Georgian Artist Adds New Life to Antique Religious Engravings

    ATLANTA, GA, March 29, 2017 /24-7PressRelease/ -- The engraved image is striking. The fallen angel, Lucifer crawls out of a boiling cauldron of a lake while Michael the Archangel closes in, spear in hand, through pillars of steamy mist in pursuit. The intense image described was originally created in the 19th century by Gustave Dore for the book Paradise Lost. And now, the black and white engraved lines have been brought to exciting new life with intense watercolors.

Kevin Pawlowski, an artist working out of Woodstock, GA (30 miles North of Atlanta), painstakingly applies watercolor paint to the etchings of Gustave Dore. These paintings can be viewed at www.paradisefoundstudio.com, and high quality, limited edition prints can be purchased.

The process starts as Pawlowski carefully removes a page from the book and tapes it to a board to prevent wrinkling as the paper absorbs water. He then studies the image and, when necessary, researches reference material to guide his color choices. The goal is to interpret the original artist's intention - what he was trying to get across in the limited medium at his disposal.

Paul Gustave Dore (1832-1883) was a French artist and printmaker whose work is famous for its lavish detail, even in the darkest shadows. Look closely, and you'll see almost hidden images of battling angels and demons, churning waters, or verdant vegetation. The addition of Pawlowski's watercolors brings out those details in dramatic fashion. From sunsets to angel fire, the etchings are brought to vivid life. Paint is applied in thin layers over the printed engraving, trying to avoid obscuring the black etched lines. Dozens of layers of paint are applied after previous layers have dried. This is done to enrich the colors in some places, and deepen in others.

When a painting is complete, it is scanned and digitally enhanced. Using Photoshop, Pawlowski separates the black etching so he can increase the contrast of the lines without affecting the watercolor painting. Then the color layer is adjusted to enhance the impact of the overall image.

Images from Paradise Lost include Archangel Michael leading legions of angels to battle Lucifer's hordes of fallen angels, demons, and even giant serpents. Also featured are Adam and Eve stalked by Satan in the form of a serpent, and Noah building his enormous ark as storm clouds boil and churn in the background.

Pawlowski has since purchased a collection of Gustave Dore's biblical engravings, which includes a tender and beautiful image of Jesus surrounded by children. It also features dramatic depictions of Jesus walking on stormy seas, and at the moment of His death on the cross, with winds howling and the Earth shaking.

"It started when I rescued a tattered antique 1890s edition of the epic poem Paradise Lost from an Amarillo, TX antique store. After testing on a text page, I found the antique paper accepted the paints well. The first time I touched brush to the page, it was like swinging on a trapeze without a net. I was scared of messing up the beautiful antique etching," Pawlowski explains. "What I found was the color brought out detail you don't even notice in back-and-white. This process is such a joy for me because each image I paint feels like a devotional to God. It's like praying with paint."

Pawlowski completes one or two paintings every month, and posts them quickly on www.paradisefoundstudio.com. He also posts regularly on Facebook and has several videos covering his work and painting process on YouTube (both under paradisefoundstudio). Every painting is available for sale as either a limited edition Giclee print (high quality printing process on watercolor paper) or on stretched canvas.

# # #