Eco-Madonna: A retablo painting process

As part of my current project "M@donnas. contemporary re-interpretations of the image of Mary", I have documented the painting process of one of the pieces in the collection. I shall discuss the technical aspects behind the work in this article. 

First of all, the retablo triptych used for this piece was created in Ciudad Vieja, Guatemala by the Camargo brothers. Every time I travel to Antigua, I visit their shop and hand them drawings and designs of what I want them to carve for me or I simply purchase work they already have created. Their work in wood is pretty unique and it is inspired in colonial art and architecture, a very good reason why I like to incorporate their frames and supports into my work. 

The first part of the process involves an imprimatura or thin layer of oil paint, usually made of umbers and/or siennas. The neutral earth colors allow me to work from a middle tone ground towards the lights and darks. 

After I have applied the imprimatura, I proceed to rub off the brushstroke marks off the surface with a soft cloth. This is also done to take off any excess of paint so it will make the job much easier for the next step.

Once I have a more or less even surface that is not too wet to work on, I will start my underpainting. I usually start off  by replicating from a photoshop collage and some preliminary drawings I made.

 

I am using a 5/0 Kafka pinstriping scriptliner brush, one of the best for this kind of work.

 I am not too concerned about making mistakes at this point. If I don't like what I see, I simply rub off and re-draw over. I am basically drawing with oil paint, which is very thin and usually of the same color of the imprimatura (just concentrated or slightly darker).

I do not need a super detailed piece at this moment but just a general outline of where the characters will be and the overall setting and space relationships. I can detail later on.

Once the underdrawing is complete, I start adding lights with another thin round sable/synthetic brush. I am using titanium white for this but I could be using flake white as well or a mixture.

My primary attention always goes to the protagonists of the composition, I feel once must have a hierarchy in mind well in advance when painting. I spend more time on the planned focal point from the very start.

Notice I have also added some darks into the composition. For this I have used Ivory black and Burnt Umber. I keep my color palette very limited for this part of the painting process.

With a little of Raw Sienna, Burnt Sienna and Burnt Umber I start defining the darker skins of my characters.

With a larger brush I start working on the skies. I often use two colors and blend in with a larger blender brush. The best kind of brush for this should have soft and dry. At this stage I have started adding temperature variations to the piece. A cooler blue sky turning into a warmer yellow contrasts with the even warmer portrait of the Virgin Mary.

 

At this point I start to define specific features of not only my characters but of important objects and surrounding elements.

Assigning colors and values to each brush speeds up the process even if you have to spend an extra time cleaning up afterwards. By doing this you will save time while painting and avoiding muddying colors in the process.

For this type of work I prefer to allow one day for the imprimatura and underdrawing to dry before applying subsequent layers of colors.

As I paint and define background skies and characters I make sure I lighten the background a bit more when characters are darker and darken background when characters are lighter. This will allow them to pop out and become protagonists  in the composition.

 Although much of the work requires sound drawing and detail, I should point out that I am also blending and blurring out edges as much as I define just so things don't look too sharp and become more atmospheric. This of course should be a conscious decision and not repeated over every element. Be selective and consider the implications of blurring or erasing edges for this will inevitably be tied up with the content and meaning of the narrative you wish to project. 

With every piece, before I finish I take a step back and look at the overall composition, lighting and spacial relationships. At this point I may decide to add or edit elements and minor changes occur until the piece becomes cohesive and satisfies my intended narrative. Often a piece is finished earlier than one has planned as certain planned elements are omitted as they seem to become unnecessary add-ons.

Remember to just keep the essentials in a narrative. Narrative works that become too complex become too overwhelming to read.  Below, an image of the finished piece:

Eco-Madonna

(2013)

Oil and metal leaf on carved wood triptych

18" x 23.5"

by Patrick McGrath Muñiz

This piece along with 12 other paintings will be part of my upcoming solo exhibition "M@donnas" at La Antigua, Galeria de Arte, in Antigua, Guatemala. The opening will be on November, 9th, 2013. For more information about this exhibition you can contact the gallery at  artintheamericas@gmail.com

More updates on this project will be be announced soon so stay tuned!

New lovers in the Planet of the Apps

Planet of the Apps

(2013)

Oil on canvas 36” x 36”

By Patrick McGrath Muñiz

 

In allusion to the story of Adam and Eve and the serpent in the Garden of Eden, Planet of the Apps is a satirical piece that comments on the strong influence and power of modern technology in human relationships. This piece also makes a reference to a famous 1968 classic film Planet of the Apes. Smart Ape characters Zira and Cornelius can be seen hiding behind the bushes right in between Adam and Eve. 

 Planet of the Apps (detail)

Planet of the Apps also stands in as a painting inspired after the sixth Major Arcana of the Tarot “The Lovers”, which in many versions has depicted similar scenes of Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden. In this particular version, the Adam and Eve ignore each other and pay more attention to their smart phones. Adam’s parts are covered by a shopping plastic bag while Eve’s is covered with the traditional leaf device. 

