Art Monday: The Forever Painting variations

Original version of The Forever Painting

manipulated sketch

detail of top portion

detail of lower portion

Drawing for The Forever Painting II

Oil painting originally seen here and more here.
Pencil drawing seen here.

This thing is physically huge. Hard to take decent pictures of. For the original painted version, my wife stood in front of the canvas, and I traced her shadow in chalk.

Sometimes as an artist, you return to the same theme multiple times and keep exploring and refining it.  I'd love to make a new painting based on the trees, but haven't had a long enough gap in my schedule, so one day worked up the little drawing to make the mental note about it.

You may also notice that in addition to flying trilobites, it has a DNA-Candle, much like the ones I showed last week.

- - - - - - - - Original artwork on The Flying Trilobite Copyright to Glendon Mellow
under Creative Commons Licence.
Flying Trilobite Gallery *** Flying Trilobite Reproduction Shop ***

The Big News: Strong and Free(lance)

Tentanda Via - The way must be tried.

-York University motto.

I've made a decision. I've given notice to my good, full-time job and I'm going to go professional. Full-time freelance fine artist & illustrator, occasional speaker on the intersection of art and science.

This year, I completed my Honours Bachelor of Fine Arts that I had left in limbo over a decade ago. Michelle is a full-time primary school teacher now, and is encouraging me to take new steps in my career. I really want this. The time is now.

Inspired in part by Brian Switek's "So you want to write a pop-sci book" series on Laelaps and as an offshoot to my Going Pro series on Art Evolved, over the next few months I'll start writing about what it's like freelancing, and what steps I'm taking to aim for success. Of course I won't discuss clients or jobs I'm working on (at least until showing off successfully completed artwork), and other than the occasional post for something new in my reproduction shop, I won't be using this series to jones for jobs.

Since I was 14, I've been working with a steady paycheque. Now, I'll leave the security of my full-time job in late summer or early fall. I want to discuss what I'm doing to be prepared for this big shift. I'll make mistakes, and learn lessons, and I plan to share them in the Strong and (Free)lance series.

With the blessings of my fellow Art Evolved admins, Craig and Peter, I may be posting this series of Going Pro on both blogs.

I have a lot of people to thank for the encouragement and advice while I've been considering this shift. My wife Michelle has been cheering me on, and has incredible confidence in me. I've spoken with image-makers Carl Buell, Jeff Hayes, Eric Orchard, Tanja Sova, Sean Craven, Craig Dylke, Chris Zenga, and Felice Frankel about the decision at various stages, and it's helped a lot. (Jeff, you tipped it over the edge!) A special thanks to Coturnix and Sugarman for the invites to ScienceOnline that made this path clearer. And thanks too, to the many people -bloggers, authors, scientists and art fans - who've commissioned a work or purchased a print from my online store. Each of you have made this a pleasure.

Most of the commissions I've performed over the last 3+ years of blogging here on The Flying Trilobite were unsolicited. I'm proud of how my artwork has resonated with the secular and scientific communities. To turn it into a career, I need to seek opportunities myself, and not wait for them to come to me.

Scared and elated and ready. Bring it.

- - - - - - - -
Original artwork on The Flying Trilobite Copyright to Glendon Mellow
under Creative Commons Licence.
Flying Trilobite Gallery *** Flying Trilobite Reproduction Shop ***

Photos from the Kortright Centre

Some of my photos from the SONSI (Southern Ontario Nature & Science Illustrators) sketch day at the Kortright Centre for Conservation just north of Toronto, a couple of weeks ago.

The SONSI group at the marsh.

Leopard frog.  Lots of tadpoles around. 

Red-eared slider ignoring us in the sun.

I managed to spot a heron pretty far away. 

Photos are great for future illustration reference. 

Perfect day.  I stood here sketching reeds. 

Swans heading back to their nest on a small island in the marsh. 

If you're an illustrator or fine artist living in Ontario interested in nature and science, check out our new group.

- - - - - - - -
Original artwork on The Flying Trilobite Copyright to Glendon Mellow
under Creative Commons Licence.
Flying Trilobite Gallery *** Flying Trilobite Reproduction Shop ***

Illustrator interviews at SONSI

This week on SONSI (the Southern Ontario Nature & Science Illustrators) I've kicked off a series of interviews, beginning with the legendary Barry Kent MacKay.  (I only sent out the questions this morning!  Fast!)

I owe the idea and casual format of these interviews in no small part to Coturnix.  No one does internet communication better!

It's a terrific interview for getting into the mind of a lifelong bird illustrator and animal conservationist.

Check it out here.

- - - - - - - - Original artwork on The Flying Trilobite Copyright to Glendon Mellow
under Creative Commons Licence.
Flying Trilobite Gallery *** Flying Trilobite Reproduction Shop ***

Tips on web-ready images

One of the Southern Ontario Nature & Science Illustrators' members asked for a few tips on making images web-ready, and putting the little © copyright symbol on things.

Head over to the SONSI site for some of my quick tips.

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Original artwork on The Flying Trilobite Copyright to Glendon Mellow
under Creative Commons Licence.
Flying Trilobite Gallery *** Flying Trilobite Reproduction Shop ***

Art Monday: DNA-Candle Vanitas series

DNA-Candle Vanitas I, II and III
Each painting, oil on canvas; various years, see individual posts.
© Glendon Mellow


DNA-Candle Vanitas I appeared here. DNA-Candle Vanitas II appeared here. DNA-Candle Vanitas III appeared here.

Some details about this series:

Vanitas painting is an old tradition, especially popular in the Northern Renaissance. Usually, it is a still life, depicting perhaps a skull, a broken watch, a candle just snuffed out with the smoke trailing in the air, a book half-read, a tipped over water glass....Pieter Claesz, trained by Franz Hals, is one of my favourite masters of this art style.

The image is one of mortality, with a kind of knock-you-over-the-head symbolism. The message intended is a kind of carpe diem, or "seize the day".

After reading about how telomeres may play a part in the aging process, and that their ends snip off when they replicate, I started coming up with the DNA Candle image. I remember reading something in the 90's that suggested if one could extend telomeres, one may be able to stave off death. The candle melting and the telomere shortening just seemed a natural image. I used DNA as a wick since it is more readily recognisable by most people.

So the ultimate message of the DNA Candle Vanitas is one of seize the day, life is beautiful but finite. The candles are lit and glowing, a loving image and the wax has melted together in union.

Typically, I have created these as wedding gifts, and the DNA-Candle motif has appeared in other paintings and drawings of mine.

You can find #III in my first calendar collection, (June).  DNA-Candle Vanitas IV will soon be available as a print or greeting card in the Print Shop.

- - - - - - - - Original artwork on The Flying Trilobite Copyright to Glendon Mellow
under Creative Commons Licence.
Flying Trilobite Gallery *** Flying Trilobite Reproduction Shop ***