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| Hylestad stave church, 12th century Museum of Cultural History, Oslo University |
I love this image, the dedication on the mens faces, the action and movement in the body language and equipment - it's a fantastic carving and one I've wanted to use for a long while.
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| 8.5 x 11, art area will fit inside an 8x10 mat - gouache and ink on perg |
I decided that the award would go in the center, between their faces but nearly out of both of their gazes.
The text is mine, written in a faux runic hand and done in red Windsor Newton ink and a Mitchell nib. I practiced a few times and studied rune stones to determine how the hand should go. What I found is that the top and bottom of each letter touch the top and bottom line, giving you that even hand. There is almost no extra spacing between words, and the breaks between lines are made either with a colon : or with a small x, neither of which touch the top or bottom lines.
I decided that the small x would be my line break in this piece and I think it worked very well - as on rune stones, the breaks are only just visible and the text really flows.
The artwork was done entirely with gouache, in a red ochre/ burnt sienna color. I did not try to color match the original piece - the wood has changed color significantly since the original carving and I wanted the ink and paint to be similar in shade, but not exact. The overall look is exactly what I wanted it to be - the text flows behind the carving and is all readable although it doesn't look it.
I debated making the Wheel the same color, but I decided against it - this award is marked by its color, and I felt the silver wouldn't be out of place. I chose wisely, and it stands out just enough.
The recipient, after Court, told me he recognized the source as soon as he saw the scroll and that made me happier than anything in the world. It's great when a thing works out! :D
