joshtiessen

[joshtiessen]

Back at it for 2021! Re-blog if you love Orcas 🐋

[joshtiessen]

Here’s the step-by-step process of “Sophia,” which took 300+ hours to complete.

Re-blog if you like!

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Step-by-step of my painting “Escape Artist”

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Here’s the completed painting of “The Academy” with my inspiration (below) 🐵

15” x 15” x 2” Oil on Braced Baltic Birch

In medieval bestiaries and renaissance art, animals were endowed with moral symbolism. Apes and monkeys represented human carnal desires, and were often used as satirical depictions of man’s folly. While this may have unnecessarily denigrated the primates, it was meant to highlight the virtuous standards humans were held to. Regardless of whether one believes in the Imago Dei (the idea that humans have a moral nature by divine design) most people think humans should not adopt the predator-prey dynamic of the animal kingdom. Conversely, animals are not deemed morally culpable like we humans are.

The earliest universities can be traced back to Europe in the medieval ages, where the development of intellect, respectful debate, and formation of character were seen as essential. While I consider myself an academic with a great respect for academia, it seems to me that the great legacy of civil discourse in higher education is crumbling. The architecture for this painting originates from an historic university not far from my studio. A noted professor from another university was invited by a student group to speak on this campus. During his lecture he was drowned out by the yelling of opposing students and the blasting of their blow-horns in his ear to protest his presence in their ‘safe space’. This expression of tribalism resembles the social Darwinian philosophy of ‘survival of the fittest’ and ‘might makes right’. In no way does it advance the pursuit of truth, which comes through academic virtues of reason, respect, and humility.

In my Streams in the Wasteland series I depict animals and nature reclaiming human civilizations as a sign of judgment for rejecting the Creator’s moral law. In line with this theme, I crafted a scene with two White-Handed Gibbons climbing the ivy-covered ‘ivory towers’. The setting sun metaphorically indicates the end of academia if civil discourse dies.

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Here’s a detail of one of my works in my Streams in the Wasteland II exhibition, opening this Saturday at Corey Helford Gallery.

The title for this body of work was inspired by Isaiah 43:20-22 “The wild animals honour me, the jackals and the owls, because I provide water in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland.”

I desire to capture the wonder of the animal kingdom, specifically, under-appreciated species like this Elephant Shrew, since they all reflect the beauty and design of the Creator.

[joshtiessen]

Narwhal!! Sneak peek of a new painting for my exhibition at Corey Helford Gallery opening Dec. 14. The colour palette 🎨 was inspired by Wes Anderson’s vintage style 📽

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Detail of a pre-sold work that’s currently on my easel. Re-blog if you like hummingbirds! 🐦

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Almost finished the Elephant Shrew painting for my mini-solo exhibition at Corey Helford Gallery, which will be called Streams in the Wasteland II. https://www.instagram.com/p/B3vIuzdnTbe/?igshid=1he2haadc3jss

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Who knows what animal this is?! Looking forward to unveiling the finished piece in my mini-solo exhibition at Corey Helford Gallery. https://www.instagram.com/p/B3airJMnFEf/?igshid=rpr8s1fnb90s

[joshtiessen]

Here’s one more sneak peek of my latest work. The Princeton liner (10/0) is one of my most used brushes, coming in handy for the decorative patterns. https://www.instagram.com/p/B2h55bjnGqV/?igshid=17o5zsymarp6x

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I’ve saved the best for last in this painting 🐘 The complex detail is so much fun to tackle. Love using the Princeton Aqua Elite 3/0 Round. https://www.instagram.com/p/B1zor4nn9nb/?igshid=3ojgliaojkl6

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Here’s a tight crop of a little something I’m working on right now. The lamp was inspired by the old Gothic architecture at McMaster University near where I live. https://www.instagram.com/p/Bz_o7Lmn6ex/?igshid=bczxhr0y8f8x

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Here’s the full step-by-step process for the creation of “The Republic,” which took 440 hours to complete.

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WIP

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Reblog if you love pandas 🐼🎋

Here is a detail of my latest painting “Near Oblivion”

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Here is my creative process behind “Near Oblivion,” which is currently available and on display at Corey Helford Gallery is Los Angeles. Only a couple days left to catch their “Lucky 13” anniversary exhibition.

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Work in progress shot... always enjoy experimenting with new colour palettes 🎨 https://www.instagram.com/p/By8v50znxQJ/?igshid=1cll7dvr98s9a