A New Friend

"A New Friend"

acrylic on birch panel

4.5 x 6.5 inches plus frame

2013

$300.00

available HERE

This new painting was from "The Hounds of Love" show, curated by Nicole Bruckman.  

Grimm Tales Artwork

Here are all the pieces I've made for "Grimm Tales" at Cella Gallery

11135 Weddington St  #112

North Hollywood, CA 91601

"Cinderella's Doves"

11 x 14 inches plus frame

acrylic on birch panel

2011

For Cella Gallery's "Grimm Tales" show

SOLD

In this tale by The Brothers Grimm, Cinderella weeps upon the grave of her deceased mother and up from the tears grows a tree with two doves in it.  The doves would take revenge on Cinderella’s evil stepsisters the day she married her prince, by striking the sisters blind forever.

The artist added lavender to rest in the sisters’ eye sockets, representing the devotion of Cinderella’s doves to her.

***

"The Riddle"

11 x 14 inches plus frame

acrylic on birch panel

2011

inquiries: corylou311(at)yahoo(dot)com

In this tale by The Brothers Grimm, the flesh of a poisoned horse is consumed by a raven, which is then killed and made into soup by a prince and his servant.  The soup is then consumed by a band of knife-wielding robbers, thus leading to the riddle: “What slew none, and yet slew twelve?”

In the artist’s version, the raven stands victorious over the skulls of the horse, the robbers, and their knives.  Unharmed, it will go on to spread the poison even farther.  The red rose symbolizes victory.

 ***

"The Six Swans"

5 x 7 inches plus frame

acrylic on birch panel

2011

inquiries: corylou311(at)yahoo(dot)com

In this tale by The Brothers Grimm, six brothers are turned into swans by their hateful stepmother and only their sister can turn them back.  To do this, their sister must sew them six shirts out of wildflowers and neither speak nor laugh for six years.

Pictured here by the artist are two of the six swans (brothers), the sewing needle and threads the sister used to make the shirts, and three roses, including a yellow one which symbolizes “highest mark of distinction”.

***

"The Cat and Mouse in Partnership"

5 x 7 inches plus frame

acrylic on birch panel

2011

inquiries: corylou311(at)yahoo(dot)com

In this tale by The Brothers Grimm, a cat and mouse decide to keep house together.  For times of need, they bought a large bowl of fat and stored it in the church down the road.  The cat ate more and more of the fat, unbeknownst to the mouse, finally finishing it before the mouse could eat any.  

When the mouse found the empty bowl and accused the cat of eating it, she couldn’t even finish her accusation because the cat ate her too.

Pictured here by the artist is the devious cat, the skull of the mouse, the church, empty bowl and a geranium, representing deceit.

***

"The Juniper Tree"

5 x 7 inches plus frame

acrylic on birch panel

2011

inquiries: corylou311(at)yahoo(dot)com

In this tale by The Brothers Grimm, a young boy’s bones are buried beneath a juniper tree, having been murdered by his evil stepmother.  A beautiful bird flies out of the tree and sings of the stepmother’s deceit to her husband and others in the town.  This leads to the stepmother’s demise and the return of the deceased son.

Pictured here by the artist is the juniper tree with shovel and the brother’s bones, the beautiful bird (here it is an albino crow) perched on the boy’s skull, and roses, the purple representing sorrow.

***

"The Wedding of Mrs. Fox"

5 x 7 inches plus frame

acrylic on birch panel

2011

inquiries: corylou311(at)yahoo(dot)com

There are two versions of this tale by The Brothers Grimm; in one, Mr. Fox feigns death to test his wife's fidelity; in the other, he actually dies. Many suitors arrive. Mrs. Fox rejects them: in the first variant because while they are foxes they do not have the nine tails of her husband, and in the second, because they are wolves, bears, etc. and do not look like her dead husband.

One suitor arrives who does resemble him, and a wedding is held. If Mr. Fox feigned death, he arises and drives them out all.

