A Christmas Card

Monastery Christmas - Terry Nelson,  2011

Acrylic on canvas, 8 x 8

I painted this last Christmas after a photo posted by the former Br. Stephen of the now disbanded Cistercian Abbey of Our Lady of  Springbank, Wisconsin.  It features the hog's head prepped for their final Christmas feast, 2010.

The Holy Face

The Holy Face - T. Nelson

The corrections are finished - I wonder if anyone will notice?

"Blognic in an Egg" - T. Nelson

"Blognic in an Egg" after the Bosch Concert in an Egg: the Lille copy.
Terrance J. Nelson, 2011
Acrylic on convas.  18 x 24

Presented is my copy after the Hieronymous Bosch "Concert in an Egg" - in homage to the Lille copy. I retitled the composition, "Blognic in an Egg", featuring a selection of American parochial bloggers, complimented by an assortment of attributes and symbols forming a sort of commentary on the phenomenon that is the Catholic blogosphere.

Once again, my apologies for the poor photography. The panel still needs to be varnished, and then perhaps, I can provide a clearer, crisper image.  The copy shown offers a good preview nevertheless.

As I mentioned, I used an assortment of medieval symbols as a commentary on the 'new media' as it is celebrated and extolled today - the curious may have fun trying to decifer my narrative. 

Sacred Heart of Jesus after Pompeo Batoni

Sacred Heart of Jesus after Pompeo Batoni, Terry Nelson, 2011

Acrylic on panel.  11 x 14

I worked on this painting very slowly, spending only an hour or two a day, a few days a week.  I didn't want to finish it.  I still have a few more glazes to apply and blend.  The painting is for a large, tabernacle type, retablo frame.

New frame filler.

This is the base drawing for the Sacred Heart image I want to paint - sort of a Spanish rendition of the Pompeo Batoni image I like so much.  This is how I paint:  I do a quick sketch or cartoon to guide me and then paint.
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The panel is made to fit a Mexican tin nicho frame I have.  - if it turns out, that is.

Cat

"Cat" Terry Nelson, 2011

To my suprise "Cat" was accepted by the judges of the Fine Arts Exhibition at the Minnesota State Fair in St. Paul, Minnesota. The show is considered to be the largest and best juried art show in the area and usually receives a couple thousand entries or more. Believe me - it is an honor just to be accepted. The past couple of years I entered and the work was rejected.  Awards are announced on August 23.

Franciscan Immaculada

Retablo for Peruvian frame: Franciscan Immaculada, T. Nelson 2011
Acrylic on gesso board.

Frame Fillers.

So here is a look at some of what I've been doing lately - painting panels to fill a few antique 'tabernacle' frames I've owned for years.  Click on photos to enlarge.

St, Sergius of Radonez; Madonna, after Daddi; St. James, after Veneziano; with the legs of a Spanish Colonial corpus.

Corpus; OL of Mt. Carmel, after Neapolitan Carmine Madonna; St. Peter Martyr, after Angelico.

St. Peter Martyr, after Fra Angelico

Nude Beach - Terry Nelson

What a pig!

The Cardinal - Terry Nelson

The Child Jesus

Jesus of St. Teresa - Terry Nelson, 2011
acrylic on canvas, 9x12

I found a photo of a little Hispanic boy whose facial expression seemed rather intense - reminding me of the Child Jesus. I decided to paint him holding his Sacred Heart. The Child Jesus is said to have appeared as an ordinary young boy to some saints, who at first did not recognize him. I concluded that he most likely appeared disguised as an ordinary boy dressed in the clothes of the period, until he revealed that he was indeed the Christ. Teresa of Avila and Lucia of Fatima had such experiences. When the Child Jesus appeared to Teresa he asked her, "Who are you?" She replied she was Teresa of Jesus, and asked the boy who he was, and he replied, "I am Jesus of Teresa." Hence the title of the painting.

Cat

Cat - Terry Nelson 2011
acrylic on canvas, 12" x 16"

In memory of a cat who died last year.

St. Sebastian - finished.

St. Sebastian - Terry Nelson 2011
acrylic on clayboard.

I finished the retouches to the panel, although it may not be noticeable to many. I detailed the entire composition. It is the best I can do.

A reader asked me why I paint Sebastian.

Years ago a very good priest whom I admire very much, told me in confession to choose a martyr patron to help me live chastely, explaining the martyrs are such powerful intercessors and protectors when it comes to freeing souls from bondage to sin. Since my youth I admired St. Sebastian since he seemed the perfect model for boys to emulate, a soldier with the appearance of an athlete, faithful to Christ amidst persecution and so on. I was intrigued that the saint endured two martyrdoms, as it were, almost killed by arrows, the saint survived to be bludgeoned to death.

If memory serves me, Sebastian was regarded as one of the Holy Helpers, as such his cult was popular throughout Europe. During the baroque period his image decorated just about every church. His cult spread throughout the New World and in modern times he continues to be venerated by many.

Sebastian drawing.

I haven't been able to re-shoot my former image of St. Sebastian.  I detailed it quite a bit more after studying the photos, and it is pretty much finished, save for varnish and framing.  I'll post the new photos when they are finished.  I like the panel very much as it reminds me of a scene from an old film, The Garden of the Finzi Contini.  There was an execution scene in the film which took place in a wood in the middle of winter.  I left out the snow. 
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I thought of doing another smaller image for a retablo frame.  I began the drawing on paper, shown above, but will most likely leave it at that for now.  The sketch reminded me of the January Magnificat cover depicting a study for the Adoration of the Magi by Rembrandt.  So I thought I'd post this sketch, as if I'm a great painter.  LOL!
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I rarely, if ever do finished drawings - unless I'm using pastels or crayons, and when it comes to painting, I more or less draw everything with my brush - as the above scan demonstrates.  I have done paintings on paper, but I'm not sure I should invest that much time on this piece.  I'm trying to beat Guido Reni's record for painting works depicting St. Sebastian.  No - I do not compare myself to Reni.

The latest "Sebastian"

"St. Sebastian 2011" by Terry Nelson
Acrylic on cradled clayboard. 9"x12"
Natural light photo w/Canon Power Shot A540
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Christmas Cards?

Mrs. Rabitowitz

Mrs. Rabitowitz, A Portrait - Terry Nelson, 2010.

Acrylic on canvas.

Christmas 2010

Saint in Gothic Frame, Terry Nelson, Acrylic on wood panel (3" x 1.5"). 2010

Years ago I found these wonderful resin frames which enclosed a small mirror. I removed the mirror and used the frames for reliquaries and small panels with painted copies of images of the saints from famous Florentine altar pieces. In this case I embellished the frame with crystals.