We are now in the 13th day of a national heat-wave, and - it being Britain - people are starting to die because of it. We're just not used to it, you see.
H.I. has dug out this classic old, Spanish silk fan which I bought for her a few years ago - it's the sort that women used whilst sitting around watching tormented bulls die in the heat of Madrid.
Luckily, my work at the moment involves sitting around in a darkened room, tickling cherub's arses with a sable brush. Normally, I would be sweating (and dying) out in the sun, bashing away at a large piece of hard rock. I timed that nicely, didn't I?
There is only one original figure on this panel depicting 'Spring', and the rest have been brought into life by me, using the other three seasons as reference material.
Unlike H.I. who does this sort of thing for a living, I am finding it a bit of an uphill struggle, but I will get there eventually. I haven't done any painting since art-school, and I did very little even then.
What complicates the situation is that I am not only having to replicate the style of the original Georgian artist (having already spent weeks replicating the actual scagliola backing), but also the general fading and ageing of the paintwork caused by bad storage for about 200 years. Whites that were white are now slightly yellow, so I am having to use more colours than were ever used on the originals. It's a bit of a juggling exercise, as well as an artistic one.
Still, I can think of worse things to be doing in this heat.
Luckily, my work at the moment involves sitting around in a darkened room, tickling cherub's arses with a sable brush
ReplyDeleteBet you've said THAT a few times in your life
I've thought about it a few times.
DeleteCan you tell me the temperature in metric?
ReplyDelete(Sorry, I could probably goggle it but I am lazy.)
Those fans are great when it comes to heat waves; so much more beautiful than a shabby newspaper. I keep one in my handbag.
Last summer was the hottest on record in West Australia. I think I commented to you about it. It got to that disgusting point where a lot of us felt completely unable to function during the day, let alone sleep at night.
I'm not doing a 'tougher than thou' thingy. It gets so hot here anyway and I get that acclimatisation is relative to your environment.
That said ... try two weeks straight over 40 degrees C. (sorry, couldn't help myself.)
DeleteAll I know is that 28 Celsius is 82 Fahrenheit. Today, my car told me it was 32 - ok, not Outback conditions, but we are soft Poms, remember. H.I. has another fan which folds out into a circle and dates from about 1950, by the look of it. Us men don't use fans.
DeleteNow: another comment gone - melted away, like ice in the sun. But following Pink I 'Try, try, try':
ReplyDeleteThe cherubs are lovely and show how one can handle a heat-wave in serene elegance.
Fans are elegant, too: and the one above must make a terrific contrast to H.'s beautiful long hair.
It - the fan, not H.I. - is falling apart at the seams. I need to find a fan-restorer.
DeleteNice job on the cherubim.
ReplyDeleteFans need to be expertly handled; deftly snapped shut a la Lady Bracknell, then thrown open again in an instant. Limp-wristed usage just WILL NOT DO.
Spoken like a true pirate Cro
DeleteA HANDBAG???
DeleteThe panel is lovely. Did we see a before of this? I recall seeing a single cherub I thought might be the Morton salt girl. Just look at it now.
ReplyDeleteYes, that's how long they have been in my workshop. My favourite is Winter, and not just because of the Summer now.
DeleteYou're making a wonderful job of the cherubs Tom ........ I remember the 'before' shots of the panel.
ReplyDeleteThen there is the language of the fan ..... I don't know what gesture communicates ' can I tickle your arse with my sable brush ' is though !! XXXX
Somewhere, I have a translation of the 18th century language of the fan. It includes things like, "My husband has noticed you" and "Come to my room at precisely midnight, and I will roger the arse off you" - or words to that effect.
DeleteI think that they were the very words !! .......... XXXX
DeleteYou are a clever lad under all that banter methinks Tom.
ReplyDeleteThat's what I tell my clients, but they never see the banter - I hope...
Delete