The frost is on the pumpkin – or at least it's been on the neighbourhood rooftops a few mornings; the Summer Camp "merch" has mostly been distributed; and the "Seven Views of Grouse Mountain" series is now installed to cover part of a patched-up basement wall.
Riding the bus one day, I was showered with a big bag of homegrown kale by a fellow rider. It was the same week that my friend L. delivered Galiano Island apples and cherry tomatoes to my door, and….I couldn't resist. I decided I'd use some of this abundance as props for a harvest-themed portrait in the manner of Arcimboldo.
When I first saw examples of his work, I thought he was an early 20th-century surrealist. But no. Although he was celebrated by artists like Salvador Dali, he was a 16th century Italian Renaissance painter – and a court artist to boot. His painting titled "Vertumnus" is a salute to both a Roman god and to the Holy Roman Emperor! If you have the stomach for more politics, read here.
Okay – with some additions from the local grocery store, I splashed down my own version:--
Thinking of my cultured friends P and R, I at least had the grace not to try for Arcimboldo's "The Librarian" -- although as retired specialized librarians, they just might find interesting the debate about the message of this painting.
In retrospect, I've wondered if Arcimboldo's weird vibes weren't responsible for the upheaval in my week – when my smoke/CO alarms went off in manic beeping and exclamations. The Fire Department came and gave the all-clear, and the next day the alarm company replaced a defective unit – but I was a bit rattled.
Luckily this upset didn't interfere with a long-planned art tour north to Whistler, BC, for a fabulous exhibit of the works of Canadian artist Tom Thomson. After that soothing (though exhilarating) experience, I decided to bring my week to a calm close with a small 8" x 10" study – not quite to Thomson's standards! – he made at least 150 in small size, leading in some cases, to his larger works.
Here's my little commemoration of a busy flock of white-crowned sparrows near West Van's Ambleside Beach where I waited for the tour group to convene.
At another gallery we visited on the Whistler trip, a bubbly artist named Jane Appleby showed us what real artists' "merch" looks like. At the end of her talk, she gave each of us a pen with its small patterned swatch taken from one of her own paintings.
