Art | The Daily Norm

Jan 21

Ripples 1: Venice (Yellow window)

In the last of my posts on Venice, which also happened to be a post about the 5th of my 2007 paintings of the watery city, I hinted at the prospect that a new collection of works painting in homage to Venice would surely follow. Well today I am excited to share with you the newest painting to come off my easel, a creation which not only marks a new homage to La Serenissima herself, but also represents my first completed effort of 2014 (something I only realised when I was close to signing it 2013 by mistake – near disaster averted).

Unlike my previous Venice works, which explored the beauty of the city itself as well as the wonder of Venice reflected in the ripples of its canals, all reference to the permanent structures above water have now gone, and sole focus has moved to the wonderful watery image which presides below.

Ripples 1 (Venice: Yellow Window) (2014 © Nicholas de Lacy-Brown, gouache on paper)

In this first attempt at capturing those rippled images, I have created something which is first a window, but second of all an abstract image which flows and merges to create different more unfamiliar forms in its partnership of yellows and blues.

The work, which is my 13th exploration in the medium of gouache which I discovered last year, is already set to be one of my favourites of the lot, and I’m excited about painting a whole lot more ripples to add to this one, and to seeing where the collection will lead me.

© Nicholas de Lacy-Brown and The Daily Norm, 2001-2014. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of the material, whether written work, photography or artwork, included within The Daily Norm without express and written permission from The Daily Norm’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Nicholas de Lacy-Brown and The Daily Norm with appropriate and specific direction to the original content. For more information on the work of Nicholas de Lacy-Brown, head to his art website at www.delacy-brown.com

Jan 17

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Venice: My paintings (Part 3) – The Rialto

As The Daily Norm waves goodbye to Venice (for now at least – I feel the need to return in warmer climes to capture the city endowed by blue skies and glittering sunshine), I thought it an appropriate time to share two artistic reflections on the city’s grand canal with you, both created by my own fair hand.

The first piece is a painting which marked the climax of my small Venice series of paintings, the previous four of which I have already shared with you in previous posts. More akin to a traditional Canaletto style of work, I painted this reflection on the grand central canal of Venice shortly after visiting the city in 2007. This painting is not so much about the ripples or the details of the buildings or gondolas, but about the grandeur and beauty of the city when considered from one of its most popular viewpoints –here from atop the famous Rialto Bridge.

Venice V (2007 © Nicholas de Lacy-Brown, oil on canvas)

I was so pleased with the finish of this work – the effect of light on the water in these dying hours of a sunny winter’s day in the city. The work, which I painted in oil on canvas, was sold shortly after completion, and now hangs in a solicitors firm in Sussex.

Meanwhile, talking of the Rialto Bridge, I thought I would also return to another of my works, albeit this time one of my Norm sketches completed in a completely different style and medium – this time in pen and ink on paper. This small sketch was completed in 2012 as part of a series of Italy Norm sketches which included Rome, Florence, Pisa, the Vatican and Sicily, and the original can now be found hanging in a small town by the Mediterranean sea in Tuscany along with the rest of the series. The sketch, which shows Norm tourists and gondoliers alike slowly ambling along the Grand Canal under the architecturally renowned Rialto Bridge, was originally featured on this blog in July 2012 – but 18 months on, I think it’s only right that it gets a good airing.

Norms in Venice (2012 © Nicholas de Lacy-Brown, pen and ink on paper)

My head is now filled with the prospect of new Venetian paintings – hopefully I’ll be featuring one on The Daily Norm soon!

© Nicholas de Lacy-Brown and The Daily Norm, 2001-2014. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of the material, whether written work, photography or artwork, included within The Daily Norm without express and written permission from The Daily Norm’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Nicholas de Lacy-Brown and The Daily Norm with appropriate and specific direction to the original content. For more information on the work of Nicholas de Lacy-Brown, head to his art website at www.delacy-brown.com

Jan 15

Mother and Child

Yesterday I shared a new Norm altarpiece sketch which was inspired by my recent 2013 rendezvous in Venezia, and in particular by a visit to the foremost temple of golden age Venetian art, the Gallerie dell’Accademia. In today’s post, I wanted to share with you an altarpiece painting which was inspired by my first visit to Venice and to its Accademia gallery back in 2001.

