Easter Sunday Procession in St. Mark’s (1898) by Maurice Prendergast (1858-1924). From Wikipedia Commons.
Maurice Prendergast was born in Newfoundland, Canada, but is considered an American painter because his family moved to Boston when he was still a young boy. He was apprenticed when still a boy to a commerical painter, and this influenced his later style. He is known for his post-impressionist paintings that in some ways resemble mosaics, with clearly defined sections of pale watercolors.
Cross carved on a confessional, Church of St. Sebastien, Nancy, France. Photo by Vassil, Wikipedia Commons.
This photo was released into public domain by its creator, listed only as the user ‘Vassil’, on Wikipedia Commons. It is a beautiful example of woodcarving, from a confessional in the Church of St. Sebastien in Nancy, France.
Drawing of rabbits by Walter Heubach (1865-1923), from Wikipedia Commons.
Well, rabbits remain a sign of Easter and Spring (because of their association with Nature’s fecundity). Here they are feasting on some of Nature’s bounty – much to the chagrin of some farmer or gardener no doubt! One is nibbling unconcerned, one is watching the viewer, and one has decided that discretion is the better part of valor and is hopping off. This is an illustration by Walter Heubach (1865-1923) that I found on Wikipedia Commons.
I am reminded of Beatrix Potter’s Peter Rabbit, though he didn’t have cabbages in his trip to Mr. McGregor’s garden, if I remember rightly. Mr. McGregor was hoeing the cabbages at the time! But Peter did nibble just about everything else – and ended up with quite a stomach ache. Though, even as a child, I was somewhat shocked by the casual reference to the fate of Peter’s father, who was ‘put in a pie by Mrs. McGregor’.
Of course, a later book has Peter at it again, this time in the company of his trouble-making cousin, Benjamin Bunny. This time there is no Mr. McGregor to contend with – he and his wife having been spotted going to town in their cart by Benjamin earlier – but instead they have to contend with the McGregor’s cat. And Benjamin does not change his ways – he almost gets his children put in a pie in yet another story, and it is his wife who uses her smarts and saves the day!
Pre-Revolution Russian postcard, c. 1900-1917. Translation: ‘Christ is risen from the dead’. From Wikipedia Commons
Here is a beautiful old Russian postcard from before the Revolution of 1917 that eventually put the Soviets in power. It features traditionally decorated Russian Easter eggs in a basket with a caption that translates as ‘Christ is risen from the dead’ (or so the caption on Wikipedia Commons said. I don’t read or write Russian!). I love the roses as accents.
I would like to apologize for missing some days. I have been ill – and the pain medicationI am on until I can see a specialist next week makes it nearly impossible for me to function normally. I will try to keep up with the Daily Public Domain images, but please excuse me if I miss a day here or there. Thanks for understanding!
Okay, here I am trying to give you free image every day (and I also sell laser printed collage sheets). But perhaps you are looking for new ideas of what to do with these graphics.
Now, remember, these are embedded from YouTube and if you learn something new from them, then the credit should go to those who made the videos, not me. Got that? Okay. Here we go:
First, since I sell laser printed collage sheets and specifically point out that they are suitable for ‘image transfer onto polymer clay’, maybe I have something that demonstrates that. Well, here it is. Now, this technique is very simple – it just uses the image, polymer clay (like Fimo®, Kato Polyclay®, or Sculpey®), and water. The important thing to remember here is this first technique won’t work with inkjet printsbecause (I think) the inkjet inks are not water fast. So if you print out your image with an inkjet printer you will need to make a color copy of it. You can use a laser printed image or a photocopy (color or black and white), but not an inkjet print. Ready? This tutorial is by ‘luvmypups47′ (this is apparently her only YouTube video but it’s a good one!) Here goes:
Okay, cool huh? Simple! The fun that can be had making pendants or beads or embellishments for a mixed media artwork. Just bake the clay according to the manufacturer’s instructions. Also remember these things about polymer clay:
Don’t use any tool that will be reused for food. You can bake your constructions on a baking sheet covered in foil, and then use the baking sheet again – but anything that has touched the clay is right out.
Also cover your clay pieces in a ‘tent’ of foil if you use your regular oven to bake them. This keeps the fumes from forming an unhealthy build-up on the walls of your oven.
Wash your hands thoroughly after working with clay, especially unbaked clay.
Okay, well, what about transfering laser printed or photocopied images onto other things, like paper?
Here’s a tutorial by MoneyLifeCafe about making a personalized journal, using a ‘dollar store’ journal, a laser printed or photocopied image, and acrylic gel medium. Acrylic gel medium is used by artists with acrylic paints to give the paints a specific quality of texture, thickness, or shine. It also works to transfer images! Her tutorial is very clear and easy to follow, and you could very easily take the technique and use it on other items:
Now, the gel medium technique might also work with certain magazine images – though it would depend on the inks. Older matte printed magazines might transfer better than modern glossies. But you (or I and I haven’t had the chance) would have to experiment to see what would and would not work. But then again, experimenting might be fun….
Or, of course, you could just photocopy the image you wanted to use!
Tomorrow I will see if I can put up some links or videos about transferring inkjet images. Until then, have fun thinking of things you can do with these techniques.
Agnus Dei in the apse of St. Josef Church in Sehne-Bolzum, Germany. From Wikipedia Commons.
As I think I have explained before, the term ‘Agnus Dei’ means ‘Lamb of God’ in Latin, and refers to Christ. It is also a reference to the Eucharist – because in a Catholic mass, after the consecration, the priest presents the Eucharist to the congregation, proclaiming: ‘Behold the Lamb of God Who takes away the sins of the world’. It is also a reference to Revelation, where John the Evangelist speaks of seeing the ‘adoration of the Lamb’.
