Brant Rock Union Chapel

Union Chapel

The Brant Rock Union Chapel is a pretty little church on the edge of the Brant Rock esplanade.   Did the "fieldstone" walls come from the fields or the shore - which is just a stone's throw away?   It is a picturesque scene, even when the sea water inundates it.  It is enjoyed by all denominations and is open during the summer months.

The Empty Tomb

The Empty Tomb

In our increasingly secular world, religious themed art appeals to fewer and fewer people.   I happen to like it and was relieved to hear initial reports that priceless artwork in Paris's Notre Dame Cathedral fire was not ruined.  Works like these could never be replaced!
This week's post is my humble rendition of Jesus's tomb as discovered after the Resurrection.   (His face is in the rocks.)

New Day

New Day

I used a 12x16 virgin white canvas for this one.   The "wipe out" method is always fun and interesting and yet, somewhat unpredictable.   For a cold day in January, shaking it up would be just the thing!   I moistened the canvas with Gamsol.   This is done so that the initial pigment applied is not absorbed so intensely, still allowing wiping out to the pure white base.    So apply the paint just to turn around and wipe it off you may ask?   Yes.

Transparent colors were used to stain the canvas including  Chromatic Black (Gamblin), Asphaltum (transparent brown), Ultramarine blue.   These colors, when smeared together blended to a mid-range neutral tone.  After twenty to thirty minutes, this underpainting was set enough to start "reverse painting."   I took a smooth Viva paper towel and started wiping out the lightest lights of my reference photo.    This simplified painting process yielded a monochromatic - almost print-like result.  The lack of color gave more impact to the powerful pose itself.  Who is she?   What is the message?  Is is finished?   All good questions that you or I could answer with equal accuracy!

Father Michael's Roses

While in Cork City, Cork, Ireland we walked to St. Finbarr's South Parish Church, where my Grandmother and Great-grandparents were baptized and married.   It was a Saturday morning when we got to the church which was quiet but open.   It was a bit eerie to think that my ancestors walked through the same doors and gazed at the same statues, window and altar over one hundred years ago.

The church was modest by comparison to some of the grand cathedrals we had been seeing during the trip.
I particularly liked that the stations of the cross were colorful paintings, not statues or stone reliefs like most we had seen.   We lit candles and sat in awe of this sacred place.

Back outside,we walked to the back of the church parking lot to where the rectory was.   There was a sign on the door that the genealogist who usually was there on Saturday morning for questions would not be able to make it on this day.   We were a little disappointed, but lingered admiring the stonework from the outside and generally looking like tourists I suppose.  A wonderful and affable older gentleman walked straight toward us and asked if we were visiting.   We had a nice conversation about our trip thus far, and our regret that the genealogist would not be available.    In the meantime, another man walked along the driveway toward the back of the church, and our new friend enthusiastically announced that this was Father Michael and he most certainly could help us.

St. Finbarr South Parish Cork

And he did.   He walked us to the lower level of the back of the church and opened a huge door to what looked like a vault.   Inside there were rows of 16 inch book binders, carefully labelled with their contents, births, marriages, deaths, and the associated dates.  I pulled out an ancestry information sheet that I had tucked into my bag - just in case.  Father Michael pulled out the huge volumes that corresponded.  He turned the large yellow pages to find the calligraphic lettering, Anderson, Buckley. Births, marriage, seeing it in person was special.

One of these huge volumes had a binder label that was somewhat torn and Father Michael handed me an ordinary tape dispenser and would I please place a bit of tape on it while he held it?   Of course I would, but I was worried about placing ordinary tape over a centenarian treasure.   Back it went into the vault.  We were totally filled with awe as we saw him close the vault and spin the large lock.

Before we departed, he pulled out a surname directory and looked up the names we were researching.   He noted that there had been a Saint Harrington and he would research him and send us the information.  Just this week, we received an envelope in the mail from him with the information he wanted us to have.   The goodwill and blessings from this Ireland trip continue....

Is there a connection to a painting here?  Yes.  There was an astonishing spray of roses outside Father Michael's; and he was the gardener extraordinaire.  His secret to success?  He confided it was horse manure.  I was inspired to use the Daniel Keys floral palette and methods to paint the five inch wide roses cultivated by Father Michael to record this memorable visit to Cork.