It was somewhat of a shock to realise that this, being week #21, is my last weekly art project focused on the Alhambra. It seems to have gone by very quickly even with all the interruptions along the way.
My goal was to seek inspiration from what I saw & what moved me within the space of one day in one place. Of course, I could have used every art project to reproduce a piece of that wonderfully patterned plasterwork, but I wanted to respond to inspiration sources with a creation of my own, not just a copy. All in all I have created quite a varied range of responses in textile & they certainly do transport me back to that stunningly beautiful place.
What then to choose for this last project?
Well it had to be Patio de los Leones, also known as the Courtyard of the Lions. This courtyard is in the centre of the Nasrid Palaces & it's centrepiece is the marble bowl of a fountain seemingly held on the backs of 12 lions.
They are charming, but to be honest, they have never really looked like lions to me. More like cats or dogs! The sculptor has given them wonderful texture on their bodies & if we were allowed to get close enough I can guarantee that few visitors would resist being able to stroke their hands over that carved 'fur'.
Some very quick drawings helped me feel my way around the shapes of their faces & to recognise two different ways that fur/hair was carved. I wanted to give a lion some sort of mane. It didn't take long to realise that that might not be easy in a 20cm square, but I could at least try!
Here's how the cutting back went...
I'd slipped in a scrap of printed fabric from an earlier project as my background. It gave a little bit of colour variation as well as contrasting the curved lines with straight angular ones. I was pleased with how my lion was looking, but wanted to un-cross his eyes & give a little more definition, so this is what I did...
All in all I'm quite pleased with the outcome, even if it may have been more impressive in a wider sized space. Leon the Lion still doesn't really look like a lion to me, more a striped cat with a lion spirit!
It has been fun to do & I think he was a lovely inspiration for my last project.
Next week, I'll endeavour to compile each of my 21 projects into a book format, to sit alongside my Egypt & Istanbul ones. I had initially thought that I'd follow this series of art projects up with one inspired by Morocco, however I've changed my mind. I'll take a break from Islamic influences & instead refer to my photos from a trip to Iceland! There is a LOT of inspiration to be found there!
Thank you for accompanying me each week via this blog & for the encouraging comments along the way. I hope that I've encouraged you to revisit your own holiday snaps & have a go at exploring them through art making.
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