Prayer by Petrus Boots |
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Original Available † ....................................... 7000.00 us*
To purchase original work, Size ..................................... 20 in ~ 30 in / 51 cm ~ 76 cm Medium ............................... Graphite Pencil on Art Board Prayer © 2003 by Petrus H. Boots ~ Stones
touched by ancient Hand ~ |
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"Prayer" began as yet another study (see others in Sketchbook II) for the painting presently in progress. Then... through the sketching stage I felt the figure was worthy of more thorough study and began working on the detailed pencil drawing. Initially what I had in mind was to simply do the figure without a background, as I had done in drawings such as "Samsara" and "Within Skin and Stone", but "Prayer" grew. It expanded to the point where most of the 20" x 30" piece of art board would be covered in graphite. Not since I finished the painting "Enlightenment" in 2000, had I integrated the Sedona red rock formations into a piece. Now I would revisit them, only this time in graphite, and draw them for the first time in black and white. Never having drawn the rocks before, I found myself less interested in reproducing them exactly. Instead, I allowed the rocks and my own subconscious to speak through my hand, producing often times strange and unusual shapes and forms. Although through painting these incredible sand stone formations a certain style was developing. In drawing them for the first time, this process evolved to the point where I glanced at the source material less and less. Omitting color and reducing the image to light and shadow had a liberating effect. Liberating not only in style but also in content and composition. For example; the back and foreground setting is a combination of two separate locations. In the distance is the rock formation known as Shiprock, located in the Northwestern corner of New Mexico. Shiprock is a formation I have viewed from a distance numerous times and as I recall... at least once, while traveling down the infamous 666 highway heading South towards Gallup and Interstate 40. Interstate 40 would eventually lead us to our preordained destination, Sedona Arizona. And just outside Sedona and the rangers reach was where we found our temporary home, beneath the towering rock face of a place called Loy Butte. It was in climbing and exploring the rock face where we came across the old Indian ruin, situated high on a cliff under which we slept many a night. This location along with Shiprock looming in the distance conjoined creating the setting for "Prayer". Every so often a painting or drawing brings in it's wake a period of fundamental change and "Prayer" (although unknown in the initial stages) would prove to be one such piece. Personally and artistically this drawing ushered in a welcome change of direction. Although not prominent within this piece itself (short of some areas where I experimented) the change will profoundly effect the course of the painting presently in progress. Many of the sketches (see Sketchbook II) will now be left behind and with the vision clear, the painting which has been in the planning stages for quite some time will now receive my full artistic devotion. The execution of "Prayer" has spanned approximately a two year period of my life. When signing it I was a little disheartened to noticed that throughout 2002 I had not signed a painting or drawing. It was not that the actual work involved in producing the piece should have required this length of time. There were many days if not weeks and months that went by where I couldn't even look at it. At times I wondered if I had lost my passion and desire to produce any works of art ever again. I don't know about other artists but this old demon comes knocking at my door more often than I care to mention. But then... looking back over 2002 there were numerous distractions to account for my artistic neglect. The most relevant, personal family health challenges that although I will not go into have been met and vanquished. So it would seem that there was plenty to pray for in 2001- 02. Not only within my personal experience but also on a global level. At times I wonder if the human race has simply gone off the deep end. In a world where a tragic event could be politically hijacked and morphed to justify the massive ordinance dropped on Baghdad, I find it increasingly more difficult to find my place. All I know is, when I watched the bombs ignite in apocalyptic fire balls over Baghdad, September 11 became just another day in a world gone completely mad. And that is quite possibly the saddest statement I have ever made. Yes... there is no shortage of things to pray for these days. The world my daughter will inherit, peace on earth, humanity, the animals, the environment, personal health, truth... just to mention a few. But in the end and during the final pencil strokes and smudges "Prayer" answered a long held prayer of my own. The reemergence of a passion I thought was long dead but which turned out to be simply sleeping. The passion which fuels the desire to create something beautiful. I was a little surprised at where I found it.
Petrus Boots ~
This one's for Arden. Who made his final escape October 15, 2003 ~ |
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