Against a Sea of Troubles, The Incognito Project

I just finished a new painting for my Incognito Project. We knew all along knew that my son was born to wear armor. As a child he was fascinated with the medieval period and his favorite stories were those involving knights, the chivalric code and King Arthur. At one point his nickname was Sir Kyle of Crocksley, since his favorite stuffed animal was a crocodile named Crock. We called a neighborhood friend Lady Katie,  you get the picture. So it was no surprise when he chose to be a knight for his alter-ego portrait for my Incognito Project. 

When I rented costumes, for the photo shoot for this series, from a local  university theater department, they let me roam the wardrobe rooms to select what I would need. I was thrilled to find this very authentic looking armor, complete with rust and dents, as if it had been through battle. The sword is one from Kyle's personal collection.

"Against a Sea of Troubles, The Incognito Project", 20x16,  oil on panel

"Against a Sea of Troubles, The Incognito Project",  detail

"Against a Sea of Troubles, The Incognito Project",  detail

"Against a Sea of Troubles, The Incognito Project",  detail

Here is a painting I like by Eleanor Fortesque Brickdale, it's an illustration from The Book of Old English Songs and Ballads. She had a career of some breadth as an artist. She was considered a Pre-Raphaelite painter; interesting because she was a woman, and because she came late for the Pre-Raphaelites (she was born in 1872). Hence she is credited with reviving that style in the late 19th century. She had the skill to do large oils (often of medieval or moral themes), colored book illustration, and watercolor. Eventually she even designed for stained glass. She continued working until she had a stroke in 1938, and died in London in 1945.

And while we are on the subject, here are a few Waterhouse paintings that I consider inspirational for your viewing pleasure!

"Dame Sans Merci",  1893

"Lamia", 1905

"Jason and Media", 1907

"Tristan and Isolde",  1916

From Wiki: The legend of Tristan and Isolde is an influential romance and tragedy, retold in numerous sources with as many variations. The tragic story is of the adulterous love between the Cornish knight Tristan (Tristram) and the Irish princess Iseult (Isolde, Yseult, etc.).

The narrative predates and most likely influenced theArthurian romance of Lancelot and Guinevere, and has had a substantial impact onWestern art, the idea of romantic love and literature since it first appeared in the 12th century. While the details of the story differ from one author to another, the overall plot structure remains much the same.

See all posts with The Incognito Project label. The book is available through Amazon.