Fine-tuning the Opus

Before we start, two pieces of news: I’m now back permanently in NJ. No more hopping back and forth to Seattle, since my son and his family are moving to New York. Also, my whole Fairy Tales Triptych was rejected by Art Quilt Elements. I’ve been working on this Tapestry series for maybe a year now, and not one show acceptance. On the other hand, my tablet series is featured in Bound & Lettered Magazine, and they did a lovely spread.

Now: ready to play with details (fun!) - the edges, the textures. Here’s what I’ve got now:     

The woman on the left (above) needs work on her hair and cap. I collected images (below)..…

…for possible style-transplants. Then I found this face (Below, right):

Oh, my! What character! I’m not just going to use her hair/cap, I’m re-casting her in the part:

Her tray of food is basically good (Below), but if I’m going to spend all that time sewing it, it has to be better than good…

I collected images of food abundance - cornucopias (Below)….

…and heirloom vegetables and baskets (Below):

…and now we have the new improved tray (Below, right):

From the beginning, I’ve intended to include the four Horsemen of the Apocalypse. One, from the Angers Apocalypse Tapestry, was already there (below):

The four Horsemen are well known (death, pestilence, famine and war). However, their images aren’t clear-cut. Is that War or Death above? Famine is shown holding scales, which isn’t a terribly compelling symbol of starvation, is it? Durer’s engraving is probably the best known image (below):

Why does his Famine look so well-fed?

By combining the carved stone image of Famine (left, above) with the face of…the man with the open mouth (center), I hade a workable Famine figure (right). I photoshopped him in at about 60%, so you can still see the buildings through him. Hmmm: how the hell are you going to sew that, Diane?

Which brings us to War. By Googling “Medieval Manuscript four horsemen” I found the little fellow on the left (Below), turned him around, and now he’s shot an arrow into the Globus Cruciger:

No, not good enough: How about a composite of some soldiers from the Bayeux Tapestry?

That leaves Plague. Since I can’t figure out which of Durer’s horsemen represents pestilence, I have to assume other people might also have trouble with it. How about, instead of a horseman, we use the Plague Doctor?

(Above, right) an actual plague doctor mask! Can you imagine being horribly sick and THIS comes in the door? Although, if I was sick and  saw THESE doctors (below) come in my room I’d be plenty worried…

This page (below) explains the plague doctor: 

I’m still trying to work him into the design. Right now, he’s much too close to Christ’s arm (below) in what is -currently - the final version.

Ready to print? Maybe…..