What had struck me, when I was studying art history as a young 18 year old gap year student was just how decisive religious, and in particular Christian art, had been in shaping the trajectory of European art history. From the earliest gold glistening mosaics of early Christian church decorations, moving onto the gold leafed altarpieces of the early Renaissance age, to the later grand spectacles of artists such as Tintoretto and Veronese in their imposing and elaborate illustrations of the bible stories, religion was more often than not the primary inspiration if not a reason to paint, and religious institutions an artist’s primary patron. Surprisingly enough, being more a fan from a young age of the more secular art of the Impressionists, and of the boundary-pushing masterpieces of 20^th century artists, I wasn’t all that conversant with the religious art which dominated the lion’s share of artistic works pre-18^th century. Consequently, it was perhaps this new exposure to religious art of the early second millennium which struck me most as a young student wandering around the major collections of Italian art.

Acting upon this new found knowledge, and also attracted by the prospect of playing with some gold leaf, I set about painting my own early renaissance-style altarpiece when I returned home. But my altarpiece was to be something a little different. Rather than paint Mary and Jesus, I opted for a self portrait and a portrait of my mother (thus moving the “Mother and Child” concept into my own personal sphere). I then went about filling the work with personal references. Asides from the usual blue and red gown worn by Mary, my mother had with her a Burberry bag, while I adorned myself (the “baby”) in a Burberry nappy (Burberry was very big at the time having enjoyed something of its own renaissance!). In my hand I hold “Fluffy”, the cuddly toy who was my favourite throughout my youth, his angry little face always tickling me, and his furry finish comforting me as I slept. Meanwhile on my right, a wooden manikin, the kind used by artists, was intended to symbolise my future destiny as an artist.

Mother and Child (2001 © Nicholas de Lacy-Brown, acrylic and gold leaf on canvas)

I had great fun with this painting, especially in modernising the wooden “throne” upon which we are sitting, and applying gold leaf to the background of the canvas (although I remember it being decidedly fiddly to do). I also applied cracking varnish across the surface, giving the piece and altogether antique look, and framed the canvas in an old antique wood.

Some more religious folk found the work to be a little audacious – perhaps even sacrilegious. But that was never my intention. Rather my aim was to take the traditional and intimate pose of the world’s most famous mother and child and apply it to my own family setting. The gold and the throne, the halos and everything else besides are merely part of the theatre of the piece, and references signposting the art historical genre which had inspired the work.

For most however, the finished work immediately became a favourite of my very early paintings, particularly amongst my family, and the altarpiece was hung immediately in pride of place in the family home, where it continues to hang today. A reminder not just of the close bond between my mother and me, but also of the time when an art history trip to Italy opened my eyes to an even greater expanse of art history than I had ever previously been aware, and to the endless possibilities upon which my own artistic journey would take me.

I leave you with just a few of art history’s best Mother and Child altarpieces. You never know, maybe 200 years from now, mine will join them!

Duccio

Fra Angelico

Masaccio

Filippo Lippi

Piero della Francesca

Raphael

© Nicholas de Lacy-Brown and The Daily Norm, 2001-2014. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of the material, whether written work, photography or artwork, included within The Daily Norm without express and written permission from The Daily Norm’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Nicholas de Lacy-Brown and The Daily Norm with appropriate and specific direction to the original content. For more information on the work of Nicholas de Lacy-Brown, head to his art website at www.delacy-brown.com

Jan 14

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The Norm Nativity (New Year’s Extra) | Madonna Norm Enthroned

Norm Nativity? I hear you ask – Didn’t we just laboriously put away our Christmas decorations for another year? Well yes. But while the birth of Jesus Norm may be over and done with, of course his life (in story terms) has only just begun. While this could theoretically lead me onto all sorts of Norm sketching paths, I have paused for the moment on a time of celebration of the birth of Jesus Norm – when the Catholic Church faithful, in their reverence to Mary Norm, recognised her role in this miraculous birth and promoted her to “Madonna” and enthroned her on high. So here she is, sat upon a mighty adorned throne with Jesus Norm, a clearly intelligent child, already installed with a book (or gospel, whatever it may be).

