Elder Futhark – reused wood & clay tiles

old-futhark
Elder Futhark (Runes)

Most Runic texts are found on hard surfaces such as rock, wood, and metal, and this might explain its angular shape. Because of the resemblance to Mediterranean scripts, it is very likely that Futhark was adapted from either the Greek or Etruscan alphabet. Even though the earliest Runic inscriptions are from the 3rd century CE, its origin may lie much deeper in the pre-history of Northern Europe. …

The Futhark of 24 letters is called “Elder Futhark”, and was used mostly before the 9th century CE. But as languages changed and more Germanic groups adopted it, Futhark changed as well to suit the language that it came to write.

Source: Ancientscripts.com

I spent this summer at the seaside as usual, on the Island of Pag , at Croatian Adriatic sea.  I’ve been collecting pieces of driftwood, pebbles, sea shells and other items modeled and shaped by the nature.

As the civilization gradually infiltrates into every bit of this planet, thus the construction sites  invades the shore. But the sea is the builder, the sculptor and the destroyer, so it takes from the land into its  depths then returns something scared, changed but beautiful. Walking down one of this deserted construction sites by the sea, I found pieces of planks, and bricks and roof tiles. But most interesting were those tiles fragments,  modeled and rounded by the sea,  looking like little pebbles. Sea made contemporary everyday objects look like ancient pieces. I wanted to make something with them, something that has an air of history.

So  I thought of runes…

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Helix Nebula – acrylic painting

Helix nebula
Helix nebula, 40×50 cm

The eye through which I see God is the same eye through which God sees me; my eye and God’s eye are one eye, one seeing, one knowing, one love.

Sermons of Meister Eckhart

Third piece from series of painting  Nebulae. This  nebula, known also as God’s eye nebula is maybe one of the most popular occurrences in the space.

It seems appropriate to show this painting trough these coming  days: Day of the Dead, Halloween, All saints,  All souls day, Samhain… Days when we remember our dead, think about our mortality and higher purpose in life. Days when we look above us to reach out to our God, Creator, Universe and HE looks upon us. Days when we transcend eerie sense of prescence to holy union of souls.

About the painting:

This painting was made with dry brush technique, as described in article about painting the Seahorse Nebula  and  Eagle Nebula.

I’ve panted the canvas black and added circles of blue shades – grading from lighter in the middle to darker to the end of circle. Than, while still wet, I’ve pulled the brush firmly over the circle to create rays. I kept adding other colors (white, yellow, orange, red)  with circular movements of brush to create hazy look of gases. Finally I splashed white color with wide flat wet brush, to create stars.

 

Details:

Seahorse Nebula – acrylic painting

Seahorse nebula
Seahorse nebula, 40×50 cm

It may look like a grazing seahorse, but the dark object toward the image right is actually a pillar of smoky dust about 20 light years long.

Source: NASA

Second piece from series of painting  Nebulae.

This painting was made with dry brush technique, as desribed in article about painting the Eagle Nebula.

Finished painting and details:

Eagle nebula – acrylic painting

Eagle nebula
Eagle nebula, 40×50 cm

The Eagle Nebula is 6,500 light-years away in the constellation of Serpens. It contains a young hot star cluster, NGC6611, which is visible with modest back-yard telescopes. This cluster is sculpting and illuminating the surrounding gas and dust, resulting in a huge hollowed-out cavity and pillars, each several light-years long.

Source: www.universetoday.com

It was really fun to paint this series of painting  Nebulae. I love the play of light and colors and space fascinate me.

This painting was made with dry brush technique. Firstly, I made black background. Than I gradually added layers of paint. When dry I splashed white paint with large flat brush to paint stars.

 

Finished painting and details:

 

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Lonely shallow – acrylic painting

Lonely shallow
Lonely shallow, 40×50 cm

In shallow waters, shrimps make fools of dragons.
-Chinese Proverb

Music theme: Shallow waters – Chris Norman

It is summer here and time for rest and fun by the sea. Still, most beautiful time of day for me is sunset. And here by Adriatic sea those sunsets are amazing and spectacular.

I tried to capture one of these silent and peaceful moments with all the shades and hues.

Technique I used  is ordinary – canvas, paint and brush. I felt that simple, yet beautiful scene like that, doesn’t need any special effects.

