Block Print
Cernunnos
Block Print
22.86 cm X 15.24 cm
September 2019
Exhibition Text
“Cernunnos” was inspired by Ansel Adams black and white nature photography and spirituality. I based most of this piece off of the Horned God, which in some beliefs goes by “Cernunnos”. The God is here in the form of a Stag, he represents the source of life and is generally seen as the sun or any horned animal.
Block Print
22.86 cm X 15.24 cm
September 2019
Exhibition Text
“Cernunnos” was inspired by Ansel Adams black and white nature photography and spirituality. I based most of this piece off of the Horned God, which in some beliefs goes by “Cernunnos”. The God is here in the form of a Stag, he represents the source of life and is generally seen as the sun or any horned animal.
Planning
Inspiration
(Click to enlarge Pictures, and for citation)
- Ansel Adams
- Adams, (1902-1984), was an American landscape photographer. He is known for his black and white photography, and was one of the founding members of the Group f/64. The Group f/64 was started with himself and Edward Weston, a photographer and friend of Adams. The Group focused on what was called "pure photography", it was really focused, clear and sharp photos.
- The black and white of Adams work immediately made me think of the black and white of block printing. I love the shape of the tree in the first image below, and gnarled branches and the contrast in the smooth background.
- Adams, (1902-1984), was an American landscape photographer. He is known for his black and white photography, and was one of the founding members of the Group f/64. The Group f/64 was started with himself and Edward Weston, a photographer and friend of Adams. The Group focused on what was called "pure photography", it was really focused, clear and sharp photos.
- Claude Monet
- Monet, (1840-1926), was one of the founding members of the impressionist movement, and is probably one of the most known artists from that movement.
- The attention to detail in Monet's work, especially in Bordighera (1884), the twisting of the trees and the brightness of the leaves. I love the whole landscapes Monet paints and how true it is to the actual places he was.
- Monet, (1840-1926), was one of the founding members of the impressionist movement, and is probably one of the most known artists from that movement.
(Click to enlarge Pictures, and for citation)
Sketches
At first I wasn't entirely sure what I was going to do, I knew I wanted to do something with nature, but I wanted it to be weird and confusing.
This first sketch was heavily inspired by the gnarled tree photograph from Ansel Adams. I really liked the swirling of the trees and throughout the whole sketch. I loved the moon in the background and knew I wanted the moon in my final piece. I also really liked the idea of the tree in the piece. This first sketch was very blank and I wasn't sure how I wanted to fill in the empty spaces.
At first I wasn't entirely sure what I was going to do, I knew I wanted to do something with nature, but I wanted it to be weird and confusing.
This first sketch was heavily inspired by the gnarled tree photograph from Ansel Adams. I really liked the swirling of the trees and throughout the whole sketch. I loved the moon in the background and knew I wanted the moon in my final piece. I also really liked the idea of the tree in the piece. This first sketch was very blank and I wasn't sure how I wanted to fill in the empty spaces.
My second sketch is my least favorite, but I really liked the pupil of the eye. I ended up keeping the stage in the center of my final piece. I also liked the trees surrounding the stage and made sure I incorporated it.
It was a quick sketch with my theme heavily present, but I didn't like how small the stag was and I wanted him to be very present, along with the moon.
My final sketch incorporated my favorite elements of my previous drafts and accentuated the stage and the moon. I like how present both are and I'm happy I had the branches around them to fill in the other spaces. I left the corners blank because I thought there was a lot going on in the piece already and thought the corners would look better empty.
Process
Process
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Reflection
I'm pretty happy with how the print turned out. I wish the stag looked a bit let like a drawing, but I would have had to spent a while practicing how to properly draw one. I also wish the moon was more prominent, along with the symbol above. I really like her the branches frame the piece and I almost wish I made them more prominent. I think it would have been nice to use another color of ink to either add color to the leaves or the stag, I think the color would make it come together more and just add to it overall. I like how I connected the piece to nature and spirituality, I think it connects the piece to me more and I like how personal it is.
ACT Responses
Clearly explain how you are able to identify the cause-effect relationships between your inspiration and its effect upon your artwork:
The branches of Ansel Adams' piece and Claude Monet's surrounds the main image of the print, and give a boarder to the piece.
What is the overall approach (pov) the author (from research) has regarding the topic of your inspiration?
The author from my research into the Horned God was very informative and went into the meaning and background of the god in great detail.
What kind of generalizations and conclusions have you discovered about people, ideas, cultures, etc. while you researched your inspiration?
Many people are hesitant about Wicca and other smaller beliefs, they don't look into the actual meaning behind what they believe is "evil" or "made up".
What was the central idea or theme around your inspirational research?
The central idea is to emphasize nature and show how present "Kernunnos" or the horned god is all around us.
What kind of inferences did you make while reading your research?
I can infer that photography is all about capturing the moment before you loose it and that impressionism, or at least Monet's goal is to show the beauty in nature.
The branches of Ansel Adams' piece and Claude Monet's surrounds the main image of the print, and give a boarder to the piece.
What is the overall approach (pov) the author (from research) has regarding the topic of your inspiration?
The author from my research into the Horned God was very informative and went into the meaning and background of the god in great detail.
What kind of generalizations and conclusions have you discovered about people, ideas, cultures, etc. while you researched your inspiration?
Many people are hesitant about Wicca and other smaller beliefs, they don't look into the actual meaning behind what they believe is "evil" or "made up".
What was the central idea or theme around your inspirational research?
The central idea is to emphasize nature and show how present "Kernunnos" or the horned god is all around us.
What kind of inferences did you make while reading your research?
I can infer that photography is all about capturing the moment before you loose it and that impressionism, or at least Monet's goal is to show the beauty in nature.
Bibliography
- Cunningham, Scott, and Kimberly Nightingale. Wicca: a Guide for the Solitary Practitioner. Llewellyn Publications, 2017.
- “Ansel Adams, Photographer - A Biography.” Ansel Adams Gallery, 27 July 2016, http://anseladams.com/ansel-adams-bio/.
- “Biography of Claude Oscar Monet.” Claude Oscar Monet - The Complete Works - Biography, https://www.claudemonetgallery.org/biography.html.