Lapsed Vigilance – Sword vs Pen Size:  66 x 78.5 cm (26 x 31 in) Medium:  Mixed Support:  Illustration board Notes:  Ink and acrylic “The pen is mightier than the sword.” “The price of freedom is eternal vigilance.” These two quotes — apocryphally attributed to Benjamin Franklin and Thomas Jefferson, respectively — are the basis of this piece. Despite our wanting to be touched by the better angels of our nature, the fact remains that as mighty as words may be, they do not make the sword powerless. Indeed, the first quote implies that the sword is still mighty. History has shown that freedoms are always in danger from both within and without unless you are willing to risk all to protect them. Sometimes that price is dear, indeed. Conversely, dangerous subversion can sometimes be stopped before it foments by the well-timed blade. This, plus the extremely polarized political climate that emerged in the last part of the 20th and into the 21st centuries, served as my inspiration. The foundation of this piece is the United States’ Declaration of Independence. It is realized at approximately the actual size of the original document. Like the original, it is hand engrossed. I spent many, many months learning how to write in a similar hand(s) as the original, using Mitchell and Speedball nibs for the header and gothic text, and Gillott 303 nibs for the primary text. After much experimentation, I found a high-quality liquid sumi ink to be the most suitable. The text is not an exact representation. It has a few mistakes (in addition to the mistakes in the original that I included). Exactness wasn’t the goal, just recognizability. Care was [...]

Lion and Lioness Size:  49.5 x 38.5 cm (19.5 x 15.25 in) Medium:  Acrylic Support:  Illustration board Notes:  Airbrushed on gessoed board This is a result of: just because I’m trying out a new technique doesn’t mean I can’t make a nice picture out of it. I wanted to see if a thinly gessoed illustration board would result in a good practice support. It did well, but I’m still going to be doing other tests over time. In any case, since the surface was gessoed, I wanted to stress it by doing something with fur. I found these lions in an art reference library, and they provided a really good, furry test for this project. This was also a test of a painting technique I’ve been refining for my own use and that’s coming along nicely as well. So, overall, I’m reasonably pleased with how this turned out. (The image needs more color correction — it’s still a little yellow.) Many images by CJ Carter are ready for purchase in a variety of formats: prints, canvas prints, phone cases, and so much more. Help support this site and the artist by dropping by the store and getting gifts for yourself, for family, and friends.

Crystal Triode (practice) Size:  23 x 30.5 cm (9 x 12 in) Medium:  Acrylic Support:  Gessoboard Notes:  Airbrushed This is a rendition of one of humankind’s greatest and most significant inventions: the crystal triode–what we now call the transistor. The main goal I had was to practice working with opaque colors, specifically with color matching. Additionally, I wanted to see what differences there were with the techniques I use with transparent paint vs opaque. An added perk was painting something that wasn’t a close headshot–which I seem to do a lot of. For the support I used the generic, thinly-coated gessoboard I ruined when I was doing my sanding prep. Even though a support isn’t usable for fine work, it’ll do in a pinch for practice. This piece is about 95-98% finished. There are some bits that need to be sharpened, and a few areas that could use more texture, but as this is just a practice piece, it’s done enough for what I needed it to do. Besides, the wires vexed me. Very annoying. Here’s a snap of the progression. Many images by CJ Carter are ready for purchase in a variety of formats: prints, canvas prints, phone cases, and so much more. Help support this site and the artist by dropping by the store and getting gifts for yourself, for family, and friends.

Arachne Reborn Size:  61 x 45.5 cm (24 x 18 in) Medium:  Acrylic Support:  Gessoboard Notes:  Airbrushed with stylized realism. Visualizing the climax of a myth. Arachne, the daughter of a renowned dyer, was known for her skill at weaving. She boasted that Athena herself couldn’t best her. Though warned, Arachne refused to acknowledge that at least some of her knowledge came from the goddess. Athena went in disguise to warn Arachne not to be so conceited and to not offend the gods. Arachne scoffed and wished that she could engage in a contest with Athena to prove her skill. Athena revealed herself and accepted. Athena wove a perfect scene of her victory over Poseidon which inspired the people of Athens to name their city for her. Arachne’s effort showed 21 depictions of the failings and transgressions of the gods. Even Athena agreed that Arachne’s work was immaculate. Whether for that or for the subject matter, Athena’s anger caused her to lash out at Arachne, destroying her loom and smiting her face. Refusing to bow to Athena (though some say it was due to realizing her folly), Arachne hanged herself. Out of pity, or perhaps spite, Athena transformed Arachne–the rope becoming spider silk. In this painting, Athena is looking at the result of her handiwork. Much of the painting is intentionally softly focused. Though the dominant image is that of Athena, I wanted the viewer’s gaze to always be drawn to Arachne. I also opted to not be overly beholden to the idea of realism for this piece in order to enhance the emotion–which, for Athena, can be interpreted as either lingering anger or pity/compassion. The dramatic lighting was chosen to further [...]

Akela Size:  28 x 35.5 cm (11 x 14 in) Medium:  Scratchboard Support:  Clayboard Notes:  Airbrushed acrylics provided the pigment for the scratch work. I was requested to do a wolf by a family member, so I did a wolf (yep…that’s about all the inspiration I need, sometimes). I chose to do an airbrush/scratchboard mix because that’s a natural for mammal and bird close-ups. Plus, I enjoy it because it allows me to do both of the techniques I like doing. This image and many other images by CJ Carter are ready for purchase in a variety of formats: prints, canvas prints, phone cases, and so much more. Help support this site and the artist by dropping by the store and getting gifts for yourself, for family, and friends.

Painted Turtle Size:  40.5 x 30.5 cm (16 x 12 in) Medium:  Acrylic Support:  Gessoboard Notes:  Airbrushed When my father was ill, I needed to do a simple little something to take a break every once and a while. I can’t say that I progressed very far. This is the state it stayed in for quite a while: When I was able to devote my full attention to this piece, I went at it with gusto, no longer content to do this as an exercise. Why a turtle? Having gone to the University of Maryland, whose mascot is the terrapin, turtles will forever loom large in my life. More than that, at the time I wanted to take a step away from mammals and try a reptile. When I found this reference image, I knew that it would be a great subject. This image and many other images by CJ Carter are ready for purchase in a variety of formats: prints, canvas prints, phone cases, and so much more. Help support this site and the artist by dropping by the store and getting gifts for yourself, for family, and friends.