Hello everyone... sorry that this blog post is late to the "Sovereign of Summer" release. I wanted to wait to give a little explanation about this one's creation. A great deal of people ask me where I get my inspiration for the features or "the look" of a subject in my paintings. Well, this can occur from anything, I suppose. I tend to pick up features from people I see... and don't even realize that I paint them until it is done. Another way is the books that I listen to.
I love audio books. I no longer have time to read... and to be honest it has been a while since I read a whole book. Audio books allow me to get that "reading" in while I am doing so many other things... mainly painting. When I listen to these books... I don't even realize what I am painting. I seem to zone into the book so intently I no longer notice anything around me. After a few hours I seem to "focus" back to reality. When I "come back" I discover what I have been painting. This is how Sovereign of Summer's "look" came about.
During this painting I was listening to the "The Vampire Lestat" by Ann Rice. "Sovereign of Summer" is what I picture Lestat's mother, Gabriel, would look like. Her eyes... her hair... down to the way her face is structured. She has a mane of long golden hair... she is strong and has a feral fierceness to her demeanor.
As for my other painting... "Jaguar"... well, he resembles Lestat, of course. It is really amazing to me how the chapters of a book become part of my paintings. It is not intentional... it just happens.
Well, thanks for reading. The Bristol Renaissance Faire will be open in about a month and a half. I will be releasing many new works in that time... so we will have them ready for the faire!
~ C.Gerhardt
