9″ x 12″
I was asked to make images for a retranslation of Rilke’s cycle of poems about the life of the Virgin Mary. Having gotten to know the text pretty well, I have settled on brown ink and gold leaf as the medium. Turns out, gold leaf is a prissy and uncooperative as it is radiant and fantastic.
Nonetheless, it feels right, like the materials themselves resonate with (illustrate) the text, independent of the imagery. So here’s the first of several (perhaps many) semi-successful images documenting my self-education in the art if translating German into ink and gold. That’s a cow in the bottom right. Cherubs at the top. I’d like to post the accompanying text, but awaiting publication. Besides, if the images are any good, they’ll be fine on their own, that’s a helpful guage maybe. Apologies for the fuzziness of the photo.
I dig it. Fussy gold leaf and all.
I didn't get a chance to see it in this final incarnation. Excited to view it in person, as I'm liking the new color contrasts throughout the gold leaf section. Convenient that you and your art live across the courtyard.
What a beautiful glow in the sky. The ink has a fantastic, ethereal quality there, and the gold leaf is stunning against the dark ink, even in the photo, be it slightly fuzzy or no… Can't wait to see the whole finished series…. Experiment on!