Two necks of music - portrait ?

I had to do a portrait of two sisters once. I happen not to want to simply make a direct portrait but instead I wanted to do something creative. The impression I had of the two sisters was that one of them seemed to me to have a 'Guitar-personality' while the other one had a 'Violin-personality' ( I mean in the context of music).

I used Abstract Impressionism technique for the painting which  according to wikipedia is :

a type of Abstract painting where brushstrokes exhibit control over emotion and focus on inner energy and contemplation, creating a lyrical and intellectual quality to the painting.

But anyway, let me tell you a bit about this painting. The blue face and hair is meant to create universe and the circle is meant to create unity. The strings, the birds and the floating papers are meant to represent the gradational tone of musique that is meant to be felt. The circular people close to the box of the guitare are meant to scream - as portrayed by the circular shape of their open-mouth. Note that the shape of the hole of the guitare is similar to that of the head of the people - that is where the sound of the musique comes out and that same form is meant to shape the people to give out sound in harmony with the guitar and the violin.

The seven gifts of the Holy Spirit - 'Seasons'

"As an artist I created this painting to give a sense of healing to the patients in the Avera McKennan hospitals. The three groups of seven birds refer to seven gifts of the Holy Spirit, which are: love, joy, peace, patience, faithfulness, humility and self-control. The cross within the circle represents the old and new testaments of the Holy Bible. In the cross there are four symbols of the four seasons. Thus concluding that the Holy Spirit is always present regardless the time, situation or problems of a year. The olive branches found in the mouths of the birds represent peace and eternal life. This is from the story of Noah's Ark found in the book of Genesis. Also in my painting there are stars, which symbolizes the Christian heaven. I am thankful and honored to create a painting as such in hopes to create a sense of diversity and healing within the Sioux Falls community."

This was an article posted on the Avera Behavioural  Health Center in Sioux Falls after the completion of a project I did with the hospital . This painting has also been printed on t-shirts and Mugs.

The Ark of the Covenant series

Eyob is no stranger to exploring themes with a series of paintings, as witness his piece on the 9-11 catastrophe, the Falls of the Big Sioux River, or the evocation of sound.



 

With his series on the Ark of the Covenant , however he may have come upon the kind of grand subject the cements reputations. The choice of The Ark of the Convenant as a subject seems especially appropriate to an Ethiopian emigre such as Eyob, since many people believe that the powerful religious artifact actually resides in Ethiopia.

As well-schooled painter who is at home with both the objective and the abstract, Eyob is a completely capable of spontaneous subjective work. For his ark project, however, he hit the books and drew dozens of small-scale studies before setting paint to canvas. Many of the drawings on paper and cardboard --- Perhaps destined eventually to become collector's items them themselves--- show the evolution of an idea in attempt to reach its essence. Often he introduced design changes right up to the point of committing the concept to its finished form. The result, evident in canvases finished up to this writing, is spectacular, leaving viewers with the impression that Eyob has entered into a new realm.

Take it from you friendly art guy; you must see the Eyob Mergia Ark of the Covenant Series, on view at the Warp & Weft rug shop at 8^th andRailroad Center from May 6 through June 24. This show is, simply put, a knockout. Time will tell whether Eyob will enter the ranks of the immortals of art, but for now he assured thatSioux Falls is privileged to be the home of a prolific and vastly imaginative painter whose work is dramatic, engaging, and startling in its insight and in its sweep. Moreover, the theme of the show, the physical manifestation of the Almighty in the world, is one well suited to Eyob’s very satelity and spirituality. Just as his talent is unlimited by the conventions of concrete and abstract, the show ranges from almost shocking reality to powerful, amorphic suggestion, thought, and feeling. In individual panels, related works such as the parting of theRed Sea and its subsequent closing over the chariots of the pharaoh, and in multi-panel groupings that seem to expand exponentially, the artist is attempting to stretch toward the ineffable. However the result is ultimately judged, the effort must be seen as glorious. Man’s reach may exceed his grasp, but—in this world, anyway--- reaching is all.

This article was written by Ron Robinson - etc magazine and was published on April 2005 Volume 4. Issue 5 . The painting is now on display in Piper's Custom's Framing and Art Decor.

Click Here for Painting

 

Exodus painting inauguration in St. Meinrad

Exodus - an oil on canvas religious painting has been ceremonially inaugurated in  Saint Meinard School of Theology in Indiana on Friday, October the 13th, 2006. Exodus is a painting of the Israelites crossing the Red Sea on their way to Ca na’an as written in the Old Testament.

photo : St. Mainard - inauguration of Exodus with Reverend Damian, Eyob , Mr. Cornell , Mrs. Hodde and others.

Exodus

Exodus - an oil on canvas religious painting has been ceremonially inaugurated in the church of Saint Meinard in Indiana last Friday, october the 13th, 2006. Exodus is a painting of the Israelites crossing the Red Sea on their way to Ca na'an as written in the Old Testament.

Eyob used his unique brush stroke and composition skills he acquired from his exposure to traditional ethiopian art. This painting is part of the series of paintings for the Ark of the Covenant project in 2005. In this project, Eyob will be blending traditional ethiopian art with modern art. Many researchers have studied and written about the mystery and story of the Ark of the Covenant and Eyob will be trying to discover it with art - to discover the invisible.

Graham Hancock has written a best selling book- The Sign and the Seal on the mystery of the Ark of the Covenant and its history in the ancient Ethiopian Orthodox Church.

Other paintings of the Ark of the Covenant series can be seen in religious paintings and religious drawings.