Completed Saw Blade Painting

Four Seasons  Saw Blade

 

Spring: Doe & Fawn, Bear and Cubs

 Summer: Antelope

 

Autumn: Mule Deer

Winter: Elk, Mountain Lion, & Canada Geese

 

Today! Finished!!!!!

 

Mary and Tyler brought this five foot plus saw blade a few years ago. It sat in the garage for a while. It has been hanging in my studio as hung by Tyler for a few years too while I have struggled to take time to paint it with the animals he and his family love to hunt.Ty is a bow hunter. All have bagged deer. Their living room holds many of their trophy animals. This will go there also. I am so happy to be able to let them kmow it is complete and will be anxious to see it in its new home.

 

The saw blade itself is from Ty's family. His grandfather owned a saw mill and Tyler was able to keep this blade as a memento. I was quite surprised by it. It is a beautiful object, well designed and very heavy. I enjoy being able to move my cnavas around as I paint, not possible with this. It is being held in place to be painted with   drywall screws and has stayed in place very nicely. Because it is such an interesting object of itself, I wished to retain some of the original texture and color and to make sure the blade keys were visible. Each tooth has two pieces to allow changing single tooth replacements.

 

I was amazed at the sharpness. As they were hanging the blade, it ripped through six or seven layers of the roll of heavy cotton damn canvas standing next to the easel.

 

 

With my family, I remember as a child seeing a similar saw in action at a sawmill here in Northern Idaho. It was impressive to watch as large logs were turned into raw lumber in very few minutes.

 

 

Peonies and Roses

Peonies & Roses

Oil on Canvas Panel   20" x 16" $575

Last night, finally, I worked on the vase and I think I completed the painting!

After contemplating it for a few years, and working on it for several months (the flowers are shriveled and dry in the vase... all who come into the studio ask about why I am painting that...) it feels great to have it complete.

Among other things, it has taught me that I really need to loosen up a bit. So I am planning on purchasing a few large brushes and doing just that.

I also learned to love this doily even more, having explored it in painting. I am no longer sure whether it was crocheted by my Mother or Grandmother, perhaps even by a Great Grandmother. It is intricate and beautiful.

There are many sentimentally beautiful treasures around me. Seeing them day to day is almost as good as being able to chat with my family, the makers or users of them.

Third Incarnation....

Poppies and Iris

Oil on Canvas Panel  20" x 16" $350

Studying a painting for very long can lead to changes. Sometimes for the better, sometimes not. Now there have been three versions of this painting.

Which do you prefer? Shall I just give up and destroy it? Shall I try something else with it?? Shall I study it more???? Shall I put it out of sight?????



2nd version, done in the studio months later



1st version, done on site

Peonies and Roses, Still in Progress

Last night's work makes three times I have worked on "crocheting" this doily on the painting... It is really great fun, especially on hot days, to work on tediousness which requires little but repeat of a pattern.

Genesis One: Creation Series

Genesis One: A Visual Interpretation in Eleven Paintings

Marilyn R Miller ~ Completed October 2010

1. “...Without Form, and Void...” Genesis1:2

2.“...Darkness Upon the Face of the Deep...” Genesis1:2

3. “...Let There be Light...” Genesis1:3

4. “...Firmament in the midst of the waters... Let it 

Divide the Waters from the Waters...” Genesis1:6

5. “...Let the Dry Land Appear...” Genesis1:9

6. “...Let the earth bring forth grass,  fruit tree yielding fruit after his kind,  Whose Seed Is in Itself...”

Genesis1:11

7. “...For signs, and for seasons, and for days, and years... The Greater Light to Rule the Day...”

Genesis1:14, 16

8. “...The Lesser Light to Rule the Night, ...the Stars Also......” Genesis1:16

9. “...Let the waters bring forth abundantly  The Moving Creature That Hath Life, and Fowl 

that may fly above the earth...” Genesis1:20

10. “...Let the earth bring forth the  Living Creature After His Kind, Cattle, and Creeping Thing...”

Genesis1:24

11. “In the Image of God Created He Him;  Male and Female Created He Them...”

Genesis1:27

The adventure of making this series took two years to complete study, thoughts, and painting. It was completed in October of 2010.

While the actual painting was usually quite fast, the reading and contemplating and arriving at each concept took time and was a wonderful process. It is deeply satisfying to study such classical and beautiful words from scriptures over  time, sometimes spending days with a single verse working out both the meanings and the visual symbol for those words.

The image of the lizard as the "Creeping thing that creepeth", was a fine experience. As I was working through the series, I often contemplated what I might use for that. I had thought I ought to be able to use a bug, a beetle, and  that I could probably get one all by myself. I tried several local bugs.... never good enough. One day as I was looking on the Internet, I found a wonderful photo of a lizard. When I looked up the source, it was from a photographer that lives very near me! I called to inquire what he would charge for a single use of his image. He needed to think about it. A few days later, he brought a fine copy for me to use and asked nothing to use it, AND I could keep the photo! Thank you, Gordan Hardcastle, for allowing me to use it. It is perfect!

Each painting is 16 inches by 16 inches. They are to be hung about two inches apart to make a single continuous composition about  eighteen feet in length.

I have happily been living with it hanging in my studio for nearly two years. I have loved discussing it with studio visitors.

Today the young couple who are purchasing it, and their three dear children came to take it to its new home! I am so thrilled that it is going to them. They have been dear friends of our family for many years and his parents posed for the Man's and Woman's hands.

I loved it when the oldest son, about eight years old, noticed that it was all one picture.

One of the great things about its leaving is that it gives me a fine reason to start all over again. I truly love the Biblical account of Creation. The new series has already begun to take form in my mind.....

This note came on "Facebook" today from the family...."

"Marilyn, the Creation Series is officially on the wall and they look gorgeous. I now just need an excuse for a lot of people to come visit my house and see them!"

from Psalms and Revelations...

Leaves

Oil on Panel 8" x8" nfs

Wings

Oil on Cradled Panel 8"x8"    $85

"Leaves" was done for a dear friend to celebrate her birthday.  I am pleased with the result and with the continuity with paintings done for my Masters of Fine Arts degree years ago. I love combining scripture verses with visual ideas.

Until I started the painting of leaves for June, it never ocurred to me to use my own script rather than an attempt at lettering. I love scratching a signature through the paint and I am quite happy with the painterly quality of writing into the paint. The dove painting was done months ago , but I was never satisfied with the results. I like this much better. I think I will play with this concept again.

Roses and Peonies progressive....

Still not finished, still spending my time elsewhere.... but making bits of progress....It will happen!