Artwork includes luminary light with digitally edited photography to create this image.
The title for this artwork is based upon an ancient quotation. “Self Portrait within the Universe” includes direct visual references to unfathomable phenomena.
‘Forget-Me-Nots and The Bee’ [2010] by Matt The Unfathomable Artist, Oil on canvas, 24 ins x 18 ins.
‘Roses and Beetle’ [1890] by Vincent van Gogh, Oil on canvas, 33.5 cm x 24.5 cm.
Photograph dated 2003 from a home garden, inspiration for ‘Forget-Me-Nots and The Bee’.
The bees kept me busy following them around from flower to flower, as they never sat still, haha.
I had not seen ‘Roses and Beetle’ by Van Gogh at the time of producing my artwork. I love that artists wish to explore nature and produce classical compositions all their own.
Van Gogh’s painting has encouraged me to share my earliest painting experiments.
Interestingly the way I signed this painting has its earliest roots from my high school art class. That’s the way I used to sign my high school artworks 🙂
My art teacher said she loved the way I’d created my signature. ‘Creative Mind’ has my full signature, whilst my latest artworks are stylistically signed ‘Matt’.
Thank you Vincent.
Hope you enjoy.
Young Pegasus pencil sketch June 2019 Stowmarket Suffolk UK England Octopodes
‘Whence I lighted upon this magnificent horse, its beauty quite Unfathomable in every way, I immediately envisaged a sketch for his handsome expression and exquisite pleasance.
Eyes likened to the grey seal pup, spirit as Universal thunders, herds of fallow deer for movement and his adorable grace equaling that of the Octopodes.’
Please note the photograph this second sketch is derived from is with the kind courtesy of First Choice Dressage, Livery Yard in Stowmarket, Suffolk, England, UK.
Their website link is here: First Choice Dressage.
nb fun, fun, fun, fun fact, I actually pranced about with vigour after signing this sketch 🙂
‘Self Portrait of a Parrot’ [2010] by Matt The Unfathomable Artist, Pastel underpainting of an Oil on canvas, 20 ins x 16 ins.
Here is my ‘Self Portrait of a Parrot’ oil on canvas overpainting:
‘Self Portrait of a Parrot’ [2010] by Matt The Unfathomable Artist, Oil over Pastel artwork on canvas, 20 ins x 16 ins.
Detailed view [1] of ‘Self Portrait of a Parrot’ [2010] by Matt The Unfathomable Artist, Oil over Pastel artwork on canvas, 20 ins x 16 ins.
Depth of field view of the eye in ‘Self Portrait of a Parrot’ [2010] by Matt The Unfathomable Artist, Oil over Pastel artwork on canvas, 20 ins x 16 ins.
Having purchased new canvases in 2012, I wanted to produce what I regard as professionally crafted oil paintings. My oil painting ‘Creative Mind’ [2012] is the first of my professional artworks.
‘Two Swan’s Together’ [completed November 2013] by Matt The Unfathomable Artist, Oil on canvas, 36 inches x 28 inches.
Number 36, Scenes from the Life of Christ: Number 20, Lamentation – The Mourning of Christ
[c1304 – 1306] by Giotto di Bondone, fresco at the Scrovegni Chapel – Padua, Italy, (H) 200cm x 
185cm
Today I found one of the inspirations for Vincent Van Gogh.
“In his own time, people wrote of Giotto ‘first he put “goodness” into the expression of human heads’.” – words by Van Gogh quoting Vasari, from the book by Jules Michelet ‘L’amour’, [produced 1859] page 381.
‘Wintry Sparrows‘ [latter half of the 11th century] by Cui Bai, Ink and colours on Silk, 23.5 cm (9.2 in) height x 101.4 cm (39.9 in) width, displayed at The Palace Museum, Beijing, China.
For instance…
– *Hello, my name is Kuǐlěi Móxiàng*
Please familiarize yourself with this Wikipedia link about superlative 11th Century Chinese painter Cui Bai [link here].
Also excitedly view the extraordinary mechanical genius of Japan’s 19th Century engineer and inventor Hisashige Tanaka:
[Video published by The Asahi Shimbun Digital, Japan – 
]
Further detail about Tanaka’s ingeniously made creations can be activated by clicking this link regarding The Myriad Year Clock [here]. I will feature The Myriad Year Clock again later whilst reading this article.
On the morning of 6th September 2018, after I walked upstairs into a first-floor bedroom, why look, several sparrows were sunbathing on my window ledge. Brown wings fanned outwards, squat like Sumo’s upon the Earthling-moulded platform supporting their well-fed bodies.
Perceiving my close proximity through the ledge window, they all took flight with one accord.
In the past I’ve watched sparrows completely ignore my Labrador dog in the garden, both oblivious of interest toward each other. I’ve watched greedy Wood pigeons fly directly over ground feeding sparrows, a matter of mere inches to hoover up the available food. Again, oblivious to each other.
They perceive, understand. My mind fathoms such things all the time, each day.
Did I ever tell you, *I love Art* <= electronic statement without question.
My opening introduction is to applaud imaginative human concepts of art and physical craft dating back aeons ago.