Madonna Norm Enthroned (2014 © Nicholas de Lacy-Brown, pen and gold paint on paper)

So why have I chosen to add this extra little scene to my Christmas Norm Nativity on what must be the equivalent of at least the 20th day of Christmas? Well, if the connection hasn’t already struck you, I was inspired to draw this additional little Norm sketch by a painting which was hanging in the Gallerie dell’Accademia and featured in yesterday’s post on Venice Day 3 – Antonio Rosso’s Madonna Enthroned. Having used Rosso’s work as the basis of my own Norm Madonna enthroned, my Norm finds herself inadvertently sat in a throne elegantly embellished with the Venetian lion of St Mark alongside all sorts of other religious characters, while at the foot of the throne below, Madonna Norm is greeted by an accompanying troupe of musical angel Norms, playing a perfect harmonious accompaniment in melodic celebration of this wonderous birth. Hallelujah – Madonna Norm is enthroned!

More gold-based Venetian lavishness coming up…tomorrow!

© Nicholas de Lacy-Brown and The Daily Norm, 2001-2014. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of the material, whether written work, photography or artwork, included within The Daily Norm without express and written permission from The Daily Norm’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Nicholas de Lacy-Brown and The Daily Norm with appropriate and specific direction to the original content. For more information on the work of Nicholas de Lacy-Brown, head to his art website at www.delacy-brown.com

Jan 13

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Natale Italiano | Venice – Day 3: Tintoretto Treasure Trove

Compared with the weekend days we had spent in Venice so far, waking up to the city on a Monday was a quite different experience. Suddenly, canals which had previously been so quiet, hosting only a lone gondola or two, had suddenly become bustling with working people. It was captivating to watch how Venice came alive, not just as a tourist funfair, but also as a living city with the practical needs and commercial transactions that go with it. So, for example, I whiled away many a minute at the beginning of this day watching a post delivery boat in the canal below our room offloading large parcels onto the quayside, as well as a rubbish boat a few canals down, loading the weekend’s refuse onto its bobbing timbers. It was fascinating to note (although I suppose the thought should have been obvious) that in Venice everything really does come and go via water – a city intrinsically married to the transient milieu which surrounds it.

Venice awakens

But we didn’t have time to stop and stare for too long, no matter how tempting that may have been. We had art on the mind – something which comes easily in a city whose historical relationship with art was so strong that today the small island has become an abundant treasure trove of art historical treasures. And no where on the island can you see such a spread of these artistic riches than in the city’s primary gallery, the Gallerie dell’Accademia.

I vividly remember visiting the gallery on what was probably the first day of my art history course in 2001. Our teacher, Grant (“Grantus”) took us into the first main gallery there and sat us on the floor amongst panel after panel of glinting gilded altarpiece paintings. There he took out of his pocket what looked to be a sheet of gold and, like a magician, threw the gold up into the air letting it flutter into our hands. This demonstration served as a introduction to the lavishness of Venetian art, from the gold leaf which adorned the background of these pre-renaissance altar pieces, to the scale and astonishing execution of some of the greater works which came later.

