Interior Castle I

Interior Castle I - Terry Nelson, 2010
acrylic on clay-board panel 8" x 8"
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Based upon Teresian Carmelite spirituality, the allegory comprises aspects of St. Teresa's Interior Castle; the soul in mortal sin, entry into the first mansions, as well as the poetry of John of the Cross; "One dark night... I went out unseen..."
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Narrative:
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In her book, The Interior Castle St. Teresa speaks of her vision of the soul as "a most beautiful crystal globe, like a castle in which she saw seven dwelling places, and in the seventh, which was in the center, the King of Glory dwelt in the greatest splendor...  Outside of the castle all was darkness, with toads and vipers and other poisonous vermin.  While she was admiring this beauty which the grace of God communicates to souls, the light suddenly disappeared and, although the King of Glory did not leave the castle, the crystal was covered with darkness and was left as ugly as coal and with an unbearable stench, and the poisonous creatures outside the wall were able to get into the castle, such was the state of a soul in sin." - Fr. Diego de Yepes
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The description by de Yepes is what I attempted to illustrate in this painting.  The fly and the creatures are shown outside the globe, while inside it is dark and moody, perhaps hiding the creatures who remain in the inner first rooms of the castle.  I couldn't very well show the soul in mortal sin as Teresa described it since in Chapter 2 she discusses how the globe is covered as if in pitch - while the Blessed Trinity remains at it's deepest center - no light is emitted to the soul.  I suggest the presence of the Trinity by the three fires at the base of the mount.  The three flames and the mount in turn suggest the coat of arms of Carmel, hence the mount surmounted by the cross, albeit barely visible.  The mount encircled by clouds also suggests Mt. Sinai, and the giving of the Law to Moses.  The murky waters surrounding the mount suggest the moat Teresa describes around the Interior Castle.  The reflected window represents God's grace enlightening the soul.
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I think that covers it - it's a fairly literal illustration of Teresa's vision and subsequent development in the first chapters of her book.  With the toads and the vipers I included an owl, the medieval symbol of evil, as opposed to the modern interpretation of the owl as a symbol of wisdom - this is meant to suggest not only erroneous opinion and teaching which infect the soul, but serve to warn against one's personal attachment and vain exultation over one's intellectual prowess.  In sum, the vile creatures represent sin, and the worldly affairs which distract and ensnare the soul and keep it from penetrating further into the inner chambers of the castle, close to the King of Glory.

St. Jospeh and the Child Jesus

Retablo: St. Joseph Refuge of Sinners - T. Nelson 2010
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9.5" x 5" Acrylic on canvas in Cuzco style carved mahogany and gilded frame.
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Several years ago I acquired this tabernacle-style frame with a painted image of the Divine Mercy, the image was so badly painted I gessoed over it and decided to paint another. In the meantime I framed a holy card image of the Divine Mercy in a small tin nicho, and this suited me more than this elaborate frame. I then decided to paint a Spanish Colonial style retablo for the frame instead, although I never returned to do it until last week. As March was approaching I decided to paint my patron, St. Joseph of the Child Jesus.
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Though I am not Carmelite, I wear the scapular of Our Lady of Mt Carmel, and venerate St. Joseph under the title of Protector of Carmel*, which is a sort of subtitle for this image which is officially titled, "Refuge of Sinners". The prototype for the retablo was an image I once saw in a magazine with the same title, although in the case of this painting, I worked from my imagination. The style of the composition mirrors the images of Our Lady under the same title, "Refuge of Sinners".
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The image is Cuzco-school inspired, although I used no gold assiste (painted gold lining and hi lights) for the patterns on the clothing, and my brush work is not nearly as fine as Latin American works. 
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*On St. Joseph's mantle one can notice an abbreviated coat of arms for Carmel as well as the monograms of Jesus and Mary.  And yes - the image is rather "Royalist" or "Monarchist" - ah, what does that reveal about my true self, huh?

Carmine Madonna della Bruna for Haiti

Our Lady of Mount Carmel of Haiti, Terry Nelson
Acrylic on 11" x 18" clay panel.
2010
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I painted the image after a 17th century Sicilian 'icon' from the Vatican Museum. The original prototype is known as Madonna Siciliana painted in Italo-Greco style; the Byzantine influence due to Albanian immigrants in Sicily fleeing the invasion of the Ottoman at the end of the 15th century. The dark attributes of the Virgin is not an uncommon characteristic in Sicilian art. The "black" Madonnas also refer to the verse from the Song of Songs, usually attributed to Our Lady, "I am black but beautiful..."
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I adapted the image in memory of the victims of the Haitian earthquake. I chose an antique ornamental Mexican clay plaque I found at a tag sale to carry the image. The clay tablet held a tin Mexican retablo I later removed and re-framed - it had not been original to the piece. Much of the gold leaf, bole, and gesso was removed as well. I left the deterioration as is, applied a thin gesso coating in the exact shape of the figures, and painted the image as seen here - leaving the deterioration as a sort of testament to the poverty and destruction Haitians have experienced through time. The traditional figures of souls in the flames of purgatory suggest the ongoing suffering Haitians are enduring in the aftermath of the quake. The holy Virgin being their refuge and hope.
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It is one of the rare paintings I have done wherein the Blessed Virgin communicated something to me. Something I cannot express but is revealed in her smile amidst adversity. Our Lady did this to me in only one other icon I attempted to make of her, and that was the Mother of Perpetual Help icon I made several years ago for a church near St. Cloud, Minnesota.
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Note: Click on the image for greater detail.

Acrylic skin

"Acrylic skin: Untitled" Acrylic and medium impression, dry mounted on velum paper outlined in conte crayon.

Baroque: Acrylic skin.

"Baroque: Acrylic Skin" - T. Nelson
Acrylic impression on paper napkin.
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Narrative: While painting I often use the back of my left hand as a palette, mixing colours, thinning the brush load, and so on. The layers make an exact impression of my skin texture and can be peeled off to form thin veils, or paintings without canvas or structure. In this case we see the skin tones of my "Black Madonna" painting, randomly formed into a leaf impression. By clicking on the image you may see the actual texture of my skin. Notice as well an eyebrow hair on the napkin.

St. Roch

"St. Roch" - Terry Nelson
11" x 14" acrylic on clay board.

For more information on the saint, go to Life and iconography of St. Roch.

Ex-voto

"When Jim died" - Terry Nelson
11 x 14 acrylic on clay board in tin Mexican nicho.
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I did this retablo/ex-voto quickly, in memorial of my friend Jim, who had died suddenly several years ago.  I was asked for another piece to exhibit in a gallery show I was participating in.  The panel had been started awhile back and set aside, so I decided to finish it in a hurry the night before installation.
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Jim was part of my "group" - several friends who have remained friends since high school. Jim was the first of us to die, and it was very hard to take since he was still in his 30's. He always seemed like an angel to me. Friends told me he died from an asthma attack during the night. I had lost close contact with him after I returned to the Church in 1972 - he had become involved with Mid-Eastern spirituality and rejected Catholic teaching - and me for awhile. Later on when we did see one another we continued to have great fun - he was very funny, an accomplished classical musician as well as an artist, and a huge fan of the Beatles and The Who. Jim was going to marry a friend of ours until he realized another attraction in his life.
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The painting is crude and a part of my retablo/ex-voto collection... rotting in the basement. The plumber seems to enjoy them.