The image above incorporates elements of all this: It depicts a lamb with a cruciform halo (a halo with three stripes like the arms of a cross) which is used to symbolize deity; as well a flag with a cross, symbolizing Christ’s victory through the Cross. Blood from a wound flows into a chalice at the lambs feet, symbolizing the Eucharist. The lamb itself represents a spotless sacrifice – the First-Born of God, Who was without sin.
Yes, it’s very very heavy symbolism. But also very appropriate for Easter. Even if you aren’t Christian, understanding this symbolism will help you understand such works of art as Jan van Eyck’s ‘Ghent Altarpiece’. Click to see it/ download it full-sized.
Endpiece illustration from ‘Pratt’s Practical Pointers on the Care of Livestock and Poultry’, featuring a hen and chicks, 1919. From Project Gutenberg ebook #16744.
In 1919, the Pratt Food C0. – a manufacturer of livestock and poultry feed and supplies – published a manual on ‘the care of Livestock and Poultry’. Of course, while it did tell you how to take care of your horses, cows, sheep, pigs, and chickens; it also was selling Pratt’s products, such as ‘Pratt’s Colic Remedy’ (for horses – ’998 cures out of 1,000 cases’) and ‘Pratt’s Baby Chick Food’ (‘I have used your Baby Chick Food with the best success..’ said one testimonial). I found this little gem on Project Gutenberg, where it is eBook #16744.
Now, so far as I know, the company is no longer in business. And I, living in the suburbs, don’t have livestock. But the illustrations are lovely – horses, cows, pigs, sheep, and, of course, poultry. This was listed as the ‘endpiece’ though I guessing that means the back cover. I thought it was just perfect to get back into the Easter / Spring motifs. Click on the image to see it / download it full-sized.
Irish five shilling postage stamp featuring St. Patrick, 1937. From Wikipedia Commons.
We tend to think of St. Patrick’s Day as a day to wear green and shamrocks and celebrate being Irish (if only for a day). But it all started much more simply – its the feast day of St. Patrick, the patron saint of Ireland. St. Patrick is credited with the conversion of Ireland to Christianity, and though he did do a large part of it, he is not the only missionary responsible. Christianity entered Ireland before Patrick, and the conversion process continued long after he was dead. But he did certainly ‘get the ball rolling’, converting many and providing the momentum that eventually resulted in Ireland being Christian.
Ironically, Patrick was not a native Irishman. He came from a family of Romanized Britains – those who were from Britain but had adopted Roman ways with the conquest of Britain by Rome. His family was Christian and probably middle to upper class. He learned to read and write Latin, but later bemoaned never having learned to write it ‘properly’. He came from the West coast of Britain, and may have been Welsh, but was captured as a teenager by a raiding party from Ireland, taken back their, and made a slave. He eventually escaped and returned to Britain, but felt called to return and convert the Irish. Once he returned as a missionary, he never left Ireland. He did, however, regret that his capture by the raiding party meant that he never finished his schooling.
This stamp, depicting St. Patrick, is from 1937 and shows clearly the Art Deco influence of the time. Click on the image to see it / download it full-sized.
Leprechaun or Clurichaun, 1862; from _Fairy Legends and Traditions of the South of Ireland_ by T.C. Croker. From Wikipedia Commons, changed to a .jpg from a .png by myself.
I’m a little late on getting this particular image up, because for some reason my blog simply refused to load the .png correctly without completely turning it into an incomprehensible mess. So I had to change it to a .jpg. Maybe it was the transparency of the original that I found on Wikipedia Commons that was messing up my uploader. I don’t know. But I finally got it to load up in a form you can actually see so I’ll quit complaining now. The date given by Wikipedia for this is from 1862, but since the author listed (T.C. Croker – Thomas Crofton Croker) died in 1854 either it is a posthumous edition of this particular book or the date is off slightly. Since Croker’s son – T.F. Dillon Croker, edited some of his father’s works after the elder Croker’s death, I’m leaning to towards the former.
Anyway, leprechauns and clurichauns are closely related in Irish folklore. There is some debate, according to the Wikipedia article on clurichauns, as to whether or not they are the same creature or different creatures. According to some folktales, clurichauns are leprechauns on a drinking spree (or else leprechauns at night after they’ve finished their work and have gone drinking). If they are to be considered seperate creatures, this is a clurichaun because he is holding a drinking jug (presumably of alcohol). However, considering how St. Patrick’s Day is celebrated in many places (green beer anyone?) then perhaps a drunken relative of a leprechaun is a more fitting symbol than a crazily cheery leprechaun on a pot of gold at the end of a glossy rainbow is.
Either way, it’s a neat illustration. Click to download it / see it full-sized.
A simple linear Celtic knotwork. From Wikipedia Commons.
Here is a basic Celtic knotwork you can use as a decorative edge or other decorative element. It’s one of the most basic knotworks – no stylized animals, no curves, no corners. Just a woven line.
I also have this image as an .svg file that could be used to make die cuts if you have a computerized customizable die cut system (like Cricut®) that takes .svg files. As soon as I figure out how to upload it so you can download it, I’ll add it.
DPD (Daily Public Domain images) and graphics found in the 'Freebies' section are public domain. They may be downloaded and used for any purpose whatsoever, personal or commercial.
Card Positioning Systems – Card Sketches
Card Sketch a Day
Get Sketchy!
Operation Write Home