This piece just needed to be done. I've always been fascinated by the fabulous and mysterious Saint Hildegard von Bingen, mystic, author (medicine!), composer of music, receiver of visions, advisor to rulers, powerful Abbess, and preacher of sermons.
The piece I created here is actually a combination of two medieval manuscripts:
This image shows Hildegard receiving a vision: note the red "fire" pouring into her head from above. The original picture shows her receiving a rather frightening image of a double headed angel holding a sword, and stepping on a snake-entwined demonic figure. I've switched this intimidating figure out and replaced it with music. As a musician myself, her otherworldly compositions have always fascinated me, and as such, I wanted to musically re-imagine this image.
The piece I created here is actually a combination of two medieval manuscripts:
- 1. The musical text, O nobilissima viriditas, is found in massive volume (481 pages!) Hs.2, dated to ca. 1180-1190(?) housed in the "Hochschul- und Landesbibliothek RheinMain". The musical work is part of Hildegard's "Scivias".
This image shows Hildegard receiving a vision: note the red "fire" pouring into her head from above. The original picture shows her receiving a rather frightening image of a double headed angel holding a sword, and stepping on a snake-entwined demonic figure. I've switched this intimidating figure out and replaced it with music. As a musician myself, her otherworldly compositions have always fascinated me, and as such, I wanted to musically re-imagine this image.
I cordially invite you to find more about this piece at my art store, by clicking on the button below.
Please note: this exact piece has been sold. However, if you wish, I can make a copy of it as I still have the plans.
Close-Up Shots
The following set of pictures are close-ups, taken to maximise the shine of the metallic paint and gold leaf. As you can see, each shot looks very different, depending on the angle and placement of the light, etc.
The following set of pictures are close-ups, taken to maximise the shine of the metallic paint and gold leaf. As you can see, each shot looks very different, depending on the angle and placement of the light, etc.
Artist Media
As with the other pieces so far added to this website, I used the following media to complete this piece:
As with the other pieces so far added to this website, I used the following media to complete this piece:
- Waterford watercolour paper
- Gouache and watercolour paints (matte)
- Metallic gouache
- Sumi and Acrylic ink
- 24K Gold leaf, burnished over gesso and clay bole.
Art Process
Line Drawings
As I mentioned for other pieces, line sketches are THE most important aspect of creating a new piece. For this piece I spent almost as much time on the line drawings as I did on the rest of the piece (save the gesso and clay bole process).
Here are some informal shots I took of making these line drawings.
Line Drawings
As I mentioned for other pieces, line sketches are THE most important aspect of creating a new piece. For this piece I spent almost as much time on the line drawings as I did on the rest of the piece (save the gesso and clay bole process).
Here are some informal shots I took of making these line drawings.
Calligraphy
Normally when one does calligraphy, one worries about the shapes of the letters. This is the first time I've attempted medieval music notation (neumes)!
The video below shows me adding the text and the neumes in real time. It is a SLOW process! Part of the 'reduced' speed is because the text and the music need to be lined up exactly. So before writing anything down (in permanent ink! no mistakes!), I double, triple, and quadruple checked the shape, placement and script of each stroke. Because so much music needed to be written on half a page, I was also using a very small nib: and for me this means I am more prone to making unstable lines. This compounded the need for slow speed.
Normally when one does calligraphy, one worries about the shapes of the letters. This is the first time I've attempted medieval music notation (neumes)!
The video below shows me adding the text and the neumes in real time. It is a SLOW process! Part of the 'reduced' speed is because the text and the music need to be lined up exactly. So before writing anything down (in permanent ink! no mistakes!), I double, triple, and quadruple checked the shape, placement and script of each stroke. Because so much music needed to be written on half a page, I was also using a very small nib: and for me this means I am more prone to making unstable lines. This compounded the need for slow speed.
Adding the Paint
It seems that I forgot to take pictures of the process of adding the paint. In fact, I actually did this really fast: I got into "the zone" (as it were!) and didn't leave it for two days or so (in-between teaching). After that, the paint was basically applied, and shading done.
It seems that I forgot to take pictures of the process of adding the paint. In fact, I actually did this really fast: I got into "the zone" (as it were!) and didn't leave it for two days or so (in-between teaching). After that, the paint was basically applied, and shading done.
Gold leafing!
And finally the gold leafing — which is if I'm really honest with myself — the reason why I do this. In the video below I walk through some of the process.
And finally the gold leafing — which is if I'm really honest with myself — the reason why I do this. In the video below I walk through some of the process.
After this step, 95% of the process of completing the piece was over. What remained was to refine the edges, and outline the edges (as is common for medieval art), provide some highlights, and then finally make a dark ink border around the whole piece, just to pull it all together. The picture below shows me half done those outlining steps.
Then, as a last step, I wet the back of the piece and weighed it down over night under a tonne of books to flatten the paper. As always, whenever adding water to watercolour paper, the paper warps somewhat, and—especially for this kind of work—I was always flattening it in between steps.