Hekate 24x30cm

[Puapka]

So i tried to make a small painting of hekate to simulate something like a christian icon because they are cool, not visually just the idea of something imbued with purpose, small painting connected to spirituality etc. This is of course a failure on that and every other front as it turned out to be visually quite naive and flat, without anything deeper, just a straightforward representation of her, and medicore at that. I did improve, i did better than i expected, but i tried to draw with paints too much, and generally im not confident in the medium, i dont know what I'm doing, there isn't an easy process i can follow.

in the movie beyond the hills theres a scene that i think about recently
the lesbian that tries to get her gf out of being a nun is trying to get behind the altar to see the rumored icon that fullfils wishes to get her wish. She is stopped, but she questions if the icon exists at all, and the patriarch shows it, and that moment is kind of magical in the way that by seeing it the entire power of the icon is sapped away, it exists but is just a picture, to see god is to question him, to understand is to kill him, its powerful. I see similar icons sold now in stores around the churches and they have even less power than it, divine has to be in mystery.

I want to create an icon that doesnt lose power by being seen, i want to create something real, spiritual, i think precisely because i painted on a small square the comparision came to mind, i think about this scene a lot now


i guess in the end im a medicore artist without a vision, so i should grind until i get something right maybe, i shouldnt feel as bad about it though, should i do it on paper instead of canvases thoough so i dont waste as much money for it, its just that my last painting was surprisingly good and i got cocky

 

[Enyaw]

I like the painting.mThat’s a high task you set for yourself. I use XL acrylic and oil pad. I didn’d like it for acrylic but for oil it’s as sturdy as a 1/8 inch panel. It doesn’t warp on me. 11 x14 inch pad of 24 sheets is about 30.00 Canadian . Very cheap in comparison of panels.

 

[Artyczar]

I wouldn't call yourself mediocre. You have vision, and there are very good qualities in this piece that capture what you were going for. I understand the narrative you want to capture, and sometimes, not all of that can be communicated in one work. Maybe a whole series presented together can. Have you thought about it that way?

I feel this is a really cool painting. Keep at it. It's good.

 

[Puapka]

I like the painting.mThat’s a high task you set for yourself. I use XL acrylic and oil pad. I didn’d like it for acrylic but for oil it’s as sturdy as a 1/8 inch panel. It doesn’t warp on me. 11 x14 inch pad of 24 sheets is about 30.00 Canadian . Very cheap in comparison of panels.

The task might be high but it is pretty common, in the end i want art to either convey something transcendental or be impressive in technique, both of which are goals of good chunk of painters even if the spiritual language and icon comparison made it sound very lofty, and even failure at such a feat should be worthwhile for the journey itself should be meaningful

right now im using acrulics only, might buy one of these paper sheets with papers for them, i dont know its all expensive really

I wouldn't call yourself mediocre. You have vision, and there are very good qualities in this piece that capture what you were going for. I understand the narrative you want to capture, and sometimes, not all of that can be communicated in one work. Maybe a whole series presented together can. Have you thought about it that way?

I feel this is a really cool painting. Keep at it. It's good.

as a catholic raised comic artist i definitely have soome angles of understanding how multiple images can convey more than one of them on their own, but in this case the painting is just kind of flat, if my next ones will recontextualize it in a manner where it becomes more interesting I'll reconsider.

Without context "mediocre" doesn't mean much but i don't see my skills as really exceptional, in most artistic environments i appeared i thought my skills fitted roughly in the median. This is fine, lots can be achieved without any workshop whatsoever and i can still grow as an artist, seeing myself as mediocre isn't demotivating to me, Im glad you got something out of seeing it