Last Thursday I got a message that Saturday is a deadline to submit entries to a show dedicated to Memorial Day honoring those Turkmen people who fell on the battle fields.
I decided to paint Geoktepe mosque the traditional honoring place of the Memorial Day. This mosque was built under the State Order by Bouygues Turkmen on the place of Geoktepe fortress ruins to commemorate Geoktepe battle in 19th century (a part of The Great Game) between Russian troops and Teke tribe, resulted in thousands victims from both sides.
The selected color scheme is also symbolic. It includes silver as a symbol of Islam and purple as Russian symbol of mourning.
This mosque is so called "temple on blood" (orthodox Christian term) and I tried to show mystique aura of this place. For example, I deliberately inverted tonal relationships between minarets and sky to emphasize this idea.
I covered the canvas with silver paint as imprimatur. This is old technique of Russian lacquer miniatures. Then I covered it with loose crossed strokes of mixture of Titanium White and Violet Light and the same mixture with addition of Grayish Blue.
Then I thoroughly draw and painted the building with Mauve Pale and Winsor Violet, Tin, and Silver.
Minarets were painted with Silver and Tin over Titanium White. I used Turquoise and Cobalt Green Light Cold for large domes and plants in the bottom parts. On top of all I put loose strokes of thin Pearl Silver.
So I met a deadline and today was surprised to know that jury selected it together with another 10 best paintings to be showed in Geoktepe during the national honoring.
I decided to paint Geoktepe mosque the traditional honoring place of the Memorial Day. This mosque was built under the State Order by Bouygues Turkmen on the place of Geoktepe fortress ruins to commemorate Geoktepe battle in 19th century (a part of The Great Game) between Russian troops and Teke tribe, resulted in thousands victims from both sides.
The selected color scheme is also symbolic. It includes silver as a symbol of Islam and purple as Russian symbol of mourning.
This mosque is so called "temple on blood" (orthodox Christian term) and I tried to show mystique aura of this place. For example, I deliberately inverted tonal relationships between minarets and sky to emphasize this idea.
I covered the canvas with silver paint as imprimatur. This is old technique of Russian lacquer miniatures. Then I covered it with loose crossed strokes of mixture of Titanium White and Violet Light and the same mixture with addition of Grayish Blue.
Then I thoroughly draw and painted the building with Mauve Pale and Winsor Violet, Tin, and Silver.
Minarets were painted with Silver and Tin over Titanium White. I used Turquoise and Cobalt Green Light Cold for large domes and plants in the bottom parts. On top of all I put loose strokes of thin Pearl Silver.
So I met a deadline and today was surprised to know that jury selected it together with another 10 best paintings to be showed in Geoktepe during the national honoring.