Gothic Hollow will be a series of paintings that mark a personal reflection on the Gothic movement during the Romanticism era.
The themes and images in my mind and sketchbook at this early stage of the series involve individuals in period clothing (circa 1800) experiencing events that generate ontological questions (ie. life afirmed and death realised). Focusing on the sublime and noble aspects of humanity the images will reflect an era of simpler times when people will themselves toward belief through willing leaps of faith. The images will also reflect the everpresent darker side of life that heroism reacts against.
The first image, Adeste Fidelis, is a simple introduction into the series. It shows a maried couple walking through a gothic ruin into an unknown land. Adeste Fidelis meaning "come faithful" introduces the idea that we must nobly embrace the unknown by accepting our curious role in this life. The scene is markedly dark and slightly haunting to convey the dark aspects of life that we must go through to get to the end of life's journey.
The second image, The Messenger, is an intimate look into a defining moment for the subject of this painting. The scene is of a woman who is unknowingly about to receive grave news from a curious black winged mesenger. The scene is peaceful and calm although the color scheme foreshadows a darkness that will soon be known to the recipient. I have found it remarkable how the world as we know it can change with a word. One minute we are spinning with the earth's rotation and the next we are watching it turn without us.
Since the Gothic movement involved subjects of both the ordinary and the fantastic, the scenes I will depict will take on those characteristics leaning some images toward traditional iconography and some toward the more fatastic.

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