Monday, July 4, 2011

White Knight of Bright Morning


White Knight of Bright Morning
Size: 19.3x21.6 inches
Medium: Watercolors
Original and prints for sale -here-
Detail closeups -here-

Baba Yaga of Slavic folklore: she was wise woman and witch, bestower of gifts and curses, life and death, crone, grandmother, and goddess. "My white knight, bright day. My red knight, round sun. My black knight, dark night," so she names her three servants.

This is the first of what will eventually be three paintings. Red & Black are forthcoming.


* * *


Some of the inspiration for the background:

A birch grove on Manatoulin Island in Canada. Crisp edges and the mottled texture of the bark very striking. The morning sun streaming through the trees on a chill winter day in New York. Shadows and light. Lines and edges and a latticework of fine branches. Though my references may have been a little more close to home, white birch forests are found in Russia as well, and so it made an excellent setting for this piece.

5 comments:

  1. When i saw the sketch I think that this will be a awesome painting ...and yes it is awesome!
    I like the bright colors and the elegance of the Animals.
    very well done!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Lovely! I love how the sun comes through the birches with the knight heralding it (driving it on?) I still think the next knight should be on a horse, but I could be a little biased towards horses ;)

    ReplyDelete
  3. I just wanted you to know...that your art always lifts my day during hard times. Thank you.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Ooh lovely. You know I can just smell a frosty, pale, clear winter morning when I look at this!

    ReplyDelete