JOHN HENRY FOLLEY
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Lately Complete: Ex Calibur

2/4/2020

6 Comments

 
Last summer I received a message via Instagram from a woman who comes from a family which, I have since gathered, takes gift-giving very seriously. Mary had a concept in mind for a Christmas gift painting for her mother and wanted me to execute it. It was my honor to do so and the result is Ex Calibur. 
Commissioned still life 'Ex Calibur'
'Ex Calibur' oil on canvas (13" x 16")
The driving meaning of this painting is the long and loving marriage of Mary's parents. Deirdre and I had the pleasure of visiting with Mary when she took a mini road trip to my studio in order to hand-deliver these objects which are of great sentimental value to her and her family, especially her mother. During that visit, she shared with us about the pieces and their significance.​

In the painting you see an unusual sculpture that consists of two parts: a cut Steuben glass orb (if you will) and a beautifully crafted sword. The glass represents the Stone of legend and the sword is Arthur's famous weapon, Ex Calibur. Mary explained to me that this sculpture is a treasured possession and meant a lot to her parents (her father has passed away). The couple had discovered it in a shop many, many years previous but it had been outside their budget, so they kept it in mind and saved up for it while raising a large and busy family. They finally purchased it as a celebration of their 50th wedding anniversary. To Mary, seeing it is a reminder of the virtue of patience -- not to be stressed when something takes time or has to be budgeted for, since her parents waited 50 years for this gift!

Picture
The rings are her father’s Notre Dame ring and a miniature that he had made for her mother - very important to them as a dedicated ND family! (You know I appreciated this, being class of '08, myself.)
 
The cards are postcards which Mary and I agreed should be included in the painting. They are souvenirs from the Shrine of St. Anne in Quebec and represent the devotion Mary’s mother has to St. Anne (the mother of the Virgin Mary). Mary noted that her mother enjoys the fact that the feast of that saint falls on July 26 and that she herself also has twenty-six grandchildren.
Working on this painting was an absolute delight, as Mary was an ideal patron. She was excited to share her story and to hand off the vision while also very kindly entrusting the composition and execution to me. We had a great time communicating with her throughout the process and then hearing about how the gift had gone over at Christmastime. She told us that reflecting on the painting has even been a reminder to some of the grandchildren to visit the grave of their beloved grandfather. On a technical level, it was an interesting challenge to communicate the metal and the glass in the medium of oil paint. 
It is my hope that this work will prove for many years to be a worthy tribute to a long and devoted marriage and the loving family it yielded. This world needs steadfast marriages and I was very glad to celebrate one this way. 
 
Visit my Commissions page and read Mary’s kind testimonial here. 
 
Perhaps you’ve noted the two coins in the center of the painting, which were my addition (with Mary’s approval). I can tell you what their significance is, but first I’d love to know what your guess is as to their meaning -- tell me your guess in the comments below!

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6 Comments
Emily DeArdo
2/6/2020 08:00:59 am

Are the coins there to "buy" the blade? I know that sometimes people would exchange a coin for a blade so buy it and make it "theirs" and then cut themselves with it, to "blood" it so it knew its purpose?

Reply
John link
3/10/2020 12:05:02 pm

Emily, that is a fun idea! But not quite it! See below for the correct guess!

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Stephen
2/6/2020 04:26:14 pm

The recipient of the knife pays for it. Then the friendship is not cut. French tradition !

Reply
John link
3/10/2020 12:05:40 pm

That's very cool, Stephen! But not the idea here... see below for the correct answer!

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JoAnn
2/11/2020 06:59:39 pm

Lucky Irish penny for good luck, now and for generations to come.
Total of coins 26 like the number of grandchildren and Feast Day (St. Anne)

Reply
John link
3/10/2020 12:06:27 pm

Joann, you guessed it! The idea behind the coins was to represent that special number, 26 - for the reasons you noted! I hadn't thought of the lucky penny idea, although I'm sure no one would object!

Reply



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    Author

    Hello there, I'm John H. Folley, an oil painter in the Boston School tradition. Thanks for visiting the Beauty Advocacy Blog, where it's my job to help you become a more discerning art appreciator.

    I believe that beauty is real and that art has standards, and I'm here to push back against the pretensions of the modern Art world.

    Here you'll find updates on my studio projects, commissioned paintings, illustration, and some of my art philosophy. You'll also hear occasionally from my wife and studio manager, artist Deirdre M. Folley. Peace!

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