A Medieval Nativity
The Animal's Christmas
I reopened my shop on Etsy, but I think it's too late in the season.
I don't really want to sell things as much as I like to make them. I find if you give things away, some people may not like the work, or tire of it and throw it away. I often fantasize that some of my work will live on - long after I'm dead. See how vain I am?
I want to spend time making more curiosities - so I won't let the idea of sales and seasonal things trouble me.
I love holiday crafts and art - making things. Today's fog with traces of snow and patches of greenery amid bare trees is enchanting. The holidays are enchanting if you can let go of all that is commercial. Strange to say when I make things to sell - but I guess I have to pay for materials and shipping and time and talent ... but it should be free.
I dropped my old camera and broke it while taking photos and so I have to go out and buy a new one. The photos I take for Etsy, as the one above, aren't very good - I also should have styled the item to warm it up. I like to make things, but I don't like to work. Presentation and sales are work.
So there you go ... I'm Lloyd.
A lovely piece. Simple but inspiring. Christmas soon to come.
ReplyDeleteThanks much!
DeleteBeautiful! I don't think it matters what season you add your work in; those it speaks to will want it no matter what.
ReplyDeleteThat means much coming from a fellow artist. Thanks Nan.
DeleteIt's very kind of you to refer to me as an artist.
DeleteI'm not kidding: would you consider writing a Nativity icon with an English Bull Dog and some Blue Jays? I presuppose the cow.... Just wondering. Oh, and a pig. There: my dream is complete!
ReplyDeleteFunny you should ask ... I was actually thinking of something like that. Do I have to write it? I'd rather paint. What? Anyway - I'm sure you mean in the Byzantine-Greek style. Send me an email with a prototype if you can.
DeleteI found a site called Skete which has some examples. Then there is disturbing one with St Christopher having a dog's head: we want to avoid stuff like that. And the 'writing' of the icon? Yes, PAINT all you want: who thought that thing about 'writing' an icon anyway?! Let me know what you think...
DeleteI found a site called Skete which has some examples. Then there is disturbing one with St Christopher having a dog's head: we want to avoid stuff like that. And the 'writing' of the icon? Yes, PAINT all you want: who thought that thing about 'writing' an icon anyway?! Let me know what you think...
Delete"Writing" icons is because icons were the only art in Russia from the time of its conversion to the time of Peter the Great, when Western influence was imported to St. Petersburg, resulting in paintings of humans, still lifes, landscapes, etc. There wasn't a separate word for "paint" and everything about the icon has a theological meaning, the symbols, colors, how people are posed, which is another reason the word "write" is used.
DeleteFor me it's pretentious; I wasn't raised in that culture and don't know enough about theology.
I agree with Nan.
DeleteBy the way - Christopher with the dog's head is a venerable old icon - I've read several versions as to why, but here's a Wiki explanation:
"In the Eastern Orthodox Church, certain icons covertly identify Saint Christopher with the head of a dog. The background to the dog-headed Christopher is laid in the reign of the Emperor Diocletian, when a man named Reprebus, Rebrebus or Reprobus (the "reprobate" or "scoundrel") was captured in combat against tribes dwelling to the west of Egypt in Cyrenaica. To the unit of soldiers, according to the hagiographic narrative, was assigned the name numerus Marmaritarum or "Unit of the Marmaritae", which suggests an otherwise-unidentified "Marmaritae" (perhaps the same as the Marmaricae Berber tribe of Cyrenaica). He was reported to be of enormous size, with the head of a dog instead of a man, apparently a characteristic of the Marmaritae. This Byzantine depiction of St. Christopher as dog-headed resulted from their misinterpretation of the Latin term Cananeus (Canaanite) to read canineus, that is, "canine".[8] The German bishop and poet Walter of Speyer portrayed St. Christopher as a giant of a cynocephalic species in the land of the Chananeans (Canaan in the New Testament) who ate human flesh and barked. Eventually, Christopher met the Christ child, regretted his former behavior, and received baptism. He, too, was rewarded with a human appearance, whereupon he devoted his life to Christian service and became an athlete of God, one of the soldier-saints.[9] There are some rare icons that depict this martyr with the head of a dog. Such images may carry echoes of the Egyptian dog-headed god, Anubis; and Christopher pictured with a dog's head is not generally supported by the Orthodox Church."
At one time I read someplace that he was so handsome that he prayed to be disfigured so that he wouldn't arouse others. I'm sure that was just made up by someone. Women prayed for that stuff.
There are more stories as well - such as barking - but that would most likely be attributed to Tourette Syndrome today, and not Cynocephaly, or even otherkin, furries, or therian culture - although he would certainly qualify as a patron saint for those issues.
One more thing. I like the style of the Nativity scene above: I love the little menagerie surrounding the Holy Family. I have a collection of pigs' images in my quarters: they charm the teeth out of me. Were I country pastor I would have at least one.
ReplyDeleteI loved Arnold on Green Acres. I need to see a style you like - can't you take a phone-photo of your pigs and some style you like? You have my email.
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