You can not select more than 25 topics
Topics must start with a letter or number, can include dashes ('-') and can be up to 35 characters long.
40 lines
1.8 KiB
40 lines
1.8 KiB
Title: Man’s Reach Exceeds His Grasp |
|
Date: 2012-04-11 |
|
Category: Projects |
|
Summary: My first attempt at painting with acrylic. |
|
|
|
The painting is called “Man’s Reach Exceeds His Grasp”. I've always wanted to |
|
try painting and thought I had a good idea, so after a couple of drawings I |
|
attempted to paint it. I eventually got it framed at Michaels. Many thanks to my |
|
friend Laura for the opportunity to do this, I couldn't have done it without her |
|
help. |
|
|
|
![a painting of water pouring out of a vase and into a hand, then turning to sand]({static}/images/painting/painting1.jpg) |
|
|
|
## The Meaning |
|
|
|
It’s hard to see in the photo, but the moment the water touches his hand it |
|
turns into sand and is taken by the slight breeze. The title is a quote from |
|
Andrea del Sarto, a poem by Robert Browning. It is also said by Nikola Tesla’s |
|
character in my favourite movie, [The Prestige](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0482571/). |
|
|
|
“I, painting from myself and to myself, |
|
Know what I do, am unmoved by men’s blame |
|
Or their praise either. Somebody remarks |
|
Morello's outline there is wrongly traced, |
|
His hue mistaken; what of that? or else, |
|
Rightly traced and well ordered; what of that? |
|
Speak as they please, what does the mountain care? |
|
Ah, but a man’s reach should exceed his grasp, |
|
Or what’s a heaven for?” |
|
– Robert Browning from *Andrea del Sarto* |
|
|
|
## Creation |
|
|
|
I started with the background, trying to make it blurry and out of focus, then |
|
slowly progressed to the foreground. The hands were drawn in pencil and painted |
|
in. It was quite difficult to get the blending and shadows perfect, but I had |
|
Laura to tell me when things didn't look right. Below I am trying to figure out |
|
what a hand looks like in a mirror. |
|
|
|
![me looking at my own hand in the mirror as a guide]({static}/images/painting/painting2.jpg)
|
|
|