The last Folksmother

[Kraftr]

yeah all my posts are still just explorations, trying to find a vocabulary and finding out faulty thinking, that is why I need the feedback. That's why faces are an afterthought, and most drawings are unfinished and not clean. I like my Athena style Freya, it evokes the most religious feel in me, and just out of selfindulgence. It could be a cool painting, that would take some time though. Also good for painting is the bad times idea, it's reminding me of flemish paintings I've seen of rough farmlife, and the last Dutch flood in the 50s. Maybe I should study some old seapainters too first. I think naturally my hand could evolve toward a Arthur Rackham style.
BUT, I also want to explore just decorative motifs, maybe knotwork, dragonpatterns, and some 'flat', primitive stylised shapes, naive, folkish art like woodcarvings, tapestries. I think this could be beautiful on the book too(eg the spine of the book) I'm thinking that if you want a gold embossed symbol-like picture on the cover that it would have to be more simple. The seated mother I drew perhaps, but I have a more 'primitive' idea that I will draw soon. So I think the design for that would best be made as a linocut. And I'm thinking of doing some of my future 3d work with this same naive, more symbolic, style.
First up to finish is the Kelta one, enough positive response on that, now to decide which technique.

[Kraftr]

concept skech for a goldprint cover. any element can be dismissed, the main idea was the mother with ornamental lions.

[ott]

I like it. Eyes and mouth could be more refined. The seven watch maidens represented by their stars is a nice detail. Would not use two words with -DOM though. Perhaps replace WISDOM with WÉRHÉD?

[Kraftr]

My thinking; make the lions ornamental part of the chair. I looked at stavechurches and some had lions at the entrance. They didn't have distinguishable manes though. Maybe the cats of Frya where old European black lions who may have looked more like panthers, or lionesses. Also Dionysos rides a cat who has pantherlike spots, Shiva has a robe like that.
The stars are indeed the maidens, and refer to Pleiades too, which is in the sign of the bull. I learned recently that we pass through a meteorshower that seems to be coming from there every year around haloween, and it is connected to celebration of the dead, or ancestors.(wild hunt?)
I wanted to connect to nordic styles so I added the idea of knotwork, but I don't know of that being done in the Netherlands, or a better ornamental style.
the water refers to primordial waters, and flood. The text and anything else can be left out if you want, I aim to please.
I wanted to make this as a print, and then I can print it in any (available)colour on any background and send it.
Also it could be the template for a 3d walldecoration.
In this work-in-progress picture you can see some attempts at styles of faces and a negative, with a ''medieval' face also a Fraulein with braids and a type of hat I see a lot on cybile, and other matroness art.

working.jpg (44.38 KiB) Viewed 3655 times

[Kraftr]

IMG_2037.jpg (52.29 KiB) Viewed 3634 times

[Kraftr]

cover.jpg (134.89 KiB) Viewed 4322 times

[Nordic]

Awesome works, Kraftr!

[ott]

The face should be more symmetrical (and attractive even if stylized), in particular the eyes.

[Kraftr]

I wanted my artwork to look archaic. The last Lion-mother I posted was also an attempt to make something that could be used for a goldprint cover, so I made it twotone.
I will try to make a beatiful mother next. I also made a Kelta but I'm not satisfied myself, and will do it again. I'm also working on 3D Idols at the moment.

[ott]

Well done! My favorite thus far.