Description
‘The Companion’ by E. E. Kono
Artist: E.E. Kono
Title: ‘The Companion’
Medium: Egg tempera on gesso panel
Dimensions: 6″ x 8″
Framing: Framed (frame size: 12.5″ x 13.5″ x 1.25″)
Year of Creation: 2021
Artwork Will Ship From: USA
About the Artwork:
Mer-creatures are thought to draw humans towards their fate. In 77 AD, Pliny the Elder reported on all kinds of encounters with mer-creatures including one during the reign of Emperor Tiberius when the sea receded from the shore of an island off what is now the French coast -revealing a menagerie of fantastical sea creatures closely resembling those on land. This particular mer-dog is said to have come from that very region. The fate she leads her companions to will no doubt be good.
E. E. Kono practices the old master technique of egg tempera painting. Tempera paintings are treasured for their unique luster, jewel-like colors, and linear qualities. Each color used in the paintings is created on the palette by combining natural powdered pigments and organic egg yolk binder. The paint is applied to traditional gesso panels in a process that requires hundreds of semi-transparent brushstrokes layered one on top of another. The nature of the technique means that it can take several weeks to complete even the smallest piece but gives the colors a vibrancy that, when cared for, will last hundreds of years.
About the Artist:
(Artist Bio)
E.E. Kono is a Los Angeles based artist using pre-Renaissance techniques to explore how ideas and symbols cross and evolve between cultures and through time. Her imagery is often influenced by nature and a close connection to the sea. She has a BA in art history from the University of Iowa and studied art history at the University of Hull in England. Exhibits include group shows at La Luz de Jesus Gallery, Riverside Art Museum, Gallery 825 and Modern Eden. Kono is also an award-winning author/illustrator and has published over a dozen picture books. Her clientele includes top trade publishers and national magazines.