This is a rough sketch for a painting for the upcoming Porter Mill show with the theme of Homer's Iliad and Odyssey. (By happenstance, I have a little series of paintings going, all related to literary works, a departure from my usual painting subjects.) Over the past year, I have participated in two literature-themed shows at Porter Mill (one on "Moby Dick", and one on "Alice in Wonderland") and a "Scarlet Letter" show at the Salem Athenaem and a "Midsummer Night's Dream" show at TAG in Boston.
So when I first learned of the Porter Mill "Homer" show, I said yes, and my idea came right away. I would paint he shield of Achilles inscribed with a quotation from the Iliad. After some indecision on the quotation, I chose the opening line, as translated by Robert Fagles:
"Rage -- Goddess, sing the rage of Peleus' son Achilles, murderous, doomed, that cost the Achaens countless losses hurling down to the House of Death so many sturdy souls."
On August 13 and 14, I worked on the layout for this painting, using pencil on canvas. My main goals: create a spiral within a circle, and establish rough placement of the words. I had to do a little digital cleanup to make it possible see the sketch.
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