 

Process of painting and details of finished work:

 

Burning sky – acrylic painting

Burning sky - sunset
Burning sky (sunset), 30×24 cm

“You know– one loves the sunset, when one is so sad…”
“Were you so sad, then?” I asked, “on the day of the forty-four sunsets?”
But the little prince made no reply.”

-Antoine de Saint-Exupéry

Music theme: Sunset – Avalanche City

 

Often I look to the sky and see more beauty than in any art ever made.

I took a photograph once of the beautiful sunset and it was an inspiration for this painting. This is rather small painting but it’s very dear to me, and I like it for its colours and contrasts.

I didn’t make much texture, only bold strikes of the brush, because the contrast and warm colours create life, even drama on this scene.

Details:

Magpie – acrylic painting

Megpie
Megpie, 20×20 cm

All that glisters is not gold;
Often have you heard that told:
Many a man his life has sold
But my outside to behold:
Gilded tombs do worms enfold
Had you been as wise as bold,
Your in limbs, in judgment old,
Your answer had not been in’scroll’d
Fare you well: your suit is cold.’

– William Shakespeare

This little birdie thief that loves all that shines was painted to go with the Little owl painting. I’ve used the photo my father made, as for the previous one. My dad loves birds – he wathes them and feed them, so I painted them for him.

Painting technique was the one I often use – plastic foil and paint directly on the canvas to get texture. This time I have made bird contours with the palette knife, to make it smoother and to achieve impression of feathers.

I painted flowers to add some colour and painting is done.

Finished painting and details:

Cottage in the woods (painted tree stump)

Painted tree stump

I am a forest, and a night of dark trees: but he who is not afraid of my darkness, will find banks full of roses under my cypresses.

– Friedrich Nietzsche

Music theme: Cry of the Forest – Forest Elves

This is tree stump I found with several other pieces rot in the rain and sun and open sky. This is pine or spruce, I’m not sure, and still smells beautiful. My association was instant: deep forest and small secluded cottage. I always dreamed of having such small getaway from everyday life.

I removed all the debris, resin, cleaned the stump  well with water and left it to dry. Than I baked it in the oven to kill the microorganisms. When dry I applied some fungicide liquid.

I used acrylic paint and  waterproof wood varnish.

I’m quite happy how it looks in the garden. I think the dog likes it, too. J

Sun is hiding (solar eclipse) – acrylic painting

Solar eclipse
Sun is hiding (Solar eclipse), 30×40 cm

O dark, dark, dark, amid the blaze of noon,

Irrecoverably dark, total eclipse

Without all hope of day!

-John Milton, Samson Agonistes

Music theme: Total Eclipse of the Heart – Bonnie Tyler

This is the sixth of six canvases in „Natural phenomena” paintings series (Volcano eruption, Sea storm, Meteor impact, Blue moon, Aurora borealis, Solar eclipse).

I imagined this painting without many details, just the play of lights when sun is almost completely hidden. I wanted to catch that moment just before the total dark.

Love the symbolism and message that eclipse brings: sun is here, although we can’t see it. It is only hidden, not completely gone and it will soon be shining bright. Like in life, no dark is forever.

Technically, it was simple. I attached cardboard circle with scotch tape on black painted canvas. I have  gradually  built the image around that black circle. As shown on pics below.

 

Finished painting and details:

Univers strikes (meteor impact) – acrylic painting

Meteor impact
Univers strikes (Meteor impact), 30×40 cm

An asteroid impact would be a natural disaster on a scale that is hard to imagine. Unlike catastrophic volcanic eruptions or earthquakes, an asteroid impact is preventable. Humankind’s first step is finding the devil’s in the dark. Let’s get going.  –Bill Nye

Music theme: Asteroid – Kyuss

 

This is the fifth of six canvases in „Natural phenomena” paintings series (Volcano eruption, Sea storm, Meteor impact, Blue moon, Aurora borealis, Solar eclipse).

I had very clear vision about this painting. I imagined it with warm and bright colours, with bold, thick and somewhat messy brush strokes in the front plane. Background supposed to be cooler, more subtle and a bit hazy as to emphasize the strength and atrocity of the meteor impact.

Technically, this was simple. Black under paint, blue Earth and with the semi-dry brush and small amount of paint I’ve painted the nebulae and space. With wet brush and white paint I made splashes as stars. When dry, several thick layers of paint made fire, flames and sparks. Finally, when this was dry,  I added rock with palette knife.

Details: