Old Soldier Assemblage Sculpture

"...an old soldier who tried to do his duty as God gave him the light to see that duty."
The last soldiers of the First World War have left us now. The 100th anniversary of the outbreak of that war will be in August this year, and with that in mind a few recent finds called my imagination to create assemblage art. A modern television set color cap became a helmet, an old light bulb fixture from a now demolished building became the form of a soldier, his eyes staring with dazed rings created from antique Parcheesi game pieces -- glue and etched markings on the light bulb glass resemble gently falling tears. With a plastic toy gun the soldier stands at the ready in a field of daisy like upholstery tacks which, though surrounded by fencing made of metal nails representing the dangers of barbed wire in the field, has not yet turned to become the life sucking mud of the First World War trenches. There is hope. He will fight. He will win the battles that life sets before him and thus always remain a soldier.

 Though from a different war, the light bulb and theme of a soldier then called to my mind a famous phrase used by General Douglas McArthur in his farewell speech, "old soldiers never die". Around the wood base of the assemblage sculpture are those words pieced together from magazine cut-out letters pasted into place.

"I am closing my 52 years of military service. When I joined the Army, even before the turn of the century, it was the fulfillment of all of my boyish hopes and dreams. The world has turned over many times since I took the oath on the plain at West Point, and the hopes and dreams have long since vanished, but I still remember the refrain of one of the most popular barrack ballads of that day which proclaimed most proudly that "old soldiers never die; they just fade away."

 And like the old soldier of that ballad, I now close my military career and just fade away, an old soldier who tried to do his duty as God gave him the light to see that duty."

-- General Douglas McArthur in his farewell speech to Congress

►First World War Centenary http://www.1914.org/why_remember/

►Check availability of this artwork by clicking HERE.


*Original art images ©Tree Pruitt T. E. Pruitt, unless otherwise indicated. Contact the artist prior to ANY use please.

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Pink Japanese Magnolia Tree in Bloom

Rather than "on" my easel this canvas has just come off of my easel... "Pink Japanese Magnolia Tree in Bloom" is a water-colour pencil painting on canvas of a very large old tree that I'm blessed to share space with in this life. I really enjoyed drawing the tree onto the canvas and moving the flow of water from my paint brushes to enhance the forms! I look forward to the possibility of painting another version of this tree in (albeit exaggerated color) full bloom, as I've enjoyed observing it's growth over a few years now -- a twinkle in its growth span! Due to the diameter of this trees sprouting trunks I can only imagine that it must be 100 years or more in age -- an early example of a hybrid species of flowering trees in America! Add in the fact that this tree is left to chances in a semi-urban environment and it is truly an amazing example of survival, beauty, and luck (or Divine intervention). I've enjoyed this tree a great deal, and consider sharing life space with it as one of the high points of my time living in Indiana.

I began with a double primed cotton canvas. The image was drawn free hand with only 3 colors of Faber-Castell Albrecht Durer water-colour pencils -- Walnut Brown, Wine Red, Phthalo Blue -- then very few black accents were added. The background was enhanced with additional Light and Emerald Green pigment pencils with the Walnut Brown. A Burnt Ochre was then added in areas of the tree for highlight shadow. All of the white highlights (darkened here due to photograph lighting) are the white of the canvas showing through. Once dried for several days after painting I sprayed several coats of a fixative over the water-colour pencil paint, then carefully brushed over layers of acrylic varnish to seal the painting to a finish.

At this point the original painting is not for sale because my dear husband has requested that it remain hanging in our home for personal enjoyment... the BEST payment that an artist can hope for is to have a painting enjoyed!


*Original art images ©Tree Pruitt T. E. Pruitt, unless otherwise indicated. Contact the artist prior to ANY use please.

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