Veronese, Feast at the House of Levi

Back in 2013, and the Accademia continued to captivate me as it had 12 years before. For who could not be entranced and knocked back a little by the vast masterpiece, Feast at the House of Levi by Veronese. Originally entitled The Last Supper, Veronese had been forced to change the name when the painting, which shows the traditional Last Supper set-up surrounded by all manner of musicians, actors, animals and various unsavouries, attracted the attention of the Roman Catholic Inquisition. The inquisition called Veronese to answer for what they considered to be the “irreverence and indecorum” of including within the scene depicting Christ and his Apostles a band of “buffoons, drunken Germans, dwarfs and other such scurrilities”. Thanks mainly to the support of Venetian authorities, the painting was saved – but the name changed. And here it hangs to be widely admired today, alongside other brilliant masterpieces – amongst my favourites Bellini’s Madonna of the Red Cherubs, which looks almost futuristic with those surreal blood red cherubs behind her, Antonio Rosso’s Madonna Enthroned, and Giambattista Cima da Conegliano’s Lion of Saint Mark.

Bellini, Madonna of the Red Cherbubs

Giambattista Cima de Conegliano, The Lion of St Mark

Antonio Rosso, Madonna Enthroned

However, my favourite work of all continues to be St Mark’s Body Brought to Venice by Venetian supremo, Tintoretto. With its ephemeral light and whispish ghostly forms over on the left of the canvas, as well as its moody blood red sky and dramatically shadowed body of St Mark, the painting demonstrates, to my mind, modernity beyond its time (Tintoretto painted it in 1548). It could easily be mistaken for a surreal masterpiece by Salvador Dali, and you can see the influence of Tintoretto in artists who came later, like Spain’s El Greco with his looser, dramatically coloured figures.

Tintoretto, St Mark’s Body Brought to Venice (1548)

But as we were to discover, the handful of Tintoretto’s on show at the Accademia would only scratch the surface of the Tintoretto treasure trove to be found in Venice. And to discover to what extent Venice lavished upon this artistic supremo, and just how much Tintoretto painted in return, one has to visit the mind-bogglingly beautiful salas of the Scuola Grande di San Rocco, where we headed that afternoon (We did so after a pizza in a slightly dodgy looking tourist pizzeria near the Rialto Bridge. With a view that good, I didn’t think the food would be up to much but we were pleasantly surprised – a perfectly crispy pizza base munched over an unbeatable view: Priceless).

Lunch with a view…

Between 1565 and 1567 and again from 1575 to 1588, Tintoretto, in an incredibly prolific bout of creativity, painted some 50 masterpieces to cover the walls and sensationally gilded ceiling of the new showcase palace of the Confraternity of St Roch. The cycles, dealing with both old testament stories as well as the birth and life of Christ (culminating in a huge crucifixion masterpiece) are startling in their action packed illustrations of these well-known stories, demonstrating more than ever before Tintoretto’s brilliant dexterity when it came to perspective and light, as well as his ability to paint effectively on a monumental scale.

The Scuola Grande di San Rocco

There was so much to look at in the Scuola, from the sensational wood carved panelling along the walls, and the incredibly opulent gold ceiling and grand staircase leading up to this first floor paradise, that the Tintoretto’s could easily have become second fiddle to the general sensation which one feels when entering the room. Nonetheless, you want to spend at least 10 minutes concentrating on each of Tintoretto’s masterpieces, but soon realise that were you to give them such time, you would remain in the place for a whole day. And so eventually we had to drag ourselves away, leaving the Scuola Grande with such a sense of awe that the previous day’s exploration of all this golden and glamourous had just reached absolute overdrive.

Tintoretto Cycle – Miracle of the Bronze Serpent

Tintoretto Cycle – The Annunciation

Tintoretto Cycle, The Adoration of the Shepherds

Tintoretto Cycle – Christ Circumcised

Tintoretto Cycle – The Last Supper

Tintoretto Cycle – The Crucifixion

Exhausted by the efforts of trying to take all this golden glory in, we retreated happily to the Campo San Giacomo dell’Orio where, in the Bar “Al Prosecco” we treated ourselves to two very delectable glasses of “surlie” prosecco – a cloudy variety which allegedly results from the lack of chemicals in this purer form of the drink – which makes you wonder just what chemicals go into the more traditional clear version of the bubbly drink! With these two glasses clinked before the Christmas-twinkling scene before us, we toasted our trip to Venice. For the next day, we were heading south. To Rome.

