Work In Progress: "Fire Amber"

Fire Amber

oil

©2012 by A. Dameron 

 

This is a Work in Progress...still have to work on shading and details, but I wanted to at least get the main blocks of color down.

 

Art in Progress: Kemeti Temple

Kemeti Temple (work-in-progress)

oil

 © 2012 by A. Dameron

This building is a combination of Mesoamerican architecture (the bottom half is based on a Mayan step pyramid) and a Middle Eastern domed mosque (the turquoise half-sphere roof and the tall minaret towers in the background). The general forms are blocked out, but I still have to add the details, such as the steps leading up to the entrance, the various flora along the river, and the geometric decoration on the dome.

Art in Progress: Kemeti Temple

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Kemeti Temple (work-in-progress)

oil

 © 2012 by A. Dameron

This building is a combination of Mesoamerican architecture (the bottom half is based on a Mayan step pyramid) and a Middle Eastern domed mosque (the turquoise half-sphere roof and the tall minaret towers in the background). The general forms are blocked out, but I still have to add the details, such as the steps leading up to the entrance, the various flora along the river, and the geometric decoration on the dome.

Art in Progress: Santo Tomas

Santo Tomas (Work-in-progress)

acrylic

 © 2012 by A. Dameron

 

This is a WIP and not finished yet. I have the general forms of the buildings, but I still have to apply shading and details. The middle building is the three-story Mayor's House, with a taqueria (eatery/restaurant) to the right and other shops to the left. Santo Tomas is an important setting for my fantasy story, "Cantadora".

Found a very good reference book for my projects...

You never know what you'll find on the clearance shelves in bookstores, and how much they'll be discounted. I found this for $5: Spirit of China: A Photographic Journey of the People, Culture and History, text by Gill Davies.  It's packed with full-sized photos of beautiful scenery and cultural icons, like statues of the Buddha. The book itself is divided into five chapters, based on the Wu Xing, the Theory of Five Elements.

1) Earth  土 (tu): the contrasting landscapes of China

2) Water:  水 (shui): lakes, rivers and waterfalls

3) Fire:  火 (huo): art, calligraphy, cuisine and everything creative, including the kiln fires that bake the blue/white Chinese porcelain

4) Wood: 木 (mu): trees, bamboo forests, and how the Chinese use wood for their temples, pagodas, instruments, and paper.

5) Metal: 金 (jin): engineering, construction, and tools to build things.

 

The Wu Xing shows how all these elements are interdependent of each other. Wood is fuel for Fire, Fire burns Earth for new life, Earth produces metal, Metal carries water (like in a pail), and Water nourishes Wood in the form of rain for trees. Just like creation, the elements can also destroy each other. Wood prevents Earth from eroding, Earth muddies water as silt in rivers, water puts out Fire, Fire melts metal in smelting, and metal chops Wood with axes. 

This describes China: its people can use the land and nature to be great, or destroy itself. 

My latest work-in-progress involves an ancient land similar to China and similar motifs have shown up in my drawings and paintings. When I found this book, I took it as a sign that I've found my current creative path and to continue on it. It's part of my heritage and family...and important to the future.

 

 

An extremely busy week...and it'll only get busier

Nanowrimo stands at 40,567, two days before the Thanksgiving holiday. I'm going to try to squeeze in a few thousand before traveling on Thursday, but let's see how that pans out. We're going up to Roanoke, VA to visit Hubs's parents, aunt and grandmother. 

I've also finished an oil painting based on the abovementioned Nano novel. Part of the story takes place in a land similar to Ancient China (around the Han dynasty somewhere, sort of) and I painted a temple loosely based on pictures of Chinese temples of that period. It's a fantasy piece, and not to be completely realistic, but I think it turned out pretty well. It took me 3 weeks to get it done, in between everything else. Now working on another oil painting of a building in the Nano story, this time a cross between Middle Eastern/Persian/Egyptian architecture. This book by Rob Alexander has been a big help, especially with the specific architectural details for each area of the world.

Speaking of art, the digital camera has died, and I'm usually ending up using my cell phone to take pics. It can be a real pain in the tucus, but the absence of recent photos of my art will soon be remedied. Hopefully.

Back to typing on my Nano novel...and hopefully I'll get that 10,000 words to 50,000 before November 30 rolls around.

Painting in Progress: "At the Lake"

"At the Lake"

oil

© 2011 by A. Dameron

 

This is an unfinished painting. I've blocked out the major locations of the mountains, water and the lake shore. The next step for me is to build on those general masses and apply shading, highlights and details.

Painting in Progress