Rainbow Warrior - 1

 I've now begun work on my next large scale project. Now, observant readers will remember that way back in November I began a large scale piece featuring me amongst a bewilering amount of railway viaducts. Well I still have it and intend to return to it again someday. But this piece needs to be made, it's an important piece for me to do.Plus, I need to have a large piece as something I can demonstrate whilst I run my exhibtition in April!

As usual, for a self portrait, i'm working from reference photos...for acuracy, I've made a tracing which i've transfered to the page...I will begin dot work tomorrow when I can work in full daylight.

 

The photo above might give you a few clues as to the general theme here..I'm holding my trusty seagull called 'Boscastle'...he's featured in two pieces, once in 2006 and more recently in 2009. He was washed into the sea during an almighty storm which hit a village a couple of miles north of the holiday home we were staying in....I found the seagull bobbing in the sea a few days later. Slightly battered, he'd survived the storm...which is what I did on return from the holiday, I was made redundant from the Residential Social Worker I'd had for 6 years. It was during the 'stormy' period that followed that brought me to the decision to take my artwork full time. My current situation is also due a 'stormy ' period, so Boscastle is symbolic of the fact that I feel stronger than ever in my conviction that my vocation as an artist continues. Having found my faith in Jesus renewed, I want to offer him my talent and abilities as a sacrifice of my worship...I'm also holding the tools of my trade...my pens which you can see in my left hand (the hand I work with as it happens!) I'm wearing a jumper of my own design and hand...the back ground will contain a massive rainbow which will traverse across the page behind ( and to all intents) go through my head. The rainbow that to me symbolises the promise of God's lasting care and love for us and a seal on my heart that he's looking after me and my creativity in all I do.