Jan 10

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Venice: My paintings (Part 2) – Ripples

No artist can visit Venice and not be inspired. By the mist which clings so densely to its cold canals in the winter time, and the sun which shines upon the city with such alacrity in summer; by the classic Venetian gothic architecture which graces its canal-side palazzos, and the astounding masterpieces of art history which adorn the insides of those residences and their neighbouring churches alike; and by the elegance which resides at the core of Venetian values as manifested in the masquerade balls, the carnevale, and the most sophisticated of all modes of transportation: the gondola. But above all things, as yesterday’s photography focus demonstrated, no artist can fail to be inspired by the watery reflections which provide a unique, second facet to the city.

Back in around 2007, when I made a short weekend visit to the city, I came back loaded with ideas of what I wanted to paint. On Monday, I shared with you two of the paintings I created at that time, focusing mainly on the Grand Canal and the palazzos which neighbour it. Today however, it’s time for those rippled waters to take centre stage, as I share two further paintings from that brief 2007 collection, both of these focusing not so much on the city itself, but on its rippled reflection in water.

Venice II (2007 © Nicholas de Lacy-Brown, oil on canvas)

Venice IV (2007 © Nicholas de Lacy-Brown, oil on canvas)

Venice II is almost a complete reflection, with only the mere hint of the end of a gondola representing the real world above water; while Venice IV focuses a bit more on the lavish paintwork which adorns so many gondolas and the kind of narrow canal “street” which is so characteristic of the city.

There’s one more Venice 2007 painting to share with you, and then it’s surely time to paint something new…? See you next time.

© Nicholas de Lacy-Brown and The Daily Norm, 2001-2014. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of the material, whether written work, photography or artwork, included within The Daily Norm without express and written permission from The Daily Norm’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Nicholas de Lacy-Brown and The Daily Norm with appropriate and specific direction to the original content. For more information on the work of Nicholas de Lacy-Brown, head to his art website at www.delacy-brown.com

Jan 6

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Venice: My paintings (Part 1) – The Grand Canal

I have decided to begin the narrative of my recent adventures in Venice, Rome and Naples at Christmas by sharing a few of the paintings I created when I last visited the watery paradise of Venezia in 2007. Painting 5 works in all, 2 of which are featured today, I was drawn, as so many of the best artists have been before me (Turner, Monet, Manet, Canaletto, Whistler, Seurat to name but a few…) to reflect upon the very unique face of a city which simply has no rival elsewhere in the world.

With its liquid reflections doubling up the views of every street, every palazzo and every church; it’s unique style of gothic architecture creating elegant lattice-like facades; it’s canals filled with stripy gondoliers and the elegant gondolas themselves; and for all its magnificent statues and pink lamps and bridges and art-stuffed churches, Venice is just a gift for artists.

Venice I (2007 © Nicholas de Lacy-Brown, oil on canvas)

Venice III (2007 © Nicholas de Lacy-Brown, oil on canvas)

When I last went to the city I came back, somewhat predictably, with a whole pile of photos which then inspired me to turn my hand to painting. These first two canvases focus on two typical Venetian views, both based on a series of photos I took of the Grand Canal. While I look back on these works now and see some degree of naivety in their finish, you can see how fascinated I was with the watery ripples which cast an abstract reimagining in every Venice reflection, as well as with the renowned elegance of those great Grand Canal Palazzos and the gondolas that float onwards before them.

For all the criticism I could give these old works now, someone must have liked them – I sold them both shortly after their completion!

More Venice ahead – so join me soon on The Daily Norm!

