Taking Risks While Dodging Reality

Every so often I decide that depicting things as they are just won't do.  Actually, most days I think this.  I have been known to delete a bush or a tree or add an object to a painting to make the image more interesting.  I completely parted with reality this week and followed the advice of the Fauvists (Henri Matisse was a member of this group) to simplify, do some abstraction and use strident color in a painting.

Example of a fine Matisse Fauve painting:

Henri Matisse, "Woman with a Hat", 1905, San Francisco Museum of Art (via Wikipedia)

 

 

I wanted to do a painting of one of the Flagler College lion faces located on the entrance gate to the college.  The building and surrounding gate and courtyard were built in 1888.  Here is one of the lion faces as it really appears: 

 

Photo courtesy of Kate Spencer

 

 

Very beautiful sculpture with wonderful patina, but I figured that in this instance, I should take a completely different spin on a piece of history.    I went wild on the wild beast and did this:

 

  Mona Vivar, "Flagler College Lion", acrylic on canvas, 14 inches by 11 inches

now available in my Ebay store at

Mona Vivar Flagler College Lion St Augustine Florida Southern Impressionist Art

 

 

So there you have it.   I like changing reality!   

 

 

 

 

 

Painting "Flagler College Lion" copyright of Mona Vivar 2013