[magnus homestead]

I just finished the drawing for this shield bead - the client wanted a mountain lion and horse invoved in a Yin/Yang sort of relationship. I was going to put it in the "concept to finished work" category, but I don't know if people go there as often*. I'd love to get some feed back if any one has any comments - pros and cons, before I start carving. I am thinking of doing it in boxwood - 2inch diameter.

Magnus

This post has been edited by Janel: 14 November 2009 - 04:21 PM
Reason for edit: * Topic moved

[Janel]

If you post it, they will read. Where ever it is posted. I'll move it if you wish...

The creatures look comfortable with one another, not as predator and prey. The flow of the S made by the two creatures works and returns the eye to stay within the circle. For some reason, I feel the mass of the horse does not exceed that of the mountain lion and that maybe it should, with a shoulder or neck. The faces are beautiful. What are the eyes looking at, off to the left I wonder.

Thank you for sharing the early step of the project.

Janel

[magnus homestead]

Hello Janel,

Thank you - please move this to the proper place if you would.

I appreciate your observations. I have been thinking just the same thing about the lack of mass with the horse ( I think it has even less than the puma ). As to the comfortable feeling between these animals - I tried several times to compose the lion attacking the horse and the horse in defense - it proved not to work without seeming contrived and awkward - i could'nt get the flow I wanted of Yin Yang balance. I let it go and just sketched without so much thought and came to this sort of "the lion lying down with the lamb" relationship. When I think of it - below the surface - predator and prey are kind of "One".
Thanks again for your thoughtful response. It helps the process.
Magnus

[Debbie K]

Magnus:

I like the interplay between the two, the "S" composition, and both glancing to their right. If I may presume to say, I am troubled by the visual weight of the lion at the top of the piece, more than it being bigger than the horse. I'm not sure that it would be resolved by making the horse bigger, that might result in the piece seeming too symetrical.

Just my two cents worth, hope it doesn't give offense. I would like to let you know how much I appreciate seeing your work in progress, it is always extremely informative and fun to watch. I'll try to reciprocate on my next project from beginning to end. I've been too busy making a studio to do any work. (Nearly finished!)

Debbie K

[magnus homestead]

Hello Ford!! So good to see you here. (I've had trouble getting my password to acess your site).

Thank you Ford and Debbie for your remarks - I have to say it's quite new and awesome to have the insights and thoughtful input to a design process - I usually work in isolation so to speak. I have much to consider.

Thanks again.
Namaste,
Magnus

[Janel]

When drawing a composition, one technique used to look for how the elements relate to one another, balance, weight... is to turn the composition upside down. The new view reveals a different relationship between the parts.

[Phil White]

Interesting, Janel

Another technique is to look at it in a mirror.

Magnus, is this intended to be done in low relief?

Phil

[Don Barnhill]

As a martial artist, I like the concept. Yin/yang represents good and evil, and dipicts that there is good and bad in all things.

The lions claw on the horses back makes it look as though the lion has been distracted in mid attack by something it may be afraid of. But then that's just me and what do I know.

[magnus homestead]

Janel - that's pretty cool - really does allow a lot of "new" information to come into my awareness of the composition.
The mirror effect, Phil, is also good - I practice squinting slightly out of focus at a piece also as a tenchnique to see the relationships - I have some good thoughts on possible adjustments to improve the strength of this piece - will post new drawing in a day or so.
Phil - yes this is to be a fairly shallow relief with possibly pine branch border and an intertwined celtic version of the mountain lion and horse with teeth gripping legs, etc. on the reverse - I have liked this approach with some of the other animals I've done.
Don -which martial art or arts do you practice? I used to do Karate Do but have switched to yoga and some simple Tai Chi over the years. As to the claws - I wanted to suggest the element of the predator but at the same time I wanted to get the eyes of both of these beautiful animals in full view, and the flow of the Yin Yang.

I'm excited to see what comes of the next rendering.

Thanks All,
Magnus

[magnus homestead]

Ford,
I like what you just added - it's rather what I was coming to in my feeling the "oneness" in the predator/prey relationship - it is the interplay of the physical universe - it can not be "bad" or "good". But it is AWESOME!

Magnus

[Don Barnhill]

Magnus,

I hope I didn't offend you with my thoughts. Certainly wasn't my intention. Anyway, I too would like to see how this evolves.

As for my Martial Arts, I have been teaching for about 30 years. My first discipline was Sum Lum Fa (Young Forest), Kung Fu, my second was Wu Chen (Five Animal), Kung Fu, and I now practice Chinese Kempo (Fist Way) Karate.

Su Lum Fa - second degree Black Sash
Wu Chen - third degree black sash
Chinese Kempo - fifth degree black belt.

I am now 63 years old and have some physical problems such as a bad hip, back and knee. I still teach two nights a week at my studio which I have owned for about fifteen years. The Dragon Martial Arts Center.

I have incorporated the circular moves of Kung Fu into the Karate system. I also teach Chin'a or wrist locking which is very similar to Aikido.

But enough about my karate.

Please post photo's of the finished product so I can see the results of your design as it evolves into a finished piece. And thanks for allowing us to share with you.

[Don Barnhill]

Ford,
Mine was a simplistic view. Thanks for sharing.

[magnus homestead]

Don,
No you didn't offend in the slightest - thanks for your posts.

Blessings,
Magnus

[magnus homestead]

Clive,
Thanks for the question. I have been having more and more feelings/images/fleeting thoughts this week about this project . . brought on by the responses from members here. I have only just been thinking about how shallow, in a way, my understanding of Yin and Yang has been. I was considering the very thing you brought up in regard to the animals here. I also have been having a feeling of perhaps doing this as a ryusa with the cat in the shadows of a pine that the horse is walking by. In that image the cat would seem the yin or dark, soft and feminine while the horse is in the bright light with hard hooves on the rocks - more yang.
I just finished a custom piece and delivered so I am going to take some time tonight to see what appears on paper with the puma and horse - guess it's to be a stallion now . . . perhaps.
Magnus

[Phil White]

Magnus,

Your thought on doing this in high relief is what I was getting at with my question. I just haven't been able to get to spend too much time on the forum over the last few days.

Phil

[dante lopez]

magnus ,I think that after all this things that others bring to you ,it will be a lovely piece ,that's one of reason I join here