The hallway to my bedroom is a direct shot from the living room, so the bedroom door is actually very visible to my living room guests. When I was repainting the hallway, I decided to make the bedroom entrance a bigger statement.
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This griffin decoration is achieved with the same Sherwin Williams paints that I used in the hallway, with acrylic paints added for some of the shading.
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| www.ne.se |
The original overdoor was carved in 1794 by Pehr Ljung for Regent Carl of Sweden. Carl acted as regent for his nephew from 1792-1796, and as Carl XIII of Sweden from 1809-1818. The griffin was Carl's heraldic device, and in this arrangement, griffins guard the tripod sacred to Apollo, symbolizing Carl as guardian of the arts.
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Hello Mark,
ReplyDeleteWell, 'Guardian of the Arts' is a most appropriate title for you so the decorative symbols over the door seem very apt. And, how beautifully you have executed them. They really do come to life with the shading.
This is a most interesting idea for treating a door and is definitely something we shall store away in our minds for the future. Do they not say that copying is the sincerest form of flattery?
Dear Jane and Lance,
DeleteIt's good to have you back in the blogging world again!
The trick to accomplishing an overdoor like this is to find reference that is photographed, or otherwise rendered, head-on. So often reference that inspires me is photoraphed at a three-quarter view. or an unusual perspective. I got lucky on this one!
Dear Mark - the excitement is mounting - the demolition job appears to be nearing its completion.
ReplyDeleteLove the griffin decoration over your inner sanctum doorway - you have very successfully managed to achieve a three dimensional quality to it.
I am now curious about the new profile portrait!
Dear Rosemary,
DeleteYes, the demolition is almost finished, and the next posting will be a header that while not permanent, will last through a long series.
And the new profile portrait might give you a good laugh!
You are killing me with all of this great work Mark! I love it.
ReplyDeleteThank you, Theresa! I'm glad you checked in while I'm having fun with my new headers. And it means a lot to me that you appreciate the art, because I know the quality of your own work.
DeleteHello Mark, Another impressive sample of your virtuosity. The trompe-l'oeil effect of the shading is quite remarkable. Although we can't see the whole doorway, I sense an overall restraint that makes the unexpected griffin design even more spectacular and meaningful.
ReplyDelete--Jim
Hello, Jim,
DeleteI didn't photograph the whole hallway because in this posting I didn't want the bedroom itself to distract from the art. I think "restraint" is a great word when one is trying to make a bold statement within a small house. The bedroom's overall decor is a tan color, so I was mindful of making the hallway a sort of color bridge, with brown walls and tan trim.
Dear Mark, Often artists copy ideas and often it is a poor rendition. Not so with your beautiful Griffin entablature. You have created an excellent work of art. Interesting how you apply shading from the left. I do the same even though Italians have the light coming from the left. Interesting also how you write about the "head on" photographs. I often publish only "sideviews" ...it makes it more difficult to copy my work. And by the way, Griffins are one of my most favorite subjects,
ReplyDeleteDear Gina,
DeleteSo much of creativity stems from that splendid spark of seeing an image from a time and place that is not our own and overlaying it with the interpretation of our own unique experience. That's magical, isn't it? I often tell friends that I time travel, but what I'm really doing is trying to experience imagery in its original context before I reapply it to the present.
The bulldozer is almost off the page. The Duke is AWOL. The suspense is killing me.
ReplyDeleteHa ha ha ha ha
DeleteStay tuned!
Beautiful, Mark, and even more amazing that it was executed with regular wall paint!
ReplyDeleteThanks, Steve! I went ahead and used the wall paint in part because I prefer a flat finish to ones that reflect at different angles, which even matte does.
DeleteExcellent Mark, and it creates so much interest in (from what I remember) a rather modernist house. I would certainly enjoy that sort of embellishment in a modern apartment, such as we have here.
ReplyDeleteThank you, Columnist. It would be fun to travel to far flung places to create such embellishments!
DeleteYou may be thinking of a mid-century house that I featured some time ago, but nobody would call my own house modernist. You'll get a sense of my place in the next posting . . .
Hello Mark!
ReplyDeleteAnother incredible project: I absolutely adore this one, too! I can imagine that, for someone as aesthetically aware as you, that coming and going through this portal must make the experience even better... I know it would for me! I'm inspired!!
Thank you for another wonderful post.
Warm regards,
Erika
p.s. love that little bulldozer....
Dear Erika,
DeleteThanks for liking my (and Carl XIII's) overdoor!
In case you missed the past several postings as they went up, the bulldozer has been slowly moving across the header. It's making way for the next posting, which will be a different look.
Best wishes,
Mark