आदि लक्ष्मी (ఆదిలక్ష్మి; ಆದಿಲಕ್ಷ್ಮಿ)

Skip Hill

'Tattoos with Chai Oolong Tea'

Acrylic, collage, inks on canvas

12"w x 16'h  ©2014  

When the Hindu god Vishnu incarnated on Earth as the avatars Rama and Krishna, he was joined by his consort, the beautiful Lakshmi, Goddess of wealth, prosperity, good fortune and the embodiment of God's superior feminine energy.

Taking the form of Rama's wife she is 'Sita'. At the same time she is 'Radha', the lover of Krishna.  

This "duality in one" aspect of Lakshmi makes her/them(?) an appealing subject matter for my "As Namoradas" series, where I weave two or more figures into one central iconic image.

Of course, I'm not interested in rendering Lakshmi as she is depicted in the Bhagavad Gita. But I do like the idea of rendering her incarnations Sita and Radha as contemporary, smart, sexy, tattooed women meeting for Maharaja Chai Oolong tea and spicy gossip.

This piece is truly a masala mix of media and methods. 

As I progressed beyond the loose initial drawing, I pulled references and elements from diverse sources for my collage material; a Chinese how-to book of brush painting, a catalog from the Tokyo Museum of Art, a page from a Brazilian newsweekly and a Hindu prayer tract from a local temple.

"Semeador de Sonhos"

Skip Hill

"Semeador de Sonhos" The Dream Sower

Acrylic and ink on linen

16"w x 20h" ©2014  

It's been nearly a decade since I began using the "Dream Sower" motif in my artwork. Initially the barefoot boy with the crown was my metaphor for  planting the seeds of dreams and aspirations; while maintaining hope for a harvest, even in the most trying circumstances. 

Over the years the Dream Sower has become one of the most popular images in my portfolio and is represented in paintings and prints in private collections from Bordeaux, France to Medellin, Colombia.

In this latest work to celebrate the theme, I recall time spent in the Favela Rocinha, in Rio de Janeiro. Rocinha (little farm) is the largest urbanized slum in Brazil, and is located in Rio de Janeiro's South Zone between the affluent districts of São Conrado and Gávea.

The densely populated area of tight alleyways, cramped spaces and makeshift homes is rife with abject poverty, drugs, and crime. Certainly a tough place to have and maintain any dreams. But definitely a place where dreams can salvage the soul from a sense of hopelessness. I was touched by the palpable sense of community, as well as the hospitality, ingenuity and resilience of the people. 

"Semeador de Sonhos" features a street kid sowing seeds from a bag to the birds gathered on a rooftop. Many seeds are eaten. Others fall onto broken asphalt and into weed-filled cracks in the concrete. But a few seed find a fertile place, however small to germinate and grow…as one's faith and confidence grows.

He also carries a berimbau, a single-string musical bow, percussion instrument incorporated into capoeira, the Afro-Brazilian martial art that combines elements of dance, acrobatics and music.  The crown on the head of the figure always represents the inherent, but often deeply hidden, beauty and divinity in each of us.

"Quer mais sake?"

Skip Hill 

Lunch in Lapa (Sake & Edamame)   

Inks and collage on canvas 12"w 16"h  ©2014  

Lapa is a neighborhood in the city of Rio de Janeiro, in Brazil. It is located in the centre of Rio and is famous for its historical monuments and nightlife. Known as the cradle of bohemian, Lapa is also famous for its architecture, starting with the Arcos - known as the Arcos da Lapa, constructed to act as conduit in the days of colonial Brazil and now serve as a signal for the cable cars that climb the hill of Santa Teresa. 

Since the early 1950s, when it began to be called the "Montmartre Carioca", Lapa has been known for its lively cultural life, concentrating many restaurants and bars where Brazilian artists and intellectuals used to meet. It was, and still is, famous for its many restaurants, bars and clubs where the various forms of Brazilian music can be appreciated, like the Asa Branca bar and the Fundição Progresso. The Sala Cecília Meirelles, an important venue for chamber music, is also located in Lapa.

 Reference point for lovers of nightlife, one of the striking features of the neighborhood is the harmony found living among the most diverse of urban tribes.

"Muah, Muah, Muah!" New Work from Skip Hill Studios

Skip Hill Art   3 Actresses (Toi! Toi! Toi!)   ©2014  

acrylic, inks, collage on linen 18"w x 24"h

This beautiful effort is my first finished painting of 2014. Since the Under The Mango Tree exhibition, which employed collage as media, the focus of my recent art practice has been primarily drawing. Lots of sketches and lots more finished drawing exercises as a means to keeping the rendering skills sharp. 

Creating a subtle narrative is also a part of what I am developing with these new works from the As Namoradas (The Girlfriends) series.

Samurai Drawing Swords Over Which Bordeaux Grape Is Best.    

 12"w x 16"h  Inks on vellum paper  Skip Hill ©2014

"Cabernet Sauvignon! Mais bien sûr! might be the answer, if you grow grapes on the left bank of the Gironde estuary in the Bordeaux region of southwest France.  "Merlot, sans doute!" is the rebuttal from the right bank, in Saint-Émilion and Pomerol.  In this new drawing, I imagine two wine connoisseurs, actors, samurai from the Meiji Restoration period (明治維新 Meiji Ishin) at an elegant garden party...getting in each other's face, defending the honor of their favorite vineyard, as they whip out their Katana swords. Just to mix it up, I blend fuchsia, purple and of course red.   By the way if it's about passion, my personal preference is definitely Merlot.

Skip Hill Art: 3 Actresses, Day 2 of the Process

Three Actresses (Toi Toi Toi!)   

Skip Hill ©2014     16'w x 24"h    Acrylic, crayon, charcoal, inks on canvas

"Looking at the Three of them...backstage in their dressing room, still nervous and excited after two weeks of performing their challenging roles before enthusiastic audiences. They hug each night before the curtain rises-

kissing, caressing, congratulating and wishing each other "Toi, Toi, Toi" for good luck. 

Day 2 into the process on this latest painting. Moving to canvas, after weeks of drawing on smooth vellum paper, is an adjustment as I work out the composition and color relationships on the textured surface.  I create a sense of "movement and moment" again by creating shifting perspectives and light sources. At this point I like the flower bomb of color at the upper center of the frame, with lots of white space and simple lines as a counterweight. Technically, I love the "push pull" effect of abstracting the three figures into one and back again. 

The stylized faces of the actresses are more developed at this stage in the process. The time spent just looking at a work-in-progress is vital to understanding what I have done and how I proceed. After about twenty minutes of studying and reading my marks, lines and smears, a hint of the Dia de Los Muertos 'calaveras' mask appeared,and then a suggestion of Madam Matisse's famous 'Green stripe"portrait from 1905...and then I see where I can place a tiara on the crown of the central figure ala Valasquez's court portraits. The warm and affectionate woman on the right wears what could be a mask from Java, Bali or perhaps tribal face paint from the Surma people of Ethiopia.  

aaah...Back to the Studio...

"Por favor, tenha um pouco mais sushi, Querida!"

Skip Hill Art:  
Ntozake Nozumi Oliveira de Souza Loves Hamachi On the Veranda Overlooking Guanabara Bay  
Inks on paper  12"w x 16h"  ©2014

"…spent the day with Dona de Souza under the mango tree on the veranda of her villa in Santa Teresa.
Que Beleza, as always…resplendent and relaxed in her kimono, her hair dyed pink and coiffed in the 'Mkpuk eba' style of the Ibibio, as we dined on yellowtail sushi, drank caipirinhas, listened to Tim Maia and enjoyed the view of the shimmering bay and each other's company."