“Make Me a Tiger” the Rabbit Said
I like visiting antiques and secondhand stores. Perhaps it is because I like objects (and people) with a history which can tell a new story when meeting a new keen eye. Many a time what attracts me are beyond the usual, but neglected and broken encounters that I enjoy reshaping or rebuilding. Key among what I look for are old cameras I can restore and use, and picture frames that represent an era of dedicated craftsmanship.
So, I came across a framed “art” that was covered in dust. The reason was obvious – it was hardly artistic and the matting would not be suitable for a photo. So, it has been seating on a secondhand store’s shelves for a while.
Here is the frame:
When I looked at it, I saw the genre of painting I do respond to the calling of the frame – that of “take me home”! And I did.
It was now time to find a proper canvas for a new painting. As I do all my paintings on preserved wild rabbit skin, I chose one that would fit the 4x4 internal frame perfectly. So I took out the “elephant art” metal insert and cut a black cardboard to fill the space.
Next was the theme. Given the cheetah, leopard, zebra and other African wildlife skin prints, it was clear that I needed a large predator as my model. My “canvas” had the shape where a face would fit and enough fur at the narrower end for a beard.
So I started by painting a pair of big cat eyes without knowing to which cat they will eventually belong. Perhaps a lion, a cheetah, or a tiger. I wanted the eyes and the canvas tell me where to go.
As I was looking for guidance, I almost “heard” the rabbit skin tell me “Make me a tiger…” Although starting to worry about my mental state, I decided to paint a tiger’s face.
So, I penciled in the rough contours of a face, and the placement of the nostrils/mouth. Now, the greenish colour I first gave to the eyes needed to change to a honey-brown one. Since I was using acrylic paint, mixing colours like with oil is unpredictable and needs to be done very quickly since acrylic dries fast. Here is my attempt with one eye in comparison to the initial colour.
Now I was ready to give my imagination free range with the markings. I do like painting tiger faces because of the free-hang lines I can draw for markings. I have done a few paintings of tiger faces with the progression of the cat’s age, as I see it. Some of these examples are at the end of this posting.
The face was taking shape but the rabbit skin did not have the shape of ears. I tried to use fur from a coyote’s tail, but it ended up silly. In some ways, the tiger looked more like a lion! So, I opted for a tiger with no ears. Note my sophisticated painting tools – I use the blade of a broken letter opener as my painting knife; dental tools for details of “canvas scratching”; and an occasional cotton swap to soften the shade of a line. I have never used a brush in all my paintings.
Overall, I think the frame I rescued from a secondhand store was perfect for such a painting.
Sample of previous
paintings of tiger faces
As I mentioned, I like imagining how faces can change with the age of the tiger. Of course it is anthropomorphic and may have no resemblance to how tigers age, but it allows me to use my imagination.
First, a young tiger: In this one, I wanted a young cub with eyes ready for new discoveries.
The posting about this painting can be accessed by this link: https://vaheark.blogspot.com/2019/08/it-is-poor-craftsman-who-blames-his.html
A late middle-age tiger: A bit more wisdom perhaps.
The posting about this painting can be accessed via this link: https://vaheark.blogspot.com/2018/11/impasto-lucian-freud-and-my-imaginary.html
My latest tiger is of no age – the eyes are still ready for new adventures even if he has seen enough to be selective and cautious!
April 4, 2024
© Vahé A. Kazandjian, 2024
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