The Wake
by AnnaJo Vahle
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Dimensions
20.000 x 16.000 x 0.500 inches
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Title
The Wake
Artist
AnnaJo Vahle
Medium
Painting - Acrylic On Canvas
Description
This abandoned church site is on Merritt Island. It is mostly burned down. The stucco walls were a faded peach color. Graffitti was scrawled on the walls here and there. Weeds and scrub palms were growing among the remains of the charred wood. When I first found it, the sky was full of circling turkey vultures.
There are many words for a group of vultures. A group of vultures may be a cast, committee, meal, vortex, venue and even wake. Vultures rotating on thermals of hot air are referred to as a 'kettle', since they look like the rising bubbles in a boiling pot of water.
While I was painting this en plein air, a couple of policemen stopped by. They told me that this place used to be a church camp. It was determined to have been destroyed by arson. I was unable to find any further information about the place.
I tried to find information about it online but only succeeded in finding a youtube video of some guys walking through the remains.
It looked as if the round structure, which I originally believed to possibly be a round staircase, was simply a round room. It is an oddly shaped building adding to the spiraling effect of the circling birds.
I know that this is an unusual subject fraught with symbolism. If it hadn't been for the sky full of vultures, I might have not painted it. I sat in the tailgate of my van to paint the scene. It grew quite warm as the sky filled with afternoon clouds. It seemed to me, that what had been built by man was now being reclaimed by nature. An osprey called insistently from a nearby tree warning the vultures to stay away.
Uploaded
May 19th, 2013
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Viewed 1,023 Times - Last Visitor from Fairfield, CT on 04/25/2024 at 7:55 AM
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Comments (26)
Susan McNeil
Thanks for taking time to paint this. It was a great story and I love going on location and doing this too. It is especially great to just go to some small town and get into the history, talk to the locals and paint rememberances of the trip. This one will be special to the right person. Perhaps, you can advertise it in that area. Someone will want a copy.
AnnaJo Vahle replied:
Thank you, Susan, for your thoughtful comment and encouragement. You have a good idea. Perhaps, I will try that.
Barbara St Jean
Congratulations you wonderful submission has been FEATURED in MOUSE!! Thanks so much for your great support, MOUSE loves you and so do I!! :-)) Cheers Barbara F/V -- btw - check out our new thread - One liner, just for fun...
AnnaJo Vahle replied:
Thank you very much, Barbara. I am delighted to be featured in MOUSE. I will certainly check the new thread.
Bob Orsillo
I am glad you stop to paint this AnnaJo, this work brings up so many thoughts - you have given a sense of elegance to a place most would pass on by. V/F/T/G+
ANA MARIA EDULESCU
How finely and beautifully you painted this scene, AnnaJo. All those details.... the flowers through the barns, the flying birds...... mesmerizing work. Love it. f,v
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