Available
Be Still My Heart
This mixed media work playfully revolves around a depiction of Venus in a famous oil painting by the renowned Italian artist Titian. A photograph of a portion of his painting was digitally manipulated to make it appear that Venus is so taken with the necklace displayed nearby that she leans out of her golden frame to get a better look. To complement the green-blue tones of the wall and the aqua tone of the Murano glass beads in the necklace, the display stand is covered in velvet in a shade of green similar to that often used by Titian. The flesh tones of Venus are matched by the beige tones of the mother of pearl in the necklace.
Venus with a Mirror is one of the masterpieces of Italian art painted by the Venetian artist Titian. My sculpture playfully manipulates the nude Venus in that painting. A photograph of that oil has been digitally manipulated to make it Venus appear breathless before a necklace on a nearby stand.
The necklace is designed with an especially good quality and cut of citrine (a semiprecious stone), mother of pearl, freshwater pearls and Murano glass encasing gold foil. Additional materials in the assemblage include a dollhouse miniature frame, wood, velvet and paper.
Custom framed with museum glass in a sophisticated deep wooden frame in collaboration with Chevy Chase Art Gallery, Washington, DC.
Frame color: Black
Size (in inches): 12.5 x 10.75 x 4
Ready to hang.
Framing
Though many designs appear simple, each work in fact takes several months to create. The final version is rarely the one initially envisioned; the laws of gravity force numerous adjustments. Execution involves a multitude of skills, some of which are acquired specifically to achieve the desired artistic result. In fact, it took several years of experimenting before I even hit upon a technique for creating assemblages.
The framing process is itself a component of the work, both conceptually and artistically. Though the frame is clean and modern in appearance, the framing process is not as simple as it seems. The determination whether to create a "room" (as with Born Free) or an intimate atmosphere (as with What Price Silence) is in fact part of the artistic process.
Works are custom framed to provide sufficient depth to accomplish my artistic goals as well as to support the weight of the work (often 40-60 pounds). The 4-inch deep decorative wooden frame curves outward to bring the work closer to the viewer.
As many designs are supported by the base as well as the backing, the framing process can be tricky. It took several months of experimentation to determine how to create a work that it was practical to frame. The glass protects the work from damaged caused by dust and dusting.
