The Veil

Overview: I really like this painting. I like the shape and shading of the face and I like how the veil looks over the face.

Eight Windows:

Literal Qualities: In a lot of mythology, like the goddess Isis, veils have been used to separate the live world from the underworld. This is something that I found very interesting and wanted to paint it.

Sensory Properties: Line and shape are the prominent elements in this work. The shape of the face is very strong and angular but it still carries a softness that is interesting. And line, because that’s what makes the veil.

Formal Properties: Dominance is a principal that is used a lot. The dominance of the face coming out of the sides of the veil is a very striking image.

Technical Properties: Canvas, acrylic paint and synthetic brushes.

Expressive Properties: The meaning of this painting is to show someone on the cusp of life, tentatively stepping out of the under world and into the live world.

Cultural Significance: The imagery of the veil has been used for thousands of years:

For example:

“I am all that has been, that is, that shall be, and none among mortals has dared to raise my veil”---The inscription placed in front of Isis’s temple in Egypt

“And behold, the veil of the sanctuary was torn in two from top to bottom” – Mathew 37:51

Function or Purpose: To represent someone on the cusp of life.