| Seasons & Festivals by Kathy Webster |
Seasons & Festivals
This painting was produced for a project as part of my three year Fine Art HND course. The
work developed from my original idea of a set of prints to four textured Acrylic paintings on
board. I wanted each section to represent a different time of the year but when placed together
they become whole, one complete painting.
This concept led me to the festivals that are celebrated during the Christian year and the
seasons when they occur.
Christmas/Winter, Easter/Spring, Whitsuntide/Summer and Harvest/ Autumn.
Four seasons that God constantly provides - I decided to call the project 'Belief'.
During my research I studied the work of several artists - the French painter Odilon Redon
and the printmaker Françoise Gilot. From a book 'Images of Religion in Australian Art' I was
fascinated by the abstract work of Australian artists Albert Tucker, Thomas Gleghorn, John
Coburn, Leonard French, Arthur Boyd and Albert Herbert. I also love the work of Victoria
Crowe; she uses subtle layers of colour combined with printmaking, mixed media and collage
in her abstract paintings. My studies revealed that in Christian iconology the rose symbolises
the Virgin Mary 'Rose Mystics' and the ancient sign of the 'chi-rho' is the monograph of Christ.
I also referred to a book called 'The Golden Bough' A History of Myth & Religion, by Sir James
Frazer and found that I could use some of the ancient symbols to represent each festival and
link them together.
I discovered that at Harvest the last sheaf of corn left standing in the field was taken back to
the village made into a corn doll or a wreath and dedicated in church at the Harvest Festival.
At Christmas the straw from the wreath was placed in the manger to make the cattle thrive
and at Easter the grain was taken from it and scattered amongst the young corn. There are
many customs around Whitsuntide that include bringing in the summer with fresh green
leaves and branches of May, firs and birch. Leaf clad persons called Jack-in-the-Green
represent the spirit of vegetation often known as the May King or May Queen and May trees
or May Poles were set up in the centre of villages with dancing and processions.
In the Christmas/Winter painting I have included a shaft of light from the star, some pieces of
straw trail across to represent the straw taken from the last sheaf and placed in the manger
and a rose to represent the Virgin Mary. I have used icy cold blue and silver colours for winter.
Easter/Spring is shown with the subtle shadow of the cross and from the folds and ridges of
the surface texture I have created an impression of the crown of thorns. I have used the richer
purple, blue and green colours of spring flowers.
For Whitsuntide/Summer I have used light leafy green colours, the red swirls represent the
tongues of fire from the Holy Spirit and the impression of a dove is a symbol of the Spirit and
peace.
For the Harvest painting I have used layers of rich Autumn colours, the texture has been
created with seeds, leaves, collaged prints of fruit and of threads of corn and straw.
Finally, I have used a section of the 'Chi-rho' (the ancient monograph of Christ) at the corner
of each board. The symbol only becomes apparent when the paintings are placed together and
the work becomes as one.
Seasons & Festivals by Kathy Webster
This painting was produced for a project as part of my three year Fine Art HND course. The
work developed from my original idea of a set of prints to four textured Acrylic paintings on
board. I wanted each section to represent a different time of the year but when placed together
they become whole, one complete painting.
This concept led me to the festivals that are celebrated during the Christian year and the
seasons when they occur.
Christmas/Winter, Easter/Spring, Whitsuntide/Summer and Harvest/ Autumn.
Four seasons that God constantly provides - I decided to call the project 'Belief'.
During my research I studied the work of several artists - the French painter Odilon Redon
and the printmaker Françoise Gilot. From a book 'Images of Religion in Australian Art' I was
fascinated by the abstract work of Australian artists Albert Tucker, Thomas Gleghorn, John
Coburn, Leonard French, Arthur Boyd and Albert Herbert. I also love the work of Victoria
Crowe; she uses subtle layers of colour combined with printmaking, mixed media and collage
in her abstract paintings. My studies revealed that in Christian iconology the rose symbolises
the Virgin Mary 'Rose Mystics' and the ancient sign of the 'chi-rho' is the monograph of Christ.
I also referred to a book called 'The Golden Bough' A History of Myth & Religion, by Sir James
Frazer and found that I could use some of the ancient symbols to represent each festival and
link them together.
I discovered that at Harvest the last sheaf of corn left standing in the field was taken back to
the village made into a corn doll or a wreath and dedicated in church at the Harvest Festival.
At Christmas the straw from the wreath was placed in the manger to make the cattle thrive
and at Easter the grain was taken from it and scattered amongst the young corn. There are
many customs around Whitsuntide that include bringing in the summer with fresh green
leaves and branches of May, firs and birch. Leaf clad persons called Jack-in-the-Green
represent the spirit of vegetation often known as the May King or May Queen and May trees
or May Poles were set up in the centre of villages with dancing and processions.
In the Christmas/Winter painting I have included a shaft of light from the star, some pieces of
straw trail across to represent the straw taken from the last sheaf and placed in the manger
and a rose to represent the Virgin Mary. I have used icy cold blue and silver colours for winter.
Easter/Spring is shown with the subtle shadow of the cross and from the folds and ridges of
the surface texture I have created an impression of the crown of thorns. I have used the richer
purple, blue and green colours of spring flowers.
For Whitsuntide/Summer I have used light leafy green colours, the red swirls represent the
tongues of fire from the Holy Spirit and the impression of a dove is a symbol of the Spirit and
peace.
For the Harvest painting I have used layers of rich Autumn colours, the texture has been
created with seeds, leaves, collaged prints of fruit and of threads of corn and straw.
Finally, I have used a section of the 'Chi-rho' (the ancient monograph of Christ) at the corner
of each board. The symbol only becomes apparent when the paintings are placed together and
the work becomes as one.
Seasons & Festivals by Kathy Webster