Those Cui Bai – ‘Wintry Sparrows’ could have easily been perched upon my window ledge; and despite a thousand years of time his sparrows would look no different to the aptly named House sparrows I joyously visaged that same said morning.
*raises eyebrows open mouthed in sheer euphoric delight* <= my face when I saw those amusingly adventurous sparrows.
*Erm*, chewing non-descriptively on a carrot, *you are still playing the Robot voice game, right?*
Cui Bai’s sparrows are typically busy, playful little birds. Scouting food. Encouraging congregation as if resplendent branches are offices, homes or la-la-larders.
*silly cat, silly cat why can’t you find us?* – they tweet melodically, Robotically, in our fun game.
As friends.
We can think of sparrows like ‘antiquitous’ carriages in construction, for there are many kinds. Wood being one of their most favoured sitting positions, mostly in the high places.
The individual species of sparrows are listed immediately below, with modern Chinese sparrow species highlighted in bold.
You can quickly ISBN scan *bloop.. bloop..* over these species to continue reading my article happily thereafter:
Cinnamon ibon, Hypocryptadius cinnamomeus; Passer, the true sparrows; Saxaul sparrow Passer ammodendri; House sparrow Passer domesticus; Italian sparrow Passer italiae; Spanish sparrow Passer hispaniolensis; Sind sparrow Passer pyrrhonotus; Somali sparrow Passer castanopterus; Russet sparrow Passer rutilans; Plain-backed sparrow, Passer flaveolus; Dead Sea sparrow, Passer moabiticus; Iago sparrow, Passer iagoensis; Great sparrow, Passer motitensis; Kenya sparrow, Passer rufocinctus; Kordofan sparrow, Passer cordofanicus; Shelley’s sparrow, Passer shelleyi; Socotra sparrow, Passer insularis; Abd al-Kuri sparrow, Passer hemileucus; Cape sparrow, Passer melanurus; Northern grey-headed sparrow, Passer griseus; Swainson’s sparrow, Passer swainsonii; Parrot-billed sparrow, Passer gongonensis; Swahili sparrow, Passer suahelicus; Southern grey-headed sparrow, Passer diffusus; Desert sparrow, Passer simplex; Zarudny’s sparrow, Passer zarudnyi; Eurasian tree sparrow, Passer montanus; Sudan golden sparrow, Passer luteus; Arabian golden sparrow, Passer euchlorus; Chestnut sparrow, Passer eminibey; Pale rockfinch, Carpospiza brachydactyla; Rock sparrow, Petronia petronia; Yellow-throated petronia, Gymnoris superciliaris; Bush petronia, Gymnoris dentata; Yellow-spotted petronia, Gymnoris pyrgita; Yellow-throated sparrow, Gymnoris xanthocollis; White-winged snowfinch, Montifringilla nivalis; Tibetan snowfinch, Montifringilla henrici; Black-winged snowfinch, Montifringilla adamsi; White-rumped snowfinch, Montifringilla taczanowskii; Père David’s snowfinch, Montifringilla davidiana; Rufous-necked snowfinch, Montifringilla ruficollis; Blanford’s snowfinch, Montifringilla blanfordi; Afghan snowfinch, Montifringilla theresae.
… Be Cause new animated creatures have arrived…
… a Magpie and a Hare, painting pictured below:
‘Magpies and Hare‘ [circa 1061] by Cui Bai, Ink and colours on Silk, 193.7 cm (76.2 in) height x 103.4 cm (40.7 in) width. Currently at National Palace Museum, Taipei.
Actually, Cui Bo almost sounds like Kubo and the Two Strings [link here].
Goodness, everything is alive in Cui Bai’s artworks. True animated mastery. It looks as though we could roll down the hillside like children. The oriental breeze meets delicate leaves. The Magpies appear to be at odds with the hare, squawking their disapproval at Hare’s presence.
Hare is bemused by their intolerance, *I just want to eat my greens, Magpies, for my belly is yet full.*
The branch work sinuously interesting. The furrows provide depth. Right-sided shadows, particularly on Hare, turn 2D imagery into three dimensional painted realities. Sporadic grasses likely hint at Hare’s immutable softness. Positional height and strength of the dominant tree shrub explains the harsh vantage point of the Magpies.
It could also be said the Magpies are defending their nearby home with vigour.
Either way, Hare isn’t harming anyone.
Hare, Tortoise, Turtle, Giant Panda, Sparrow, Crane or Gibbon.
The magnificent one, two, three, four, five, six, seven.
I’d like to conclude this article for you with a very special arrow, “The Arrows That Entertain Us“:
[Video clip courtesy of NHK Japan, about modern Japanese watchmaker Masahiro Kikuno].
α-Al2O3 💎
‘Cruce del en pasarela sobre el rio Mayer’, Santa Cruz, Patagonia.
From the website of Eliseo Miciu [Eliseo’s Website] we read that Eliseo who was born in Uruguay ‘grew up in the hills of Cordoba between the paint brushes of his grandfather, Konstantino, and the palette knives of his father, Georg.’
