This year’s Christmas card focuses on the plight of refugees and animals caught in the crossfire of war through a little sculpture tattoo drawing in Biro on a found china hand.
Season greetings and a happy and peaceful 2016 to all.
Best wishes,
Jane
Biro drawing by Jane Lee McCracken, on a china hand purchased in a local charity shop.
Reflection of dove drawing on the back of china hand.
Reflection of back of china hand with drawing of Lily and dove.
Sculpture tattoo on glass shelf.
‘Lakshmi’ blue Biro drawing on Tiger Sculpture, Jane Lee McCracken
Lakshmi, Goddess of wealth and prosperity, Vishnu’s wife, embodiment of beauty… this week’s work in progress on ‘Blue Tiger’ Sculpture Tattoo.
Side view of Lakshmi drawing depicting how her shoulder and arm follow the curves of the tiger sculpture’s right shoulder
This blue Biro drawing is inspired by a vintage painting of Lakshmi and an image of a beautiful Italian film star!
Detail Lakshmi’s face
Lakshmi’s curves are enhanced by drawing her body over the muscular shoulder of the tiger.Her head is positioned at 90 degrees to Vishnu’s head drawn on the tiger’s back.
Vishnu and Lakshmi blue Biro tattoos on Tiger Sculpture
Symbolism plays a large part in the work I make forming an intricate web of analogies. Using objects as I find them for making art is also an important part of the process; imperfections tell their own story and if you look closely there are scratches on the surface of the sculpture that have been deliberately retained.
‘King of India’ blue Biro drawing part of Tiger Sculpture Tattoo
Last weeks tattoo drawing ‘King of India’ was drawn over the tiger sculpture’s back leg. Vishnu’s hand is layered through the Bengal tiger’s face.
This work in progress highlights the familiarity of tigers iconic beauty and their symbolic importance to humanity.
‘Weeping Durga’, 2015 colour Biro Drawing, Jane Lee McCracken
‘Weeping Durga’ Icon, inspired by Hindu iconography celebrates the beauty and majesty of the Bengal Tiger and represents Durga the Tiger Goddess weeping for her tigers threatened with extinction. It is the companion icon for ‘Blue Tiger’ Tattooed Sculpture (work in progress). ‘Blue Tiger’ sculpture stylised and painted white to reflect ancient art and drawn over in blue Biro, looks towards ‘Weeping Durga’ for hope she will protect him. But Durga now looks for the compassion of humans to save tigers from extinction.
‘Blue Tiger’ Tattooed Sculpture, work in progress
‘Weeping Durga’ encapsulates the vibrant colours of Indian culture and Hinduism. It layers drawn images of Bengal Tigers over a drawing of a traditional Hindu icon painting set around a jewel like representation of Durga, which incorporates layered drawn images of two iconic Bollywood Actors, Rekha and Shabana Azami. As with most of my pieces symbolising threat of extinction to a particular species, there are unfinished areas of the drawing representing ‘disappearance’.
Detail of Bengal Tiger and Durga, colour Biro drawing
The drawing took 3 months to make with around half a square inch completed per day. Only 8 colour Biro pens were used with the colours mixed on top of one another within the drawing to achieve the finished palette.
Detail of Bengal Tiger, colour Biro drawing
‘Weeping Durga’ has been donated to Save Wild Tigers for their upcoming event ‘Be Inspired’ at the Savoy, London 9th October 2015. Splendid tiger inspired artwork courtesy of 18 artists to be auctioned in benefit for Save Wild Tigers is now being previewed on Paddle8 with bidding opening on 22nd September – 8th October.
For further information about Save Wild Tigers Savoy Gala Event on 9th October please contact:
Tiger Sculpture Tattoo drawing in blue Biro
Rarrrrrr! Voila, le tigre!
Blue Biro tattoo drawing on my tiger sculpture is coming on. As mentioned in my previous post Tiger Sculpture Tattoo…Work in Progress, this is the hardest surface I have drawn on to date as the clay sculpture has been painted to replicate ancient sculptures and icons. Therefore the surface is not smooth and more difficult to achieve fine detail.
Detail of sculpture tattoo blue Biro drawing on curved back of tiger figurine
The layers of images are starting to appear within the blue Biro drawing. Over the body of the Hindu god a roaring tiger’s face is emerging like a graphic t-shirt!
Back of tiger sculpture with blue Biro tattoo drawing.
This piece celebrates the beauty of tigers, one of the most iconic animals on earth, their survival for over 1.8 million years longer than humans who’s existence is relatively short in comparison and our cultural heritage of representing tigers through art.
Much to do!
Tiger Sculpture painted white, prepared for drawing on
First sneak peak of blue Biro tattoo drawing in progress on my tiger sculpture … it’s the hardest surface I’ve drawn on to date!
I sculpted the tiger figurine using air-drying clay and it stands one and half feet in height. Inspired by ancient statues and icons, representationally its form echoes ancient and prehistoric art and our need to express the world around us, a world tigers have existed in for over 1.8 million years longer than humans. The sculpture also symbolises the beauty and cultural significance of humanity’s ancient art heritage, which often depicted imagery of wildlife.
Side view of tiger sculpture with beginnings of blue Biro tattoo drawing
In preparation for the blue Biro tattoo and in order to replicate ancient statues I painted the tiger sculpture white rather than give it a contemporary finish. However painting the sculpture creates a textured surface of tiny brush marks, leaving it extremely hard to draw on. But equally the Biro settles over the brush mark grains and forms spontaneous patterns within the drawing
When drawing in Biro your brain adjusts to predicting when the Biro is likely to blot. I use a blotting sheet to remove ink-blots periodically from the nib before continuing drawing. The predictive response working on this surface is lessened as Biro blots more indiscriminately on an uneven surface.
Detail of blue Biro tattoo drawing in progress
With humanity’s cultural heritage in mind the face of the Hindu deity in the tattoo design is significantly layered with a traditional Hindu icon painting and an image of a human face, yet to be revealed! The culminating face celebrates our multi-cultural world and our natural and artistic legacy. The use of an illustrated face layered with a photograph of a real human face retains an animated quality seen in iconography combined with realism.
Note the optical illusion within the face where the layering of the two faces create a sense of movement around the eyes and mouth area.
Overall view of tiger sculpture back and beginnings of tattoo drawing
This piece has been made in solidarity against the destruction of wildlife and ancient art.
Much work to do! Watch this space for further updates on progress and the subject matter behind the drawing.
Jane Lee McCracken, Artist 