Ranakpur by swo8 Blues Jazz from the album Black Taj

This video is called Ranakpur by swo8 Blues Jazz. Ranakpur is a village in the district of Rajasthan, India and is wildly known for it’s Jain Temples. The music begins with a tiger’s roar. We were warned not to wander out at night because of the wild life there.
Jainism was founded in the 6th century B.C. as a revolt against the current Hinduism and emphasizied the perfectability of human nature and liberation of the soul. It is especially non violent towards all living creatures. So let us focus on the finer points of Jainism that we can overcome the forces of evil. 3:13 min. 2 MB.

A Paddling of Ducks Distaff Side by L. Martel

This is a 12″ x 16″ oil on canvas called A Paddling of Ducks Distaff Side. It was started several years ago and was, more or less, completed 2017 (signed and dated). I saw a picture in black and white and the composition rather intrigued me. So I worked on it from there. The colour and shadows took time to figure out but I’m happy with it now.

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The Black Taj by swo8 Blues Jazz from the album Black Taj in iTunes

Do you know the story about the Black Taj? If you come from India you will know. No doubt the building of the Taj Mahal was a wonderful tribute a husband can do for his wife. The real Taj Mahal is a splendid sight of architectural genius. Made from the loveliest of white marble it sparkles like a jewel and changes through out the day as the sun moves in the sky. There was a plan to build a black Taj to be made from black marble where Jahan would rest for eternity. Alas it never came to pass. 3:57 min. 2 MB

 

Asian Lilies Two by L. Martel

These two photos represent the progress of this 6″ x 8″ oil on canvas board. The first photo is the before and the second is after several hours of work.

As an aside I did a portrait of a very famous and beloved lady, our former Mayor Hazel McCallion and it was submitted to a jury for exhibition. I just got this notice back – “Your piece has been selected for the exhibition: Do Your Homework: Explore the life and legacy of Hazel McCallion.” The art work will be on be on display in the Glass Pavilion, Celebration Square from April 12th until April 26th. in Mississauga, Ontario. So if you’re in the neighbourhood go have a gander.

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Asian Lilies One by L. Martel

This is a 6″ x 8″ oil on canvas board that is not yet completed but is coming close. Both are the same picture but the first one is prior to a couple of hours of work. Asian Lilies are one of my favourite flowers. They have an interesting structure, come in intense colours and their scent is powerful and intoxicating.  It has a companion painting which I will post next Wednesday. They usually bloom in the early part of summer. We are having an extreme cold spell today, so maybe this will bring a little warmth to the site.

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Tribute to the Bardo by swo8 Blues Jazz

On 18 March 2015, three militants attacked the Bardo National Museum in the Tunisian capital city of Tunis, and took hostages. Twenty-one people, mostly European tourists, were killed at the scene, while an additional victim died ten days later. The national Bardo Museum is a jewel of Tunisian heritage. It is housed in an old Beylic palace dating back to the XIXth Century. It retraces, through its collections, a big part of Tunisia’s history (from Prehistory to the contemporary epoch) and contains the largest collection of mosaics in the world including the famous mosaic representing Virgil, the poet. The photos in this video were taken by me prior to this attack. 1:32 min. 2 MB