This painting~print did something different than others made at the same time, and that you can see in our exhibition.
It reminded, echoed, whispered.
It arrived quite early on in the exploration of what unmixed indigo and burnt umber might produce when pressed on to a surface. I painted and shaped gesso on to a piece of card, following the lines of the original collage that is mentioned in our exhibition conversation. When it was dry, I painted thick wet paint on top and moved it around by spraying on more water and tilting it.
Then a piece of thin card was pressed on to the wet paint. When I lifted it up, there was a strong contrast between then thickest paint and the wetter areas. Sideways on, there was an impression of rocks, hanging, and a sheltered place where a person might take refuge. I felt I already knew this place.
Below: My improvised ‘studio’ in the apartment and the print before the gesture to Uriel’s scarlet cloak
Some internet searching later, I traced the source of the echo I had heard to this Leonardo da Vinci painting, The Virgin of the Rocks. There are two versions and my reminding came from the one in the Louvre.
The figure at the lower right – with a scarlet cloak - is archangel Uriel. More fascinating browsing followed and learning more about Uriel - in the Anglican tradition, Uriel is recognized as the fourth archangel after Gabriel, Michael and Raphael. He appears under other names in other faiths and branches of Christianity. The ‘and’ in the title reflects his sometimes present, sometimes absent nature.
If you read my previous blog post, you will realize why the scarlet cloak excited me – not just an echo and a reminding but also a synchronicity! And now you can see why it is placed where it is on this print.
Making art with a focus on process means that each step opens up new possibilities for what to do next. Back in early June I experimented with the geometry of the da Vinci, and read more about archangels. Maybe one day I’ll pick up one of those threads and see where it takes me.
In the end, I followed another path onwards from this round of prints. You can see where it led in the exhibition.