© Nicholas de Lacy-Brown and The Daily Norm, 2001-2014. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of the material, whether written work, photography or artwork, included within The Daily Norm without express and written permission from The Daily Norm’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Nicholas de Lacy-Brown and The Daily Norm with appropriate and specific direction to the original content. For more information on the work of Nicholas de Lacy-Brown, head to his art website at www.delacy-brown.com

Dec 31

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2013: My Year in Photos

What a year 2013 has been! When I look back across the year, it strikes me how lucky I have been to have enjoyed such a diverse year, full of travels, artistic appreciation, artistic creation, plenty of good food, fun with family and friends, a happily long summer (to counter the hideous long winter which brought us snow in April) and a 30^th birthday like no other. That the year has been full of inspirational times is perhaps best reflected in the sheer volume of blogging upon which I have embarked during 2013: Some 200 posts, meaning that on a day-to-day basis, I was blogging more often than not, and added to that the very valuable support of some 2,400 followers and a total 120,000 views for the year – thank you.

So what better way to look back on the year than to do as I have now done for the previous two years – through photos. The sheer number of photographs I have snapped this year scares me. How my computer remains in one piece with all of the weight of that extra digital memory is astounding; more so that I have even had time in the year to produce them all! But what a collection they make. Looking through my pictures and selecting my year’s highlights for this post has been almost as joyful as the process of taking them in the first place.

The innate beauty which some of those scenes reflect – the Sunflowers of Aix-en-Provence; the crystal clear waters of Pollensa Bay in Mallorca; the stunning cupolas and spires of old town Krakow – make me realise how fortunate I have been to have seen so many places and to have had the opportunity to indulge in so much beauty during 2013. But there too are the more familiar yet no less enticing shots of home – the red buses and union jacks which pepper London’s streets with the familiar colours of red, white and blue; the fruits of Autumn which fill the ground of London’s parks and gardens with new, hidden gems; and the stunning panoply of colours at Chelsea’s annual Flower Show. These photos are a tribute not only to a year of travelling, and of new experiences, but also a tribute to the annual cycle of seasonal changes which make living in a seasonal country like the United Kingdom such a constantly exciting experience.

But that’s enough words – my photos do tribute to 2013 much better. So without further ado, I give you 2013: My Year in Photos.

: The year begins in Paris…

: Fisherman’s boat in Puerto d’Andratx, Mallorca

: Sunshine on cobbles, Palma de Mallorca

: An urban view – on my coffee table

: London buses

: Stormy skies over Paris

: Lamposts, Marbella

: The glorious Chelsea Flower Show

: Pollensa Bay

: Glorious Gold – in Venice’s San Marco Basilica

: La Seu, Palma de Mallorca

: Pond life

: Roman ruins

: Long shadows – Mallorca

: Birds of paradise – Valencia

: Van Gogh’s flower in Cézanne’s City

: Life’s a beach – Marbella

: Cathedral detail – Mallorca

: Outside the Flamenco Ana Maria

: Modernist detailing, Valencia

: A proud old lion, at Parham House

: Lights and windows – Avignon

: Pine trees at Pollensa Bay

: Fountain spectacle in Valencia

: My 30th!

: Sardinas a la playa

: Rocky cove – Mallorca

: Malaga shadows

: Valencia metal

: Polka dots dance in the shadows

: The Papal Palace in Avignon

: Killer Bee! In Les Baux des Provence

: Lamp detail, Malaga old town

: Archeological treasure of Valencia

: Sussex Seaside

: Van Gogh’s café, Arles

: A fine puddle reflection, Malaga

: The best cloud ever! Arles

: Now that’s sunbathing – Malaga, Spain

: Miniature boats in Marbella

: Shopping arcade, Naples

: The captivating shadows created by wires

: A beautiful butterfly on a Spanish afternoon

: Lace resembling ripples, Spain

: A Mariacki sunset, Krakow

: Lamps in Naples

: Fisherman’s paraphernalia, Naples

: Shadows on the Spanish Steps, Rome

: Sculptoria Splendour, Krakow

: The Louvre at night, Paris

: The disappearing Redentore, Venice

: Café visitor

: The London Eye one foggy autumn morning

: A Squirrel’s autumn lunch

: Krakowian Clockface

: The Lion of Saint Mark, Venice

: London’s shard reflects

: Mushroom magic – London

: Park life, Paris

: Resplendent ripples, Naples

: Vesuvius

: Rynek Glowny, Krakow

: Gondala detail, Venice

: Cupolas of Rome, at sundown

: Rome in Rosso

: Diamond-point rustication in Naples

: Christmas has come to Napoli

: Christmas lights in Rome’s Via del Corso

: Celebrate 2013! Champagne in Paris

All photos and written content are strictly the copyright of Nicholas de Lacy-Brown © 2013 and The Daily Norm. All rights are reserved. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of the material, whether written work, photography or artwork, included within The Daily Norm without express and written permission from The Daily Norm’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited.

