When I stumbled upon the archives of my travel blog L'Artiste Carte Postale, I found whispers of my future work embedded in the posts and photographs of those days. Two examples of such posts were written in 2009 while I studied the intaglio etching process of printmaking in Castelnau Montmiral, France.
Inspired by 12th and 13th Century Stained glass windows in the Cathedrals of Europe, I visited as many Cathedrals, Churches and Museums as I could while I was in Southern France to view Stained Glass Works of Art. What captivated me most was the delicate hand painted faces of the saints, monks, other religious figures of the medieval period and I realized that I had found my subject matter for this class of Intaglio Etchings.
During my time there I created a work of art that would be incorporated into one of my most personal and esoteric bodies of artwork.
The French Man Intaglio Etching France 2009
THE TALISMANS SERIES
This etching "The French Man" became the face of the Talismans, my storytellers.
The Talismans began with the process of etching the copper plate as explained in the 2009 LACP post LA GRAVURE COMMENCE (the engraving begins)
And that process continued for weeks as seen in the 2009 LACP post Un Coup D'Oiel Rapide Dans L'Avenir (a quick peek into the future)
TALISMANS FIVE MIXED MEDIA ON BOARD SOLD
Years have passed since this etching was conceived and created and it continues to develop and grow in ways I could never imagine and show up in my work from time to time, but I will never forget the thrill of seeing it for the first time printed on beautiful archival paper in the South of France.
The Talismans is an ongoing series, that started with the etching of "the face" then onward to the woodblock and chine colle' process that would create the "Allegories Series" that would later become the Robes, Animals and Accouterments of the Talismans.
This year there emerged a new member of the series, THE TIME KEEPERS, large male figures that resemble Samurai Warriors.
BUT THAT'S ANOTHER STORY...
ONWARD AND UPWARD