Eliseo himself is a master Fine Art Photographer – one of the very best I’ve seen.
When I personally look at photographs my analytical thinking is brought to the fore. Immediately I begin to define compositional structure, artistic level, technical merit, method, subject material and inherent meaning.
It’s fair to write that Eliseo Miciu is the Monet of modern photography. Please take a super-quick-for-now preview of Eliseo’s Instagram page.
Next, please see, in Spanish ‘Cruce del en pasarela sobre el rio Mayer’ translated as ‘Crossing the walkway on the river Mayer’ in English, shown above.
In this superb photograph Eliseo draws upon his vast technical abilities. We’re talking about a seriously skilled photographer within this article. Capable of effortlessly photographing dignitaries and Royals.
And YOU, yes YOU too.
Eliseo would find the you within you.
Like the Bowerbird and a Well by activating depth.. of.. field. Yes, Bowerbirds actually use forced perspective to showcase their art. We can understand this better by reading the article National Geographic – Bowerbirds using forced perspective by Ed Yong.
When the bucket of a water well descends the earthen depths, the object becomes smaller, less comprehensible to us. Angles, Perspective and Light.
Perhaps read The La Thangue Angle to learn more about how artists might choose to construct their works.
‘lenga aguntando el viento en paine con cielo nuboso’
‘lenga aguntando el viento en paine con cielo nuboso’ translates as the ‘Lenga Beech Endures The Wind In Pain with The Cloudy Sky‘ in English – please see the windswept tree photo, above.
n.b. The Latin name of the Lenga Beech is Nothofagus pumilio.
Phonetical thinking from the Latin almost seems to transform the tree into a large mountainous cat roaring against the sky.
Defiant and Proud.
Or perhaps this represents the Southern hemisphere meteorologically warring against the destructive elements cast upon it? What does this photo make you personally feel?
For all its pain ‘there is light approaching, for the dawn settles many a dispute with the night’.
‘Don Anacleto of the El Chacay ranch in Lago Posadas’, province of Santa Cruz, Patagonia, Argentina.
In ‘Don Anacleto of the El Chacay Ranch‘ shown immediately above we see an elderly man, his mouth obscured by his moustache, eyes speaking to us of hope.
Do we see in photographs what we wish to see?
For that matter do we believe what we want to believe, excluding certain facts to suit our preconceived ideas or to avoid inconvenience?
If you think about this photograph perhaps it’s saying to us that this elderly man’s work is done. His hard work, all his secular efforts to the fruition. Clearly he has lived a long life, and yet his viewpoint still sparkles beyond the artificial light glinting upon his eyes.
Don Anacleto is tough, weather hardened. His aged furrows reflect the means of his outdoor job.
A macro style lens has likely been utilized in the Don Anacleto shot. You can bring shutter speeds down to 1/125, 1/60 or below for portraiture. If you’re learning the craft of photography a mix of natural aptitude along with imagining the shot you want is best.
Focus your mind, first.
Eliseo has decades of photographic experience, his work has been exhibited over 30 times in Argentina, Uruguay, USA and France. Student Apprenticeships are not easy to attain, however, if you can work with a master photographer like Eliseo you would learn at a commensurate rate.
Practical and Theory all in one.
‘Manadas salvajes en las mesetas Cercanas a Bajo Caracoles’ del libro Tierra del Viento, serie Ariscos.
The photograph above in English translates as ‘Wild horses in the plateaus Near Bajo Caracoles‘ from the book Tierra del Viento, series Ariscos.
Horses are immensely spirited animals. Experienced horses can know your feet are not placed in the stirrups, rearing up to warn you of the impending danger. Most all horses will test you, see if you’re worthy. They will ignore you if you’re not or draw near to you if you are.
For the Battle and Order they have thrown themselves into the fray.
Eager. Faithful.
The photograph above called ‘Wild horses in the plateaus Near Bajo Caracoles‘ offers a new perspective, angles. Natural light richly cascades the horses’ flanks. Grey, black and white horses all together.
Horses as one in unity. Curious.
Eliseo has expertly photographed scores of people, fauna and wildlife including work for the world renowned National Geographic. His tree, mountain, sea, river and landscapes abound with beauty. Eliseo’s style is a mixture of monochrome, colour and black and white.
With his artistic heritage of family painters Eliseo is all about the Art. I’d already chosen to include Eliseo on my blog even before I had read about his artistic background. The Art was leaping out, almost demanding of itself to be seen. Eliseo is quiet-natured, strong and creatively astute. Economical with his time. Professional.
His website displays a self portrait in very brief time lapse.. his eyes blinking like the shutters of a camera.
What this speaks is that Eliseo is playing with you. Inviting you into his artistic world.
For you to think, mull and digest his Art like fine food that is good for you.
Truthfully it’s no exaggeration to call Eliseo Miciu the Monet of modern photography. Monet became so exceptionally skilled with paint brush and canvas that everything he produced is Art.
The skill, creativity and indomitable effort required to produce a Masterpiece is a combination of experiences.
A stream of thoughts.
Everything we see is a Masterpiece.
The Unfathomable Artist 