"The Monster's Bath", My Nibblefest Contest Entry for Oct's 'MONSTERS Theme

~"The Monster's Bath"~

An 8x10 painted tribute to Mary Shelley, and her enduring literary masterpiece, "Frankenstein"

It's the week of the Nibblefest Art Contest.
As always, the contest began on October 20th, with the theme this month being 'MONSTERS'.


(Click for Auction Link)

"The Monster's Bath"....

I had oodles of fun working with this month's theme.  Reflecting upon the subject of "MONSTERS", naturally, that classic creature from the Boris Karloff 1931 "Frankenstein" movie was one of the first things to come into my mind.  As such an iconic image, plastered hither and yon (especially this time of year) and fully entrenched in popular culture, I'm sure this would probably be true for most anyone.  But of course, the actual story of 'Frankenstein' is way, waaaay older than that old vintage film -- written as it was in the early 19th century, by a brilliant and complex woman who lead a truly fascinating but highly complicated life.  I recall reading the book, "Frankenstein", back in high school, and knew I wanted to incorporate its author, Mary Shelley, into my entry's composition, along with the classic "Frankenstein's Monster" creature, as we all know it.  Yet I was stymied on exactly how to combine the two...., until yet another 'Mary' came to mind. A certain Mary Cassatt, that is.....

Mary Cassatt's beautiful painting, "The Child's Bath'

So yeah, we're getting pretty tongue-in-cheekishness here...but I promise you it was a real hoot painting my entry this month.....




The following is my auction description:



"The Monster's Bath"*
(*with apologies to Mary Cassatt...!)


My entry for this month's Nibblefest Art Contest (NFAC),  the theme for October being 'Monsters', features a portrait painted in loving tribute to author, Mary Shelley, her classic 1818 tome, "Frankenstein", the iconic movie character from the vintage 1931 filk of the same name, plus a certain famous work of art ('The Child's Bath") by yet another Mary, the impressionist, Mary Cassat.  Painted in acrylics on a recycled 8x10 wood plaque, this original painting is signed and ready to hang....:


----

What "monster" could be more inconic than the grotesquely, hulking figure played by Boris Karloff in the classic 1931 horror film...?  Universally recognizable, its moniker has become synonymous with the title, "Frankenstein" -- though in the film, and the book upon which it was loosely based, it's actually the name of the Creature's creator, Dr. Frankenstein.  But who was the REAL creator behind it all? -- the whole creepy concept, published first in 1818, and considered one of the earliest works of Science Fiction.... 

Author Mary Shelley lead a highly fascinating and unconventional life.  Brilliant and educated and marching to the beat of her own drummer, her life was not without its share of pain, illness, trauma and loss.  Losing her mother shortly after her birth, then facing the early deaths of three of her four children -- the first, an infant who survived only weeks in the year or so before her book's publication, it's thought there might have been a certain amount of mother/baby loss and longing in her idea of returning life to the dead.  I chose to portray Mary Shelley as the mother that she was, to children, both real and 'literary'.....

Painted upon a thin, second-hand wood plaque that originally had some ugly poster on it, which I rescued from certain landfill doom after a charity sale and gave "new life" to -- hmmm, rather appropriate use given the nature of the subject matter here, no...?

To see all of this month's Nibblefest Art entries (including mine!) click HERE....


**UPDATE...!!!!**

"The Monster's Bath" wins First Place October's Nibblefest Art Contest...!  Thanks to all my bidders, commenters and Likers -- your support is much appreciated....!

"The Monster's Bath" wins First Place!