Madonna

məˈdɒnə/ my ‘ lady

noun

singular proper noun: Madonna

1  the Virgin Mary.

◦                      a picture, statue, or medallion of the Madonna.noun: madonna; plural noun: madonnas


an idealized virtuous and beautiful woman.noun: madonna
"he describes Evelyn as a madonna"

My next series of feminine inspired prints  - Mother 1, 2, 3 and 4 – exploring both digital and silkscreen techniques - are based on the theme of the Lady, the Madonna, the Mother. I have used an amalgamation of my own drawn figurative imagery with Renaissance portraits by the artists Leonardo Da Vinci, Alesso Baldovinetti and Sandro Botticelli. 

Madonna and Child - L. Da Vinci, Portrait of Lady in Yello - A. Baldovinetti

Mother 2

The sequence of positives that make up one of my current prints (‘Mother 2’ inspired by Alesso Baldovinetti’s “Portrait of a Lady in Yellow ’ combined with elements of Leonardo Da Vinci's  'Madonna and Child' ) use overlays of metallic gold and bronze – with my drawn figurative nudes as a background texture and my Elizabeth the 1st repeat textile pattern within the subject's garment. 
I intend to use this metallic colour as a theme throughout this series of ‘Mother’ prints. The metallic pigments create an air of glamour and hint at the idea of 'the women as a religious icon', the 'Madonna', particularly in conjunction with the imagery of the rounded background mirroring the 'halo'.  Again, I am using MERCK pigments for this effect – although I find the complex layering of imagery when silkscreen printing challenging.

I think the multi-layering within each piece of artwork has worked most effectively when manipulated digitally on screen. The subtler rendering and the advantage of modal lighting effects when using Photoshop layers has allowed me to incorporate the fine, ethereal blends and figurative patterns within each print.

Mother 2 - silkscreen sequence

I have found that by using the silkscreen process a more tactile result can be achieved. However this process has produced a less precise outcome (when looking at my original portrait ideas on screen) and it has been necessary to create additional overlays in order to produce a similar - precise, understated yet delicate, end result when comparing my silkscreen image with the finished digital image.

I want my images to illustrate women who are delicate but at the same time exude power and dominate the space they occupy. The subjects of my work are all ‘Madonnas’. The image of a woman as a mother evokes an idea of nurture and care but more importantly reflects the singular ability of a female to bear and nourish a child, unlike a male. Motherhood is a strong metaphor for power. It is power.

The Mothers - digital prints