Monday, September 19, 2011

That Thing About The Storks Is Total Rubbish

There have been quite a few lovely, whimsical and serene images of hot air balloons being floating gently being created by a variety of artists.

Though an innate fear of heights, or rather, plummeting to earth from a great height will probably stop me ever actually going up in one, they have always mystified me, and i have always thought they are a wonderful form of transport for exploration.

In allowing nature to dictate direction I can't help but see it as very exposed and vulnerable, and strangely organic.

The tale about the storks delivering babies to the door has always seemed  interesting, if not mildly annoying in it's bullshit factor; why a bird would carry a baby to a human never made any sense to me as a child.

This idea has been around for a while in my head; large organic balloons netted with sinew and blood vessels, gently carrying, nurturing and sustaining the life of their precious cargo across an unkind landscape.

It became a play on the stork story that, while equally misleading to children on "where babies come from", is closer to the truth, and would be infinitely more mesmerizing.

It was also an opportunity to try something stylistically new (for me) as i couldn't imagine capturing the look i wanted painting the way i normally work, and being invited to submit a work into a show being organised by Fire was the catalyst to attempt it. Thanks go out to Chris Oatley who has offered up a selection of his own photoshop brushes on his website, and it is probably the main reason this work didn't end up being a frustrating churn to complete, if it was actually completed at all.

The show is the official opening of The Copper House Gallery (off Synge Street, Dublin 8), on Tuesday 27th Sptember 2011 at 7.30pm.

6 comments:

Mindful Drawing said...

I don't know if your painting brings misleading children on "where babies come from" closer to the truth, but interesting and full of thought it sure is.
I've always assumed the stork-story is for kids too young to know the truth, old enough to realise they and other babies are a gift from heaven brought by an elegant and friendly big bird. But I agree: better say nothing than telling rubbish.
Paula

Chris Oatley said...

Thanks! So glad the brushes are working out for you!

Blacker Pastures said...

Thanks for your feedback Paula, and thanks again for your brushes Chris - invaluable!

Anne Manda said...

Very original and beautiful!<3

Melissa Mackie said...

Amazing Concept and illustration. I think its a placenta hot air balloon. I agree with you on the absurdity of the lie of a stork bringing the baby. Wonderful illustration!

Linda Hensley said...

I think Melissa's got it right. They're placenta balloons, and very interesting balloons too. I love the atmosphere in this. As for the stories parents tell children, I knew as a kid they were all lying since my mom obviously made babies in her belly. I was just unsure what she ate to make them grow there.