Viking

Peace on Earth

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A detailed painting of a black crow perched on a snowy rock in a winter forest. The background features tall evergreen trees against a colorful sky with hues of pink, purple, and blue, suggesting a sunrise or sunset. Snow blankets the ground and tree branches.

“Peace on Earth” is an evocative acrylic painting that blends the tranquility of nature with a subtle, contemplative presence. The artwork depicts a serene winter landscape at dawn, with a raven perched solemnly on a snow-covered warrior, lost in some past battle. The background features a forest of evergreen trees dusted with snow, while the sky transitions from deep blue to soft pink hues, capturing the delicate light of early morning. The scene is calm and still, yet the raven’s watchful eye adds a touch of mystery, inviting viewers to ponder the deeper significance of peace amid the solitude of winter.

Peace on Earth

Waves of Fortune

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A painting of a Viking ship with a dragon figurehead and red-and-white striped sail, navigating through a turbulent sea. In the background, there are waterfalls and a dramatic, stormy sky with hints of green and purple light.

My name is Antonella Rossi, and I am the director of the Museo d’Arte Moderna del Mare in Venicia, Italy. As I examine the painting of the Viking ship before us, it is with a curator’s keen eye that I offer my critique.

Waves of Fortune

The artwork presents an evocative maritime scene that is steeped in the historical resonance of the Vikings. The vibrancy of the Longship or more likely, a Knarr’s striped sail immediately draws the viewer’s eye, suggesting a vessel of significance, perhaps a nod to the illustrious past of early sea trade. The artist employs a bold, expressive style, with thick brushstrokes that lend a dynamic texture to the tumultuous sea. This textural play grants the work an almost tactile sensation, evoking the roiling motion of the ocean. However, the use of color and shadow, particularly in the sky, gives the piece an ominous undertone, implying a narrative that is more complex than a simple seafaring journey.

There is an intriguing contrast at play between the ship’s proud, almost regal bearing and the stormy seas it navigates. The ship’s design, with its intricate figurehead and circular shields, harks back to the vessels of ancient civilizations, imbuing the piece with a timeless quality. The looming waves on either side form a natural frame, focusing our attention on the central figure of the ship.

This piece would undoubtedly stir a conversation amongst museum patrons, its rich symbolism and dramatic presentation inviting myriad interpretations. Its raw emotive power is undeniable. Inclusion in our museum would depend on the curatorial theme at hand; however, the painting’s audacious charm is a testament to the artist’s vision and the enduring allure of nautical themes in art.

Clever Girl

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If I’ve used this title before, after all, there are over 300 of these, a little under 699 away from Van Gogh’s prolific-ness, then I’ll call it something like “Clever Girl, the series.” “But what does it all mean, Basil?,” as Austin Powers says. It’s a continuation of the warrior theme from yesterday. Missed that … Read more

Clever Girl

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If I’ve used this title before, after all, there are over 300 of these, a little under 699 away from Van Gogh’s prolific-ness, then I’ll call it something like “Clever Girl, the series.” “But what does it all mean, Basil?,” as Austin Powers says. It’s a continuation of the warrior theme from yesterday. Missed that … Read more

Comfortably Numb

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Heavily influenced by Pink Floyd, and Starry Olsa, whom I was listening to while creating this digital art. A woman in Dark Age Europe thinks wistfully on better parts of her life, perhaps when she was truly free, or when she had a true connection with another human being. Now, she’s comfortably numb. Cue guitar solo.

Legacy of the Viking

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A textured painting with a bronze dragon at the center, set against a blue background with swirling red, gold, and brown splatters. Symbols resembling animals and celestial figures enhance its mythical quality, evoking the spirit of the Legacy of the Viking in an abstract form.

This #painting was inspired by my fascination with #Viking culture. The whole concept of living day to day not knowing whether it was going to be your last seems so much more exciting than being assured  you are getting up today, tomorrow, and the next day, with the firm realiziation that you will be doing PowerPoint or some other banal thing to pay divorce debt. But I digress…


Viking culture, it’s loud, in your face, mystical, even… primal. The #dragon is central to this culture. Níõhöggr, a dragon in the Völuspá; Jörmungandr, the #Midgard Serpent, who will begin #Ragnarök; Fáfnir, of the Völsung Cycle and the Drekki in the Gesta Danorum, are examples of wyrms  that litter #Norse literature and theology.


This artwork is inspired by Norse jewelry design. It also serves as a proof of concept for a path I want to follow; combining manuscript illumination, 3D design, other elements of the Dark Ages… and #cake #decorating.

The composition is mixed media. Really, it’s mostly acrylic paint on canvas, but given depth through the use of gels and such. I also used a spare icing thingy I had laying around. What can I say? Cutting edge?


Anyway, I hope you like it. I’ve taken several types of photos in different light to show off its metallic character. I used a piece of broken blue glass for the eye. In future art, I’m going to use gems and stones and whatnot to give it a Medieval feel.

16×20. It’s for sale.

Queen of the North

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A painting of Viking figures on a dragon-headed longship in dense mist. One figure at the front holds a fiery torch, lighting the scene with an orange glow. The background, suggesting dawn or dusk over a calm sea or river, adds a mystical aura fit for the Queen of the North.

Sometimes you take risks. Sometimes it works out. Sometimes it does not. This is one of those ‘do not’ times. Yet it is mine, and I claim all of my failures.

The scene: The King has died. On a cold, snowy morning, the Queen readies herself to go to Valhalla with the love of her life. The people mournfully prepare their regent for her departure in the depths of the early morning fog.

Acrylic on canvas. 18 x 24. 2016.

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