This is me showing one of two frescos I painted and sold to the FRB. This photograph was used in both the branch's newsletter and the district's newsletter, a matter of interest to them not just because they bought two paintings from an employee but also because I used their shredded currency for binder.
They thought that was cute.
But it's actually the best material I've found and I tried a lot of things. Egyptians used hay so I tried that. I have a huge garbage bag full of this shredded currency, a lifetime supply. I should show you my million dollars someday.
The woman who took the picture really is short. Munchkin-size, actually.
It is a famous image, Musicians of Amun, Tomb of Nakht, 18th Dynasty, same dynasty as King Tut.
The other painting sold to the FRB is a portion of the Geese of Meidum, a very famous painting, the earliest of known fresco paintings depicting six Egyptian geese so realistically their species is identified: Egyptian goose. Psych! The one I sold was only the two colorful geese. Later, I sold another longer fresco of all six geese to a guy who hunts geese. There are antique wooden decoys all around it. Really cool.
When I left the FRB the painting of the two geese was hanging in a conference room where the awesome and impressive and intimidating gigantic table is and every time I had a meeting in there I was completely distracted by my own art. I criticized it in my mind. Found every fault by intense scrutiny. That is also the room where I set off to record t-bill auction results. I was the only one on the floor who could read that crap and make it sound like English.
The painting of the lady musicians was hanging in a smaller 3rd floor conference room and whenever I had a meeting in there I was hopelessly distracted by my own art criticizing every flaw I could detect, swearing to myself I'd give it another try. And I did.
And now I'm thinking the whole thing all over again. I agonize over every flaw no matter how great the painting looks in situ.
This is a carrot cake commissioned by the wife of a doctor who bought the original painting depicted on the cake's icing. The cake shop photographed the painting and projected it onto the blank screen of the carrot cake. She said it was fascinating to watch. They even copied the hieroglyphics.
A lot of effort and thoughtfulness was put into this cake. They kept thinking of things to reward me personally beyond cash payment, they offered generous flier miles but I wasn't interested in going anywhere. They offered other trips besides, with and without them, then finally she thought of this cake and I must say it was delicious. It fed a whole party then I took it to work and feed my whole department until it was gone.
This is an original composition. Four boys on their way with offerings. The items they carry are unclear, bread, ostrich eggs, something alien. There is a satellite dish among the hieroglyphs. The boy looking back has a goose on a rope by the neck taking off in the opposite direction. Contrary to Egyptian canon, the boys are caught in midstep. With the tension on the rope, the stepping forward while looking backward, the duck moving opposite, the viewer realizes the next step the line of boys takes together snaps the birds neck and whips it around with force. The painting has tension. But the cake does not.
It is a sweet painting. And it is large. And I am so well chuffed where I saw this painting hanging so considerately. I can tell they really loved this painting and so did their guests who saw it. First in a high rise abutting Cheesman park, way up there. Half the whole floor. The elevator door opens directly onto the apartment, BOOM, this painting. Stunning. Every person who walked into the place walked right into this painting, and it held its own very well with all the other art there. They always do.
The couple sold that condominium and bought a house on Genesee, top of the hill on I-70 where the stretched taffy bridge is at the tippy top, and lookout mountain on the other side, and a lot of hummingbirds. Stunning home on mountain property. First thing you see upon entering the home, BOOM, this painting.
They died. Both did. The girlfriend of the executor of the estate called, "DUBS!" on the painting, so before anybody could notice the thing was shipped off to Connecticut. I leaned that by third party, and it is fine with me. I know somebody loves it real well.
13 comments:
Very cool what you did with the cake.
All you need now is Yul Brynner chasing Chuck Heston.
I enjoyed reading this blog post. Thank you.
Interesting life you lead, Chip. What is FRB?
I really like the painting your are holding. You are talented!
I was asking my self the very same question.
What is FRB?
I can hardly draw a stick man.