Dec 25

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Composition No.12 – Christmas Dinner

A crispy skinned, moist roast turkey, its skin alive with the unctuous effluvia of hot meaty gravy; accompaniments of smokey soft sausages wrapped in bacon and carrots caramelised in honey, crunchy steamed sprouts and sharp cranberries; and a dessert of sticky-sweet Christmas pudding, drizzled with creamy custard, and served alongside the buttery pastry of mincemeat filled pies – this is the feast that Christmas days are made of; the abundant dinner which sits at the heart of the festive celebrations, and with which I wish all readers of The Daily Norm a very happy Christmas this Christmas Day.

Yes, painted some weeks ago, when the spirit of the festive season began to seep into my bones and inject an energetic spring in my step, this 12th composition of a gouache collection started this summer marks the culmination of my year’s creative efforts. In style it mixes both a focus on realistic figurative efforts together with the overlapping transparencies which have characterised a lot of my “compositions” work. Thus while one brussel sprout is depicted realistically, the others around it are semi-transpararent reflections on a theme; shades of green darkening and lightening depending on their surroundings. Added to a scene complicit with Christmas spirit is a whimsical nutcracker together with the hearty walnuts it has been cracking, glasses of wine adding cheer to the dinner, and finally a cosy candle, providing warmth and intimacy to this festive scene.

It’s a scene that I hope is being repeated the world over this 25th December as we all celebrate this festive event, a time of togetherness, of socialising and of hearty indulgent feasting.

Happy Christmas everyone!

© Nicholas de Lacy-Brown and The Daily Norm, 2001-2013. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of the material, whether written work, photography or artwork, included within The Daily Norm without express and written permission from The Daily Norm’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Nicholas de Lacy-Brown and The Daily Norm with appropriate and specific direction to the original content. For more information on the work of Nicholas de Lacy-Brown, head to his art website at www.delacy-brown.com

Dec 24

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The Norm Nativity | Jesus Norm is Born

And so it was in a little dirty stable on the outskirts of the small town of Bethlehem that Mary Norm gave birth to a baby Norm called Jesus Norm. And at that moment all of the heavens broke forth into song; the stars across the globe grew brighter, and one dazzling star in particular guided the most eminent of guests to pay homage to this new King of all Norms, including, in particular, the Three Wise Norms from afar. And so upon this first Christmas Day, which Norms all around the world now celebrate, this little dazzling baby-Norm was placed in a cosy hay-filled manger, while before him the local Shepherd Norms and their little sheep looked on, awestruck by the glory of the occasion; besides him Nancy the Donkey and a charming Ox called Oliver provided comfort and warmth; his daddy Joseph Norm gazed upon him full of pride; and the Three Wise Norms brought forth their gifts of Gold, Frankincense and Myrrh. Hallelujah! Jesus Norm is Born!

So that is the end of our story; a Norm Nativity told through pen on paper with lavish layers of gold paint. What was to come of Jesus Norm you may well ask? Well, we’ll leave the answer to that question, perhaps, for another time.

Until then… a Very Merry Christmas to you all, from me, and from the Norms everywhere.

© Nicholas de Lacy-Brown and The Daily Norm, 2001-2013. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of the material, whether written work, photography or artwork, included within The Daily Norm without express and written permission from The Daily Norm’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Nicholas de Lacy-Brown and The Daily Norm with appropriate and specific direction to the original content. For more information on the work of Nicholas de Lacy-Brown, head to his art website at http://www.delacy-brown.com