The word for "tail" used has an obscene meaning to make her preference clear.

Pictured here by the artist is Mrs. Fox, a ghostly image of her husband and his skull, a pink rose signifying grace and a purple rose representing sorrow.

***

"The Owl"

5 x 7 inches plus frame

acrylic on birch panel

2011

For Cella Gallery's "Grimm Tales" show

$200.00
***(SOLD)***

In this tale by The Brothers Grimm, an owl flew into a barn and it terrified people.  One man called them all cowards and went in with a spear.  It hooted at him and he fled in terror.  The people finally burned down the barn to be rid of it.

In the artist’s version, when the owl flies out of the burning barn it takes revenge on the man who went after it, and perches on his skull.  The red rose symbolizes victory, and the purple sorrow.

***

The Riddle

"The Riddle"

acrylic on birch panel

11 x 14 inches plus frame

2011

inquiries: corylou311(at)yahoo(dot)com

Here's the synopsis for the piece:

In this tale, the flesh of a poisoned horse is consumed by a raven, which is then killed and made into soup by a prince and his servant.  The soup is then consumed by a band of knife-wielding robbers, thus leading to the riddle: “What slew none, and yet slew twelve?”

In my version, the raven stands victorious over the skulls of the horse, the robbers, and their knives.  Unharmed, it will go on to spread the poison even farther.  The red rose symbolizes victory.

I wanted to try a few new things on this piece, for example the pink roses with their multi-colored petals, and the red and purple lights on the skulls.  I had an idea that I wanted them to look like they were being illuminated by stage lights, kind of a "Brutal Legend" type thing.  Damn, that would have been a good name for the show!

The Wedding of Mrs. Fox

"The Wedding of Mrs. Fox"

acrylic on birch panel

5 x 7 inches, framed

2011

inquiries: corylou311(at)yahoo(dot)com

I found this synopsis on Wikipedia:

 In one variant, Mr. Fox feigns death to test his wife's fidelity; in the other, he actually dies. Many suitors arrive. Mrs. Fox rejects them: in the first variant because while they are foxes they do not have the nine tails of her husband, and in the second, because they are wolves, bears, etc. and do not look like her dead husband.

One suitor arrives who does resemble him, and a wedding is held. If Mr. Fox feigned death, he arises and drives them out all.  

The word for "tail" used has an obscene meaning to make her preference clear.

I was very eager to make a painting about this story because I had been dying to paint a fox, as I've never painted one before.  I wanted these small paintings to resemble the illustrations that accompanied stories my parents read to me as a child, but with my own style as well.  I'll be revealing more of them soon.

This piece has Mrs. Fox, and a ghostly image of her husband (with three of his nine "obscene" tails pictured!) and his skull, a pink rose which signifies grace, and a purple rose representing sorrow.

Cinderella's Doves

"Cinderella's Doves"

acrylic on birch panel

11 x 14 inches

2011

SOLD

Like I said before, in the original story of Cinderella as told by the Brothers Grimm, Cinderella wept upon her mother's grave, and up from the tears grew a tree, and in the tree were these doves. And when Cinderella finally married her prince, the doves took revenge on the two evil stepsisters for their cruelty and gouged their eyes out, leaving them blind.

Also, I added lavender to rest in the sister's eye sockets, which in Victorian flower language represents devotion.  As in, the doves' devotion to Cinderella.  

I'm very excited for this show and am painting furiously, like I've never painted before, to get these pieces finished for the show.

This theme is one I came up with in cooperation with the fantastic owners of the gallery, and it's one that I feel suits my work very well.  These stories are both brutal and beautiful, which is how I like to describe my own style of work.

The title, "Grimm Tales" obviously refers the Brothers Grimm, but I also wanted "grim" to reference the metal phrase "That's grim".  So there's my musical influence again.  

By the way, I've been very inspired by the music of Dimmu Borgir and Amon Amarth for these pieces (they keep me going!)

More to come very soon!