monsalvato

a new book i did over the span of a day and am well pleased with. this book is much smaller (5.5" x 7.5") than most i have been doing lately. the 28 oil pastel images inside are only 3.5" x 4". it is bound in 3 signatures with the 1/4 spine wrapped in leather.

the title of this book monsalvato is from a song by the group irfan. you can click here to listen to it. the drawings were created while listening to the song.

as i work more and more with oil pastels i am beginning to see new possibilities in layering color and manipulating it. originally the artwork for the book was meant to illustrate a small handmade book of j.r.r. tolkien's tale of beren and luthien, but having completed the images, i found they should really stand on their own. they speak, i think, well without text.

and yes the book's title does have something to do with salvation, or perhaps about the way i fill the hours of quiet i experience daily.