sat in my stack of ‘unfinished’ layouts until fall 2008 when I began seriously planning for the Angelus project. I was reviewing all the unfinished works, when the piece brought back memories of cold walks in the icy winter woods. The written poem enabled me to work out further details and finish the design.

When I get started on a piece of artwork, I sometimes lose track of myself, and the piece. This isn’t always bad, but I like to start out by selecting three words to remind me what things are essential to the piece.

The concept of ‘interlace’ is essential to the poem and the picture. I want to keep in mind the image of the interlacing and the lacy nature of birch branches.

The image of the moon as an edge, and a sickle brings the word ’sharp’ to the piece. I need to keep things crisp as winter air, and the edges clean. Definitions should be clear. Colors well-defined as spaces.

And I also have chosen the word ’simple’ to remind me to keep the design uncomplicated. Celtic design has amazing potential to get complicated, and some of my pieces will. But not this one. Even the interlace design of the branches will be clear and simple, drawing the eye, but not holding it captive.

I want the eye to be drawn through the layers of the piece, not hesitating in the complexity of Celtic knots and spirals. The wooden panel offers me two layers intrinsic to the painting, with the cradle-frame and the central panel. A deep, shadowbox frame will create an outer layer, and an established space in the painting of the piece will be a fourth layer. This way, I hope to draw you on a path to the December sea.

Bone-chilled
Soul-chilled
Sweet with blue silence
Silver sickle edge
burns away
restless heat
of must and may
Touch the deep
Taste the snow in the wood
Birch interlace above
Netting the stars
Over a path to the December sea

This space is currently dedicated to the Angelus Project. The completion of six pieces of artwork between January and June, 2009.

Wendy and I have selected six layouts from my collection of sketches and ideas. We selected a range of pieces, large and small, representing a variety of techniques. I work primarily in watercolor and egg tempera, when painting, but I will also be working in silverpoint on one of the selections.

The goal is to complete these six paintings by the time of the Potomac Celtic Festival. This outdoor festival is held in June, near Leesburg, Virginia. These pieces will then be displayed for sale. I’ll provide more details regarding this show and other shows as I construct a calendar of events.

As I work on the individual pieces, I will provide pictures of the progress, and details of the techniques and materials. I work with many traditional techniques and have found some very good places to purchase hard-to-find supplies. I have a background in art history and I specialize in Celtic themes and designs. I will probably not go into too much detail in construction of Celtic design on this blog, but would be happy to discuss this, or any other techniques at the Mydwynter Studios art forum.

In 2008, I focused on bringing together notes, sketches and photographs from my travels in Ireland and Wales, to create ink and pencil drawings. I tried to bring the places of pilgrimage back with me, showing a spirit, rather than a photo-realistic copy of a place. Many of my travel photographs and some images of older artwork can be seen at WebShots. My membership ID is CapallGlas on that site.