                                              Planet of the Apps (detail)

They are framed by a large circular window and on the outer corners, three chimps and the prehistoric ancestor of all mammals, Protungulatum donnae, the link between humans and beasts. The earliest known mammal is seen reaching out for the latest known technological “App” with an acorn symbol on it, suggesting the driving force that divides humanity from the rest of living mammals in the planet. 

 Planet of the Apps

(detail)

The three apes cover their eyes, mouth and ears, quoting the Japanese proverbial principle: “See no evil, hear no evil, speak no evil”. Darwinian Evolution plays a small but no less part in this narrative. Within the rounded frame behind Eve and on the far right a Tyrannosaurus Rex moves out of the scene as a falling asteroid in the sky is about to collide. Close by, a broken billboard reads “I Consumer therefore I am”. On the far left behind Adam, the descendant of the dinosaur, a Chicken with chicks walks down a road. Nearby another damaged billboard reads “Slave, Obey your Master” citing Colossians 3-22.  Right next to the ad, a circle of apes worships a tall dark obelisk. This is another pop culture reference from Stanley Kubrick’s classic film 2001: A Space Odyssey. Three crosses on a small hill behind require a closer look in order to discover the logos of well known multinational internet corporations. 

 Planet of the Apps

(detail)

 Above, sitting over a tree branch a little cupid makes a gesture of silence to a surprised serpent, while he listens to music in his I-Pod. This painting reflects on how vitally important and central technology has become in our social lives, not only changing the way we relate to each other but the way we relate to history, culture and religion as well.

Planet of the Apps

(detail)

 This painiting will be on display along with other 19 pieces on my upcoming exhibition. "Devocionales: Neo-colonial retablos from an archetypal perspective" at the Mesa Contemporary Arts Museum, from September 13th thru December 1st 2013. For more information visit www.mesaartscenter.com.. To see more of my work you may also visit Jane Sauer Gallery in Santa Fe, NM. 

A brief description of "La Papisa" (The Popess)

La Papisa

(2012)

Oil and metal leaf on panel 24” x 47”

By Patrick McGrath Muñiz

“La Papisa” (the Popess) is a retablo painting inspired after the image of Mexican nun and poet, Sor Juana Ines de la Cruz, who lived during colonial times and considered to be one of the first feminists in the Americas.  Connecting her image to that of “The Popess”, the second major Arcana from the Tarot, presents an opportunity to address the empowered feminine archetype. The original Tarot card for "The Popess" served as an anti-papal satire and it alludes to the legendary Pope Joan who ascended through the male dominated ranks of  the Church and became the first and only female pope in history.  In defiance of the Patriarchal Church, “La Papisa” stands for her right to learn, read, write, speak her mind freely and even become a beacon of knowledge for the rest of humanity while freeing herself from the imposed religious institutions and traditions that for so long have defined her. This piece departs from colonial painter Miguel Cabrera’s painting of Sor Juana in her library with a book on her lap but adds in other elements evocative of contemporary technology and pop culture as well natural elements with symbolic meaning. 

La Papisa

(detail)

By Patrick McGrath Muñiz

A miniature replica of Delacroix’s “Liberty leading the people" is shown in the laptop screen sitting on the table. Two little angels hover above the protagonist and are about to crown her with a papal tiara that shows a lunar symbol instead of a cross on top.  Beside them, two Tarot cards depict different interpretations of the same archetypal figure. Above them, two satellite dishes (receptive symbols for communication) point towards an image of Our Lady of Mount Carmel within a mandorla. 

La Papisa

(detail top)

In the predella below, we encounter three plates depicting two goddesses (Pallas Athena and Vesta or Hestia) from classical mythology and a central narrative depicting women artists, musicians, spiritual leaders and activists with the statue of Lady Liberty in the background. Below an inscription in Spanish reads: “Leer, Rezar, Expresar, Dar, Observar, Manifestar” (Read, Pray, Express, Give, Observe, Manifest). A scroll on the main composition above is in Greek, Latin and Hebrew and it reads: “Sofia (Wisdom) Sapientia Fortitudo et quoque Sanctitatem iacet infra nos (discernment, Strength and Sanctity are found within us) Shekinah (Feminine blessing of God). 

 La Papisa

(detail of lower part or predella)

The idea of having the message from this piece be hidden or veiled relates directly to the archetype depicted. The feminine approach to knowledge can often be through Intuition or mystical practices that can evade mechanistic male reasoning. Every one of us can access the feminine, lunar, intuitive and mystical ways of understanding the world because the feminine aspect is ingrained as the anima in our psyche. The books, fish in a bowl, animal skull and roses reflect on theses mysterious archetypal qualities.

  

La Papisa

(Central Panel)

This retablo painiting will be on display along with other 19 pieces on my upcoming exhibition. "Devocionales: Neo-colonial retablos from an archetypal perspective" at the Mesa Contemporary Arts Museum, from September 13th thru December 1st 2013. For more information visit www.mesaartscenter.com.. To see more of my work you may also visit Jane Sauer Gallery in Santa Fe, NM.