I assume FRB is Federal Reserve Bank since you got currency, but I'm not sure the connection.
The painting is drop dead gorgeous. I would love to walk in a front door and 'boom' there it is. I see why it would be placed that way.
On another matter, why do I seem to have so much trouble pronouncing those ancient Egyptian names? I tend to put the accent on the wrong syllable. Maybe it's because I grew up reading instead of watching tv. I do the same with a lot of Native American words as well. Are they related?
I spent years and years mispronouncing Arapahoe and Amenhotep in my head when I read.
FRB is Federal Reserve Bank.
The one in Denver is a branch of the one in Kansas City, the 10th District.
The mint is nearby, but that is different.
Egyptian names always break down into simpler combinations that are used formulaically. They almost always refer to the image of some god, or the satisfaction of some god, or the peace, contentment, blessing, of some god.
That is how you know the name is Tut-ankh-amun and not Two-tank-amoon. The symbols inside are used repeatedly and similarly through dynasties.
Yet some are so singular that they stick out like mad. Your eye goes straight to them, bing!, you know who that is immediately. And Tut is one of them. That "tut" combination is quite unique when it comes to names, and whenever you see it amongst other names the sound it makes inside your head is "twat."
Or "twit."
The symbol for "hotep" is an offering mat with bread on it. It is a very common word with names. Amen is the name of a god.
Federal Reserve Bank - how long have you people know Chip and you never asked that befoe now? Jeez pay attention once in a while :)
Chip - where is the big painting you mentioned? I did not see a link.
AllenS: Me too - I can't draw a stick man either.
AJ, I do a lot of restoration stuff. I always take pictures of things, and also draw pictures to ensure when I put everything back together, I know where it goes. When I look at the pictures that I drew, I always say, WTF?
I do not have a photo of the large painting. It is in Connecticut, so I hear.
The girlfriend of executor of the estate mentioned she liked it. Or maybe told him to reserve it. Perhaps asked if she could buy it, but I doubt that.
I know the executor obliquely, by another acquaintance, and I met the woman a few times here and there but never really spoke to her (once briefly in Mexico). I still think it is odd that they didn't mention any of this to me, nor that I didn't hear of it another way from the way that I did, more directly. As if people were keeping the information (about her having it) from me.
It's odd. I wasn't into photography and I was oddly unconcerned about creating a portfolio. It was just a thing.
He saw a way to please her in a way that didn't cost him anything and it's all very cheesy and they feel uncomfortable about it. He is a closer friend to other people than to me, so they all kept discreet and I learned a wild-ass way.
There is another highrise apartment with two of my paintings, but the elevator does not open directly into the apartment so far less dramatic, but they are are on the wall of the entry. 1) a woman luxuriating, large fresco, my drawing, and 2) cattle crossing, men carrying a calf across a shallow river, a bas relief that was etched with a dental tool, the water is zig-zag design. The calf is calling back to its mother who looks distressed, very touching moment in Egyptian art that has become famous. The bottom 1/4 of this. Those two are what every visitor sees first of all, considerately displayed with lights, among a good deal of other art throughout the whole place. But there is no boom upon entry due to it being a hallway, you must turn to see the second. Those are probably the most famous of all due to the large number of large parties hosted there. Whenever I was there at a party and people discovered I did them they properly freaked the f out or at least pretended to. They'd go, "Can you make me a teeny tiny one?" As if begging a bowl of rice and I'd go, NO !
I pity da foo who hangs teeny tiny art.
Allan, did you notice that I bashed the painting at the lady's elbow and refilled it and repainted it but without any antique but with finish so that it sticks out as obviously restored?
I discovered that technique by accident. I had a great painting but I didn't like the eye so I bashed it out and replaced it after it was finished. It seemed to add a layer of history. It makes the viewer think, "Would it be better without the restoration, or with it?"
Psych! There IS no restoration, it's all a fake out.
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