Calling All Angels!

Recently, on one of those days when it seemed that the world order is coming apart at the seams, I was going through a stack of unfinished Muse paintings, and found this. It was a demo I’d done on smoke painting.  And the words “CALLING ALL ANGELS” came to mind. I felt like doodling, and well, here’s what came of it

smoke painting, Silver Fox and Golden inks applied with nib pen on w/c paper

In despair after a breakfast spent doom-scrolling, I contemplate sending out an  all points bulletin. Calling all Angels!

What I have in mind is something like cupids shooting enchanted arrows, exploding our hearts and waking us up. A heavenly chorus of One Love, One People!  

BUT what if, in their all-knowingness, the heavenly quidditch players take a different approach, arm themselves with flame throwers, grab tear gas canisters (readily available in police stations), and proceed to annihilate the evil and ignorance we have become! (Hurricanes, floods, tornados, earthquakes and fire would do the trick too.)

On second thought, maybe don’t call the angels.

I guess that means we have to figure out how to rectify the damage we’ve done. . . the hard way. . . as bumbling humans.

If you want to try out this smoke painting technique, it’s pretty easy, and there’s lots of examples and directions on previous blog posts.

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Tyvek Christmas

More angels of a Tyvek sort. Lumiere paint by Jacguard of the duochrome sort, like Halo Blue Gold, is what I recommend. Paint the Tyvek, cut out shapes and watch them bend and twist as you touch the iron to them. Dancing angels! If you hold the iron too long you get a hole, but since angels are ethereal, they don’t particularly mind.

I found some lovely faces for them, and then made lots more. I think I’ll have an Angel tree this Christmas.

And then there’s the dancing star. . .

And I think I’ll make some more butterflies now. The body is a Tyvek bead wrapped in gold wire. My studio is full of so much color now!

Muddy Angels

acrylic on acrylic textured surface with gold leaf on canvas, 24″ x 24″

I’ve always believed in the angels that walk among us, as us. The ones that get their feet dirty with the messes of everyday living and that occasionally sparkle with divine light shining through the cracks!

In my own struggle to capture these earthly/heavenly creatures of multi-dimensions onto a two dimensional surface,  I started by borrowing from one who succeeded in this – Michelangelo. Through all my struggles with intention, technique and media, not to mention feelings of inadequacy, I finally stopped and saw a rather startling depiction of a story unfolding in my own life just now. In the interests of allowing space for you, the viewer, to react with your own personal interpretation, I must leave it at that.

Technique-wise I employed my favorite Golden acrylics, light molding paste for textural build up and Micaceous Iron Oxide and other copper and gold mixed with other pigments to create that other-worldly patina.

Over the years angels have been coming to roost on my canvases. You can see more of them  and here and here.

 

Angelus

“Angelus”, Acrylic and collage on textured canvas, 10″X 30″

Most of us feel the need to call on angels at times.  One dark and gloomy day during the holidays I went out to my studio feeling leaden and a bit oppressed.  I wanted to paint angels. I could almost see the radiant garments and wanted to touch them with my brush.  It felt like an indulgence that might lift my spirits. I started with some gesso and molding paste texture and then painted lavishly with new “patina” mixtures, iridescents and rich darks.

“Angelus II”

Both angels hung above the sink in my studio for a while before flying off to the home of a buyer. Now I’m left with a blank wall and a strong desire to paint more Angelus (Latin for angel).

Alis Grave Nil

“Alis Grave Nil”, acrylic, image transfer on textured canvas, 20″ X 20″

Alis Grave Nil (Latin)   Nothing is too heavy to those who have wings.

Perhaps that’s just for angels, or perhaps it speaks to our angelic nature, represented here by a cherub who is bearing something on his back but doesn’t look burdened.

Why not sometimes imagine those wings sprouting and lightening your load.  Isn’t that after all what sleep is about?

We Need Our Angels

smoke painting, acrylic inks, copper tape on w/c paper

Sometimes when we need our angels, the smoke makes them appear!