Apotheoun (Tom Livezey at Eleven)

[Garth Herrick]

Thanks, Denise, Elizabeth, Jean, and Sharon!

Denise: Thanks, I have benefitted also from this forum.

Beth: Thanks! What edges? (just kidding)

Jean: Your welcome! Glad to be of help.

Sharon: Thanks! Your kind words mean a lot to me. It would be a high honor indeed to show with you! Good luck with the show. I'd like to see it. Seeing everyone's great works on this forum is making me work harder too. I did most of this painting since joining. As Michele R. says, the bar is very high here, and that's been inspirational.

[Garth Herrick]

Originally Posted by Garth Herrick

Oh Michele,

I was afraid that title topic would come up to haunt me. The painting from 10 years ago was "Apotheosis of the Chunnel" which was really a rather arbitrary and mindless title. I was reading about the completion of the English Channel Tunnel (Chunnel), and I visualized the stretched out boy bridging the edge of the pool to the edge of the grass, with his mother's legs completing the bridge. It seemed a metaphore for the Chunnel to me. When I was sculpting Leonardo da Vinci's Horse a few years earlier, Capt Dent (who financed the Horse) was always extolling the apotheosis of this and the apotheosis of that, and the word just grew on me. So I needed a different title for the new version of the painting and Apotheoun seemed to work because the paintings are related. I did not want a more descriptive tiltle like Mother (or Madonna) and Child. Besides, when we all paint our portraits, are we not deifying our subjects somewhat?

Thanks for all the feedback! I just wanted to mention that my other painting, Apotheosis of the Chunnel, which was the inspiration for Apotheoun, can be seen in my introduction in the Meeting Place: Introduce Yourself: Greetings from Philadelphia: page #4: post # 34 http://forum.portraitartist.com/showthread.php?t=4033.

My wife seems to prefer the original concept of Apotheosis of the Chunnel, although I feel Apotheoun is a better example of painting (the former is from 10 years ago).

[Linda Brandon]

Dear Garth,

I don't know how I missed seeing this painting of yours earlier this week. It is extraordinary and wonderful. I'm going to go back and print out what you've written about velatura. You've put living forms in a soft bath that is very appealing.

I also wanted to tell you, for what it's worth, that I had a strong emotional reaction to this painting. To lie in the sun, totally relaxed, completely protected by Moms who will die to protect you... wow! When will this level of trust and safety happen again, other than in childhood; who will ever guard us again this way?

This may not actually be what you were getting at in this painting, but this is what I got out of it. If this were to hang on my wall, I would keep this feeling whenever I looked at the painting, and that gut feeling is what would make me buy it.

[Sergio Ostroverhy]

Quite interesting, and refreshing on the Forum - although am wondering if the blue shoes are really necessary there...

[Tom Edgerton]

Garth--

Just an incredible piece....

Wonderful to have it here to learn from. Thanks for posting and commenting so generously.

Best--TE

[Garth Herrick]

Dear Linda, Sergio, and Tom:

Thank you so much for all your positive comments. I think you know how encouraging and rewarding your feedback can be. This painting seems to convey more of a message than I intended. I don't mind this. It is interesting to learn from other's perspectives.

Linda said: "I also wanted to tell you, for what it's worth, that I had a strong emotional reaction to this painting. To lie in the sun, totally relaxed, completely protected by Moms who will die to protect you... wow! When will this level of trust and safety happen again, other than in childhood; who will ever guard us again this way?" To me, there were no such profound thoughts as I painted this. I just was happy with the energy of the composition and loved the play of the sunlight.

I think one reason my personal response is lower key than Linda's is that I have had this composition stewing in my mind for over twenty years, while Linda is getting a "gut" reaction from seeing it for the first time. Sergio, I appreciate your critique about the blue shoe. I personally like it as a compositional device. And Tom, thanks for your kind words about my responses, but I think I have a tendancy to over-explain.

You are all such talented artists whose works I really respect and can learn from. Thanks!

Sincerely,

Garth

[Janel Maples]

Anyone want to buy an easel, paints or brushes?

Garth, I will NEVER get a commission with you out there.

For what it is worth, this is how I want to paint someday.

Man, I have SO much to learn.

Back to my studio.

[Heidi Maiers]

Gosh Garth,
You sure know how to stike a chord and get people talking in the posts you start. Like Linda, I don't know how I missed this post this week, but am glad I stumbled upon it just now. Reminds me also of my childhood growing up in southern California - always a pool nearby, sun in your face. Those could be my mother's legs there exactly. Exceptional job - so glad you shared this.

[Garth Herrick]

Originally Posted by Janel Maples

Anyone want to buy an easel, paints or brushes?

Garth, I will NEVER get a commission with you out there.

For what it is worth, this is how I want to paint someday.

Man, I have SO much to learn.

Back to my studio.

Dear Janel,

Thanks for the high compliment. I don't know whether to laugh or cry. I don't know if it has occurred to you that you are not the only Forum artist to feel this way about another's work. - I often have the same emotional response looking at other's talents and works. I hope you weren't serious in your message because I have seen your posts and think your paintings are just fine. I know you will be getting commissions. Man, there is so much I want to learn too! Thats kind of why we join this Forum.

Happy painting,
Garth

[Garth Herrick]

Originally Posted by Heidi Maiers

Gosh Garth,
You sure know how to stike a chord and get people talking in the posts you start.

Hi Heidi,

Thanks for the compliments, but how do I keep this thread from getting too long?