Oct 30, 2013

Nauvoo Temple

41 x 52" original oil
sold
8 x 10" and 16 x 20" prints will be available through the artist
to order prints, click here

I have been working on this painting all summer and fall and am so excited to share it finally! The person whom it was a surprise for came and saw it tonight.  I was commissioned by a dear family who loves and supports the arts and who are artists themselves. This painting took 14 weeks. 

Thank you so much to the family who commissioned this painting and showed their support of my art career and the arts in general, and thank you to all others out there who buy original artwork and keep this craft going strong. In a digital world, you can't beat an original oil painting with it's brush stroke fingerprints and that deep varnish smell. 

I have studied this building from a painter's perspective, and I have a new respect for the craftsmen who built this temple originally in 1846 and who rebuilt it in 2002. There is no end to the detail in this building. 

My purpose in painting this temple with long grass in the front versus the modern-day sidewalks and landscaping is to send the viewer back to 1846 and to see this temple as it might have been before large trees were growing nearby and after the long grass and wildflowers had a chance to grow back and blow in the wind. The temple is overlooking the Mississippi River, and I love this river. It's a piece of home. 

The backs of my originals are Venetian red. 

Adding the third coat of gesso. 

I used a projector to collect this much information, but trees blocked a large portion and out of plumb vertical lines in the entire bottom rectangular section of the temple caused  me to draw the rest by hand. 

















The colors looked so wrong. I was freaking out. I mean, this does not look like a white building from what I have painted so far. I learned that the only really white stones were in the belfry.  
















You Facebook friends of mine out there: remember my gnarly road rash from my bike crash? You can't see it, but it's about two hours old on the right side of my body in this picture. 



To order prints of this painting, click here

10 comments:

Sunny said...

I sure hope you got a rub down and a candle bath after all that! Thank you isn't enough! You have just blessed generations of our family. You have become a name and face that my great grandchildren will know! Forever...forever thank you.

Unknown said...

I got a little emotional. Thank you Sunny!!

Jenna said...

Our whole family just gathered around to look at the finished project and the "in progress" pictures. Thank you!!!!!

Unknown said...

That's awesome Jenna, thank you! I've seen Ugo post things on Facebook about Nauvoo frequently and I was excited to reveal this secret and get his reaction.

Anonymous said...

This is amazing, Cristall! We lived an hour away from Nauvoo for two years and I went there almost every month. The spirit there is incredible and the view is even more captivating now that they razed an old building in front of the temple. Your talent is phenomenal! Becca

heidikins said...

This is so amazingly awesome. I've spent all day going back and forth looking at it. Kudos to you, my dear!

xox

Unknown said...

Thank you Heidi!

Unknown said...

Thank you Becca!

Sunny said...

Oh also something I was wondering although since it took 14 weeks I don't know if you can tell me definitively but what music did you listen to and were there any that stand out in your mind? I just know that music sometimes is important to your painting and wondered if there were any songs that stand out in your memory.

Unknown said...

Yes. Chevalier de Sangreal by Hans Zimmer was played when I needed a boost.