Monday, November 16 My Ostraka: History IV: lv
I love this small watercolor. I love the archaic lion, the ruins of Selinus, Temple G, called the Appolonian. Temple G is discussed because of the different dimensions of its columns, its dynamic asymmetry. This watercolor was developing in my usual manner but its composition didn’t suggest oak leaves to me. So I gave in to my lotus designs, I must have drawn about two-dozen different ancient lotus templates so far. The lotus closes at night and reopens with the dawn, so symbolic for those ancient Egyptians who saw in all things metamorphosis, symbolism and spiritual mysteries.
I designed several lotus types using a curved petal. Classical Egyptian lotuses from wall reliefs, tomb paintings and papyri have lotuses with pointed petals because the petals do come to a point. I have designed two styles, pointed and curved.
I was going wild with my quinocridone watercolors, as you can see the rich golden hues that are more vibrant than classical burnt sienna, and I loved how the quinochrdone gold lotus, washed over the lion in sumi ink, gave the overlaid area a tender green cast, something like a terra verte. Perfect.
The final touch was crystals, used in other works to demarcate constellations, but here used randomly, for art’s sake.
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