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Published: 2012-07-16 01:55:08 +0000 UTC; Views: 32009; Favourites: 2377; Downloads: 0
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~~~"Frail is memory that once shone bright. The earthly body that faded then, has left her spirit from within to seek her place in hearts beyond. Recall the wind that blew her fore and held her aft. The sands collide and steal her breath so she may drown in lonliness.
But one persists when others cannot and lights her torch in memory, until the dawn and there still beyond. Persist frail memory when we cannot.
~~~
A personal piece and companion to: Persistence of Memory . Originally i created two concepts for the painting done for the magazine and though I chose one, the other still lingered and held me close. So between other projects I have been shaping this one, hoping to tease it's enigmatic visage to completion.
The story for both images is that of a spirit that shepherds memory, a white cheetah that lives in the heart of the Sahara. She wanders the lonely sloping dunes leaving the light of memory as her only tracks. But in the secret places where memory is being kindled into a flame that may last for eternity she transforms into a fragile lantern that fills the night with dappled dreams. And with the coming of the dawn she fades into the sand, her light lingering where she has walked.
I decided to slightly exaggerate some of her features for this painting, chiefly the long neck which is meant to cast her in a more supernatural light. The composition was deliberately more disconcerting than the open resolved composition in Persistence of Memory. Here her ritual has been interrupted by the viewer and she turns to look upon him. The viewer,with a mounting sense claustrophobia looks upon her with uncertainty, uncertain of her intent of the reason she shines.
Well anyway..that's what I was hoping to portray
~~~
Tools: Photoshop
Size: 6200x3600 at 300dpi
Prints: Find prints in my store at [link]
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Curious about seeing works in progress or random doodles or other silly artsy stuff I don't think to post elsewhere?
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Comments: 105
WerewTerrefGrin [2012-07-17 06:16:31 +0000 UTC]
That is sooooooooooo incredible! I love how her tail blends away and the light on the walls!
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EBE246 [2012-07-17 00:04:42 +0000 UTC]
WOWWWWWWWWWWWWW, impressive and star dazzling, i'm like gazing into the night
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IndigoAssassin [2012-07-16 20:10:37 +0000 UTC]
Holy shit! Her posture and detail are stunning.
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TeknicolorTiger [2012-07-16 20:09:37 +0000 UTC]
Also, just curious, but did you do a texture for the wall or was all that hand-done?
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TeknicolorTiger [2012-07-16 20:08:11 +0000 UTC]
Another masterpiece! I can't get over the lighting effect in this. The disintegration of the tail - giving way to sand - was also a very nice touch. I swear this is like a dream I had once.
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horsewish13 [2012-07-16 11:29:34 +0000 UTC]
this is the most amazing piece of art work i love it!!!!!!
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rachaelm5 In reply to ??? [2012-07-16 09:36:37 +0000 UTC]
This is fascinating and haunting... The glowing spots of the cheetah are magnificent, and I love the disco-ball effect they have on the surroundings.
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hudson-wolf [2012-07-16 07:12:08 +0000 UTC]
so interesting and breathtaking artwork! Gorgeous
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Kara-Kiwi [2012-07-16 07:08:04 +0000 UTC]
This is too cool for words I would love to hang this on my wall.
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VioletWhirlwind [2012-07-16 07:05:47 +0000 UTC]
oh wow...i actually like this one better than the first...love how her spots are like holes in a lantern to let the light through. Amazing
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Iluve [2012-07-16 05:34:30 +0000 UTC]
This is amazingly beautiful, as always, Balaa.
I comment, though, because the painting reminds me of a book I read in elementary school - Tomorrow's Sphinx, by Clare Bell. Have you ever read it? It's a young adult book, I think, about a black cheetah who's the pet/companion of a young King Tutankhamun, and another one who's like...from an apocolyptic future, and there's some sci-fi and wibbly-wobbly, timey-wimey stuff involved. I don't remember much of it, except that I very much enjoyed it (or what I could understand of it) and it particularly moved me at the time.
I figure my memory of the book suits the painting, I suppose, because it's, well, frail.
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balaa In reply to Iluve [2012-07-16 06:44:52 +0000 UTC]
Thank you kindly! I have to admit, I have been meaning to pick up that book for sometime now. A book told from the perspective of big cats, why yes please!
Thank you for the kind compliment as well <3
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Frumpelstiltskin In reply to ??? [2012-07-16 05:26:42 +0000 UTC]
Beautifully surreal...just the way I like it...
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Calicolupe [2012-07-16 04:49:47 +0000 UTC]
...You should turn this idea into a lamp and sell it so I can have one in my room. -shot-
Gorgeous work. <3
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Batjoke12 In reply to balaa [2012-07-16 05:07:21 +0000 UTC]
yeah a commercial that was of this *not with leopard* and i forget what it said but yes a commercial in the usa
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balaa In reply to Batjoke12 [2012-07-16 06:51:52 +0000 UTC]
I'd love to see it if you recall what it was about C=
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howlcall [2012-07-16 04:44:04 +0000 UTC]
wow! the lighting and twisting of things in the mirror is really outstanding!
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Perxio [2012-07-16 04:25:06 +0000 UTC]
...blown away. I'm just blown away. I'm not even kidding when I say this and its companion are probably my favorite pieces I've seen on DA in the seven years I've been here.
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allthroughtheseasons [2012-07-16 03:56:59 +0000 UTC]
This is gorgeous!!! I love love LOVE how you made her spots glow!!!
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AguaRush11 [2012-07-16 03:30:32 +0000 UTC]
wow balaa this is gorgeous.. those spots.. the concept is amazing <3 i love this. gorgeous work!
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Shidaku [2012-07-16 03:16:55 +0000 UTC]
It's a very good piece, but I feel that the dual focal points really makes me feel like my eyes are being pulled in two directions at the same time. Each half of the image(the doors and the cheetah) individually make very good images, but together it feels rather straining to look at all of it at once.
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pouncedashfly [2012-07-16 03:03:11 +0000 UTC]
Unbelievable. I like the doors particularly. ^^
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DawnSentinel [2012-07-16 02:22:46 +0000 UTC]
That neck IS disconcerting. But anyway, I really like the reflections. Yeah, lame comment.
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crocodiledreams [2012-07-16 02:21:37 +0000 UTC]
That's awesome ... love the effect of the light shining out from her spots! <3
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silvanoir [2012-07-16 02:16:52 +0000 UTC]
this one is much more spooky and dreamlike, so I like it better than the other
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meihua [2012-07-16 02:09:18 +0000 UTC]
This one definitely speaks to me more than your other piece. Both are lovely, but I love the supernatural twist here with the illuminated spots and the long twisted neck.
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WaterlightFading [2012-07-16 02:02:33 +0000 UTC]
Wow, stunning! I love how the cat's spots are just holes, and shine with the light from inside. The abandoned desert doorways are very intriguing as well.
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