artist – Page 8 – Rob Medley

Eye of Heaven

January 14, 2017 by Rob Medley

If you ever look at a human eye up close, it’s one of the most beautiful natural creations. I was thinking of this when I started this project. At the same time, I wanted to create the impression of what one would see looking up at the moon. The moon here represents the reflection of natural light in the eyes, where the forest is the myriad of colors that make up the rest. It’s also a reflection on life, eternity, and the wonder of natural things.

Mixed Media (really because of the pumice I used to make the moon (it’s somewhat 3-D) on canvas, 11 x 14, and already sold.

Midsummer Knights Dream

January 22, 2017January 8, 2017 by Rob Medley

A painting of a woman with long, curly hair, closed eyes, and blue lips. She wears a necklace with a circular pendant. Her serene face is bathed in warm light against a swirling background of deep blues and reds, creating a mystical atmosphere reminiscent of Midsummer Knights Dream.

This started out as something else, but my art rarely goes where I want it to – which is not a bad thing; it’s part of the adventure. I originally was going for a take on Munch’s ‘The Scream’, but somewhere along the way blended the surrealistic aspects of his work and more traditional painting – probably because I wanted to practice shading. As a fantasy piece, the story is of a knight, a Paladin or otherwise, who takes a moment to rest. The scene captures that moment that the borders between the dream-lands and the world we live in blur; where sleep takes over our thoughts. In the background, are they the swirling mists of her dream or a sinister portent of battle to come?

#Art #Painting #Knight #Midsummer #Dream #Acrylic #Empower

Portrait of a Chicken: Still Life of Captivity

January 22, 2017December 24, 2016 by Rob Medley

I’ve become bored with it, so I’m moving on. This painting evokes the confinement all beings find themselves in, hence the reds. The chicken represents humanity shackeled by our desires, and the eyes seek to capture the emotions connected with the human condition.

Acrylic on canvas painting 14″ x 18″.

Lost Souls

January 22, 2017December 11, 2016 by Rob Medley

A vibrant, abstract painting features a green gas mask with bright pink eyes, set against a swirling backdrop of blues, purples, and reds. The mask's intense colors and the dynamic, flowing background create a sense of motion and tension.

Earlier, I was reading a book on Otto Dix and his experiences in the First World War. I had a doodle I’d started yesterday with swirls of red. I looked at it after reading the book, and saw a man in desperate fear within the swirls. I tried to turn what I saw into what you see. I kept the eyes I’d seen in the red swirls and put them behind the mask of the man advancing in a cloud of poison gas.
Here’s a close-up

Although it’s what I call a filler piece, until I get my next big idea, I wanted to convey raw, unsettled emotion; fear, creepiness, the hopelessness of war, and so on.
I’d like to hear your opinion.

Return of the Queen

January 22, 2017December 6, 2016 by Rob Medley

Set a few years, if not a decade or two, after the filming of Breakfast at Tiffany’s, an odly familiar figure returns in disguise to the scene of filming. Although she hated pastries, it seemed fitting at the time to enjoy one.

I haven’t signed it yet as I may or may not attempt to correct the glaring errors I see.

Earth Mother

January 22, 2017November 30, 2016 by Rob Medley

Surreal painting of a glowing blue face with a serene expression emerging from a dark background. Spiraling, bright green vines rise from the orange-red base, entwining towards the face. The artwork conveys an ethereal and mystical ambiance, evoking the presence of an Earth Mother.

I went ahead and signed this one because I don’t know when, if ever, I’ll get back to it. It’s a nature piece, dealing with the mystical forces surrounding the entity that is Mother Nature, both from a pagan and artistic perspective. She’s never really portrayed as a creature one wants to be around; rather, people would rather just appreciate her children. This is why she is depicted as serious, even of stern visage, in my portrayal of her.

Once again, the vision in my minds-eye did not match what came from my hand, so I will have to keep trying. The exercise in the piece was lighting from multiple sources, the plant, emanating the energy of its birth, the right, and from above, representing the night. One can see faint traces of it in the downward strokes of the background.

Vitals: 18 x 24 acrylic on canvas.

Comments are welcome, more so if they go beyond “this is total rubbish”.

Gathering of Souls

January 22, 2017September 7, 2016 by Rob Medley

A vibrant painting depicts a dark blue bird mid-flight against a colorful, abstract background. The background, reminiscent of a Gathering of Souls, features dynamic, multi-colored brushstrokes in green, yellow, red, and more. Additional smaller blue birds can be seen flying in the distance.

