Facing the Unknown. XII-2023

 

I would like to show you my project, which didn't quite turn out as planned and will have a continuation. It's called "Facing the Unknown" (2023, December). The original image and plot are taken from the Spanish manuscript Beatus Silos Apocalypse 1091-1109. In the original, the plot is rather eerie - a red dragon of the Apocalypse wants to devour a child from a pregnant woman dressed in solar garments. I have a fondness for medieval manuscripts and have dozens of works from various manuscripts made with powdered glass.


Suddenly, I wanted to become the heroine of this picture and attempt to tame the dragon. The shield held by the woman in the picture inspired me. I have my stained glass "Sunrise Flower" (2010), which has the shape of a shield and of which I am proud. It's my emblem. I decided to stylize myself in the main role. With silver hair and a rather plump figure, I left the silhouette, removed the hood, and stood before the dragon with uncovered silver hair. The dragon didn't expect anything like that, and all its heads stared at me in curiosity. I started sprinkling luminous crumbs of coloured glass before me, which put the dragon into a humble state. That's my plot.

I love the delicate work of powdered glass; I've been using this my own technique for eleven years. But I've never done anything thinner than my own shield. I redone it eight (!) times. It's the best my hand could do. Believe me, it's very delicate work. I apply small details on the front, and color them on the back. The thickness of the layer of glass powder is approximately 4-5 mm, and I fused it in one go. Unfortunately, there are bubbles on the edges of the work. The woman, that is, me, turned out well. The dragon has bubbles.

But the miniature, 6.5" x 8.5", is simply charming. I really like it. I decided to create three identical miniatures and test them on different thermal profiles to find the best one. The experiment will be called "Taming the Apocalypse Dragon."