Possession
This large text painting is the cornerstone in my series titled, "I Just Don't Read Like I Used To," in which I cut strips of text from classic novels to create portraits of iconic characters. This piece was created from the book Possession by A.S. Byatt. It depicts the Lady of the Lake and Merlin. She has stolen his book of spells and has him under her power. It is the perfect image to capture the message of this series--the power of the written word and my expression of it through art. (The images below provide a sense of scale for the painting.)
This large painting measures 4 feet wide by 6 feet tall and is covered entirely with text. In fact, the project required two copies of the novel! The color in the painting comes from layers of encaustic wax and oil paint. The edges of the canvas are covered with a floral motif that appears on the first page of each chapter in the book.
And the fabric is created with lines of text, curved, and layered, and tinted to create the illusion of folds and drapes. This process also allows the viewer to see the original text from Byatt's book.