And Again....

 

 One Thing Leads To Another....

I Imagine, Dear Readers, that you will understand what happened as soon as the Chapel Ceiling was removed to the work easel for painting. All those days while the humidity was very very high and the ink on the Creation scenes would not dry quickly, I was staring into the opened up Chapel and Noticing all sorts of places where things needed fixing, or at least, upgrading. Because it was so dark back there, I had ignored all kinds of tasks that might be needed to really make it look like I had imagined all those years ago. For starters, the ceiling edges where they meet the walls had big gaps where they did not Quite meet. Does this sound familiar to you? Did I find this problem on all my other "vaulted" ceilings when I was considering whether or not to add the three dimensional trims around the doors all those years ago? It sparked an entire paradigm shift in the construction of the Castle! Yes, trim was needed, and "strengthened" corner posts were needed.... you can read about it in the old posts! In the case of the Chapel ceiling, I was reluctant to try to add individual "blocks" of stone to accomplish the task of masking these cracks, or gaps. In fact, I had already made the first "panel" way at the back of the Chapel years and years ago.

If you look carefully, (I know it is a bit too dark... 

I just didn't have a good picture of this with lighting)

you will notice that the arches on the back wall 

are all cut from one panel that goes all the way to the ceiling.

 It produces the effect of raised trim around

 the windows and the altar painting of the Madonna and Child.

And it covers that pesky ceiling gap!

Here you can see it with the flash... 

sorry it washes out the details that I want you to see 

in the painting of the Madonna and Child.

This method of creating the three dimensional trim

 around the windows and paintings

 is the method I will use for all the walls

 of the Chapel where they meet the ceiling!

It would require very complicated and 

careful patterns for each section of wall.

But that was not the only detail I noticed.

 The painting of the Madonna and Child was still really unfinished.

I suppose that in my hurry to get things done 

all those years ago (thirteen to be precise...!) 

I had accepted that the painting needed more details, 

but just not right away...

Well, now it was time!

And here you can see I have added a lot of details... 

I forgot to take any progress pictures.

In the first pictures (so hard to see)

 there was no shadowing or highlights at all.

 Just the under-painting and the ink lines

 showing through to give the expression.

(You might have to poke the pictures to see.)

Well, I added all those shadows and highlights!

I have been trying to keep the style of these paintings

 restricted to the art styles of the thirteenth century at the latest. 

(This is supposed to be an Old Norman Castle!)

To give you an idea of what I mean... 

here is the Manuscript Illumination that I used

 as the inspiration for this Altar painting.

It is from the Missal of Henry of Chichester

 and was probably painted between 1250 and 1270 AD, 

a time of great production in Manuscripts in England.

Obviously, I have made alterations to the design, 

but I wanted to try to capture the grace of her posture.

Here you can see it all up close... 

including the arched panel that surrounds

 the windows and rests atop the carved pillars.

And you can see that none of her clothes have any shadowing yet....

Which I have started to add here.

And details on the gown shadows too.

The artists of this period lived with flowing gowns

 and had clearly mastered the art of the fold and drape of cloth. 

I do not have that mastered at all... 

and my attempts to copy are very rough at best.

I will not complain of how awkward it is

 to lean in there to try to paint...

the back of the Chapel is 18 inches deep....

 

And finally, some shadows on her under-gown.

 

 I also wanted to repaint the "supplicant" kneeling at her feet.

 These are usually portraits of the donor of the manuscript...

 and I have not copied him faithfully at all.

 For my purposes he is a generic supplicant.

And I also added the second layer of the blue background.....

Oh, how I Love that blue!

(By the way, the reason one of the windows is lit and not the other

 is because the Castle sits in front of my RL windows... 

and one window gets the light...)

Alas, Dear Readers, my hand bumped the candlestick on the right....

The one on the left has been broken for a while....

I will repair them at the last moment before

 installing the ceiling permanently!

And you can see the tracing paper I am using

 to try and make a pattern for the arches on the side wall.

Here you can see the panel cut for the arch over the Crucifixion painting.

Because that painting goes around the corner... 

the arch has an interesting shape and contact angle.

And on the opposite chapel wall the arch over the Moses painting.

Painting the arches.....

Testing the arch panel in place...

These will not be glued in until after the ceiling is attached

 because they would prevent the ceiling 

from being able to slide in and out.

And testing the fit of the arch panel over the Crucifixion.

And testing the fit with the ceiling in place....

And the one over the Crucifixion.

The "missing" top of the arch curve will be added

 in paint to the ceiling portion where they join.

Like this!

You just have to pretend the corner isn't there!

And yes, the candles still "work".... 

it is just the candelabra that is so fragile...

 the glue gave way at one of the narrower junctions.

 I will have to "strengthen" it.

And the tiny bit of the missing arch painted on the ceiling portion.

These arch panels will not be attached until the ceiling is done.

 

And the supplicant's robes being painted....

 

And standing back even farther....

you can see the whole Chapel.

I have draped a lamp overhead 

to be able to see to paint.

And I have to make the arch panels 

to go over all the rest of the arches...

And I still have to paint the panel on the left wall....

This will show The Garden of Eden...

and the front opening wall needs Everything!

 

So you get the picture, Dear Readers,

I have a Long way to go... 

but I am Delving Deep into Details...

 'Cause one thing Always leads to another!