‘Gathering of Souls’: People once believed that when someone dies in battle, a raven flies at dusk to carry their soul to the land of the dead.

This is a rescue painting. Originally it was going to be a geometric design based on the Old Futhark rune for prosperity, which looks like an angular version of those ‘support x’ magnets you see on the back of cars. It would have been entitled “The Tree of Othala”, which is the name of the rune.

Unfortunately, I’m not Cezanne and kind of messed up; so I went in another direction.
I can do better but I wanted to show that not everything we do as artists is that great. Still, I’m curious as to thoughts on it?

Castle’s Fall

January 22, 2017September 3, 2016 by Rob Medley

Nestled in the hills overlooking the sleepy valley, the Sandmen of Castle Dream-guard keep watch on the distance. For in the far-off mists the armies of the nightmare realm gather for their nefarious purposes.

The castle is modeled on my favorite, Lichtenstein Castle.

Spray Paint and Acrylic on Canvas, 18 x 24. Unframed. Available for purchase here.

Harvest Knights

January 22, 2017September 1, 2016 by Rob Medley

A surreal painting depicts a vibrant, oversized orange moon against a pink and purple sky. In the foreground, a lush landscape with tall, dark trees and dense foliage evokes the Rites of Spring. A small arched bridge crosses a tranquil stream, with mysterious ruins to the right.

“Harvest Knights” Acrylic and Spray Paint on Canvas, 18 x 24. Deep in the night, under the blood moon a pair of knights rush along a deserted road, past ruins of long forgotten folk towards an urgent engagement. At least that’s the idea. The skills never match the concept.

Rites of Spring

October 14, 2024August 26, 2016 by Rob Medley

A surreal painting depicts two gnarled trees with twisting, leafless branches against a dramatic gradient sky, reminiscent of the Rites of Spring. The ground is covered in warm-toned, orange-brown grass, with a small patch of vibrant green plants and colorful flowers in the foreground.

Deep in the night as the vernal equinox reaches its apex; while the moon blankets the land in cold light; the sleeping children of Nature stir. The trees begin the dance of awakening, twisting and undulating in reverent celebration. Their movement coaxes the Earth Mother to coalescence; like the creation of a galaxy, swirling, spinning, concentrating the forces of life against those of decay. The first buds begin to bloom, a supernova of light their birth cry – Spring has arrived.

That was the thought. I’m fascinated with the pagan past of humanity, wrapped in rich mysticism which is completely the opposite of the modern fascination with the cold facts of science. This interest is reflected in this painting.

P.S. There are no people in the painting.

The painting itself is a mix of spray paint and acrylic brushwork. It is flawed, at least I see the big flaw, but until I figure out how to fix it without destroying the composition, I guess its finished. The dimensions are 18 x 24. It’s for sale at $200 plus shipping (should be about $20, I’ll pick up anything above that).

The Murder

January 22, 2017August 16, 2016 by Rob Medley

This one comes straight from depression. I call it ‘The Murder’, if you know your object quantifiers, you’ll figure it out. It’s a combination #spray #paint and #acrylic brushwork on #canvas. It’s also part of my #light series. I think I’ll probably go back and do some touch-ups. The camera didn’t catch the depth of color; I regret that.

I would have gone with, ‘Crows Observe the Dawn’, but it didn’t have that echo to it. I was painting through a period of things not going my way. Music during the painting process was #Faun – particularly the song “Ero Escuro.”

January; A Light Study

January 22, 2017August 12, 2016 by Rob Medley

A painting of a bare tree and a vintage streetlamp against a vivid, swirling sky with shades of red, purple, blue, and black. The tree’s branches are twisted and reach towards the streetlamp, which emits a gentle glow. This evocative scene offers an eerie yet beautiful light study reminiscent of January nights.

Okay, I’m leaving this one like it is and starting another. I like the forlorn nature of the #painting. A cold January evening, as the last rays of the light ephemerally touch the clouds, the tree embraces the cold brilliance of the street lamp in hopes of seeing the Sun again. I was going to #paint leaves reacting with the #light, but that’s for another time. It’s spray-paint and #acrylic on #canvas, 18 x 24 and part of a #series of light studies I’m doing.

Because, #art.