Enter Azathoth...
Not wanting to slow down with the momentum I've built for the Cthulhu sculpture, I must be aware that time must also be spent on the art for the show! It's all well and good to get to Switzerland for the gallery opening, but perhaps not as effective without any art. You see, none of the artists are bringing pre-existing art. Lovecraft had a list of brainstorms called the Commonplace Book, some small paragraphs, some just a sentence fragment. 221 entries in all, and we are to choose from this list for our inspiration.
My first is Azathoth. In a nutshell, it is the first and most powerful of the gods (rumored to have created the universe and other gods... now likened to the big bang), and chaos incarnate. Often called 'the Idiot God', Azathoth is far from a benevolent god.
Much like my recent approach to Yog Sothoth, I chose to approach it more as a landscape than a portrait. An entity this massive and omnipotent would seem somehow weakened if it were to be containable in a single picture plane. Also the case with the Sothoth paintings, I set the mood with some music by the the Unquiet Void (Jason Wallach), dark ambient music inspired by Lovecraft's universe. The lyricless music is a lush and malevolent sound scape that helps me set a trance with the artwork, encouraging me to push the envelope with my interpretations and pre-set expectations of the entities appearances.
This time I stared with a grey gessoed board as an experiment, and then I just started doodling directly on the surface. Forms would emerge out of the lines, and I would expand on them in ways that made sense with the subject matter. This is where the piece stands currently:
Perhaps a little hard to make out, but what do you expect for ultimate Chaos? The lower right has a servitor, playing that incessant flute. Next will be paint, focusing on the lights and darks.
A quick update with the statue. I have roughed out the basic shape for the base, there was something pleasing about shaping the form into a smooth tapered pentagram. Next up I will create a rough armature for Cthulhu himself.
I look forward to your comments, and consider subscribing (free and painless, of course) to be kept up to date with the progress.
stay tuned!
~Paul
My first is Azathoth. In a nutshell, it is the first and most powerful of the gods (rumored to have created the universe and other gods... now likened to the big bang), and chaos incarnate. Often called 'the Idiot God', Azathoth is far from a benevolent god.
Much like my recent approach to Yog Sothoth, I chose to approach it more as a landscape than a portrait. An entity this massive and omnipotent would seem somehow weakened if it were to be containable in a single picture plane. Also the case with the Sothoth paintings, I set the mood with some music by the the Unquiet Void (Jason Wallach), dark ambient music inspired by Lovecraft's universe. The lyricless music is a lush and malevolent sound scape that helps me set a trance with the artwork, encouraging me to push the envelope with my interpretations and pre-set expectations of the entities appearances.
This time I stared with a grey gessoed board as an experiment, and then I just started doodling directly on the surface. Forms would emerge out of the lines, and I would expand on them in ways that made sense with the subject matter. This is where the piece stands currently:
Perhaps a little hard to make out, but what do you expect for ultimate Chaos? The lower right has a servitor, playing that incessant flute. Next will be paint, focusing on the lights and darks.
A quick update with the statue. I have roughed out the basic shape for the base, there was something pleasing about shaping the form into a smooth tapered pentagram. Next up I will create a rough armature for Cthulhu himself.
I look forward to your comments, and consider subscribing (free and painless, of course) to be kept up to date with the progress.
stay tuned!
~Paul
I cannot wait to see the finished Azathoth - looks amazing! Also - you flatter me entirely too much!
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great start, can't wait to see the next step in the painting. Keep channeling those entities
xxx
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