The Artist Challenge

12 responses so far ↓

• 1 Vikki // Mar 19, 2011 at 7:35 pm

  Hi Ray-
  Really pretty! It took me a minute to see that a funeral is in process down below and that a precious infant is in starry night. I also really like the trace of dusk left at the horizon and hint of cloud cover in sky.

  Your work always tells wonderful stories and makes me want to go back again and again.

• 2 Barbra // Mar 20, 2011 at 1:47 am

  Oh Ray, that beautiful child in heaven, is he the one who is being buried, and he is looking down at his funeral? As Vikki says, there’s always a different story that can be conjured up through your paintings, so very clever.

• 3 Ray Shuell // Mar 20, 2011 at 4:07 am

  Thank you for your comments, Vikki and Barbra. The narrative within the painting is for me what it’s all about. Bottom left we have a bride running from the groom and the church. Then to the right there is a funeral in process presided over by a skeletal priest with top hat and umbrella, (inspired by Edward Gorey) and in the sky the eternal star-child appears. The only thing that connects all of these events is stardust. The one unifying mass of elements that connects everything in this infinite Universe.

  With a big thank you to Vikki,… and Professor Brian Cox, for their inspiration.

• 4 Rusty // Mar 20, 2011 at 8:24 am

  The “star child” casts such amazing light onto the people and other images! The shadows create such drama acrossed the yellow plain. Sweet and macbre, how much I enjoy it!!!!

• 5 Madison // Mar 20, 2011 at 9:01 am

  Very creative and well done.
  M

• 6 RiikaInfinityy // Mar 20, 2011 at 10:54 am

  Oh mesmerizing, I love the effects, just amazing =P

• 7 Ray Shuell // Mar 20, 2011 at 12:32 pm

  Thank you and thank you, Madison and Riika. I think both of your images are pretty amazing too. Don’t you just love inventing?

• 8 Gail Allen // Mar 21, 2011 at 2:32 pm

  Ray, an endearingly beautiful painting. The glow of the landscape and the magical feel of the child in the stars creates such a feeling of light. Your sky is amazing.

• 9 Ray Shuell // Mar 21, 2011 at 4:44 pm

  Hi Gail. Thank you. Indian Yellow over white. one of my favorite combinations, gives such a lovely, warm glow.

• 10 Sarah // Mar 24, 2011 at 2:00 pm

  Ray, I am so taken in by this and appreciate your explanation behind it, a message that is very close to me. As always, your skies convey such meaning, depth and beauty and this, in black might be my favorite.

• 11 Ray Shuell // Mar 25, 2011 at 6:30 am

  Thanks, Sarah. This was never meant to be a gloomy painting but I did fear that it might be seen that way. It’s really all about survival and mortality. The stars and stardust explain the physical side of life and death, but I wonder about this thing called a soul. I wonder what happens to that, if anything. Hence the title: “Is That It!?”

• 12 Ray Shuell // Mar 26, 2011 at 3:46 am

  One thing that is for sure; we may disappear but we have never gone.

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