Empty Stage

Empty Stage by Paul Compton
Empty Stage by Paul Compton

Empty Stage

Ink and blood on paper.
This is the background for a short animation I made in 2006 called Boy Drowning.

  • LostBoy

    LostBoy, 3 months ago

    beautiful!...what kind of blood?

  • ENaLu

    ENaLu, 3 months ago

    up the garden path…....

  • Paul Compton

    Paul Compton in reply to LostBoy’s comment, 3 months ago

    Thank you LostBoy. My blood – no, I don’t cut myself, I was just making use of a good nosebleed : )

  • Paul Compton

    Paul Compton in reply to ENaLu’s comment, 3 months ago

    Indeed. I love stage sets and Victorian photographs so I tried to mix the two styles together. Thank you so much for the support ENaLu.

  • pinkyjain

    pinkyjain, 3 months ago

    So beautiful, & so strangely inviting, reminds me of The Secret Garden, love the brish strokes, & the border, such a lovely vintage look. Hee hee love the ink & blood. Can we see the animation? Sounds wonderful

  • ENaLu

    ENaLu, 3 months ago

    easy love!

    I enjoy your story making ways
    how your images take you into a world
    that you create

    thanks for the invite

    makes me think what kind of characters would live here?

  • Paul Compton

    Paul Compton in reply to pinkyjain’s comment, 3 months ago

    The Secret Garden – a truly magical book. I would like to put up my animation on the web but I don’t know how. I might get a friend to help me one day. Thank you endlessly as always pinkyjain. xo

  • Mui-Ling Teh

    Mui-Ling Teh, 3 months ago

    Was afraid for a moment that “Boy Drowning” was based on true story, and the blood belonged to killed boy; thankfully not (not that I’m happy that YOU got a nosebleed).

    But I wonder if the title is meant to be literal, or metaphrical; like a boy drowning in his imagination or his dreams. The framing creates an interesting dimension; it really seems like you can walk into it and then once again walk into that mounted picture of the path. I really like how you’ve drawn the ground creating that sense of depth, and how the path creates an extended depth.

  • Paul Compton

    Paul Compton in reply to Mui-Ling Teh’s comment, 3 months ago

    Thank you so much Mui-Ling. As to the title being either literal or metaphorical….that’s up to the viewer I guess. Thank you for your support and for appreciating this : )

  • Steven Guy

    Steven Guy, 3 months ago

    Enchanting but ominously dark. Love this one !

  • Paul Compton

    Paul Compton in reply to Steven Guy’s comment, 3 months ago

    Thank you Steven! Always great to hear from you : )

  • Mohamad Khaksar

    Mohamad Khaksar, 3 months ago

    Another emphasized work from paul;
    a real talented Visual artist with many rare works and worth awards…!
    as always…..great mate!!

  • Paul Compton

    Paul Compton in reply to Mohamad Khaksar’s comment, 3 months ago

    MhDkHr…....You always make me day! I can never thank you enough for your wonderful comments. Best wishes to you always : ))))

  • Lumineux

    Lumineux, 3 months ago

    Interesting medium for someting that first struck me as rather benign. But on further inspection I have to agree with everyone else, a rather clever and skillfully constructed image that reveals much more than first meets the eye.

  • Karin  Taylor

    Karin Taylor, 3 months ago

    it’s very classique and interesting paul, i always love the use of unusual media and that surprise element draws me in and whets my curiosity….you can definitely feel that it’s going to be a dark day

  • Andy  Mercer

    Andy Mercer, 3 months ago

    Nice one Paul !

    So we are looking at an empty stage set reflected back at us through a mirror ? Shouldn’t we see ourselves in the mirror.. unless.. “shock.. horror” you/we are vampires ?

    Well thats that sorted. This picture analysis is a doddle.. ;)

  • pbworks

    pbworks, 3 months ago

    I would like to see the animation too… Your drawings are mysterious… great one !

  • butchart

    butchart, 3 months ago

    Paul… it’s like looking through the veil…. so absolutely enchanting and inviting…. the blood and inked surrounding is a metaphor for me…. what must we give to take that reflected path to our new place in destiny…........... you are gifted my friend…... thank you for this…..........b

  • Tina Hogg

    Tina Hogg, 3 months ago

    As soon as I read ‘blood and ink’, it reminded me of Gilbert & George. They branched out big time with fluids!
    Another stunning artwork from you, I love the atmosphere in this – oh, and I love the frame!

  • John Douglas

    John Douglas, 3 months ago

    fantastic pual, the blood is an extra twist to it and really makes it special, extra extra special. Beautiful work.

  • Paul Compton

    Paul Compton in reply to Andy Mercer’s comment, 3 months ago

    Ha, I really like your interpretation so I won’t taint it by adding my own to the mix. Thanks for the support Andy : )

  • Paul Compton

    Paul Compton in reply to butchart’s comment, 3 months ago

    Oh what a wonderful comment. Thank you endlessly Butch. I love how you read such meaning in this. I’ve always been attracted by stage sets. When I was younger I used to act/sing in musical theatre. I loved how the sets looked so attractive to the audience but from behind the scenes I could see that they were incredibly fake, dodgily put together and not painted on the other side. That’s the ‘magic’ of the theatre I guess. Thank you for all your wonderful words, work and spirit Butch xo

  • Paul Compton

    Paul Compton in reply to Tina Hogg’s comment, 3 months ago

    LOL! Indeed they did branch out “big time with the fluids”. I loved drawing the frame – repetition makes me feel very peaceful. Thank you so much for commenting Tambala, I appreciate the support : )

  • Paul Compton

    Paul Compton in reply to John Douglas’s comment, 3 months ago

    Thank you immensely John. I appreciate your words and heart so much. xo

  • butchart

    butchart, 3 months ago

    paul.. i can see you bright eyed and awestruck as a child…. thanks for the vision….........b

  • Firedrake

    Firedrake, 3 months ago

    Blood!! I have nosebleeds sometimes too, often wondered what I’d do if I had one while painting! Does it dry brown?

  • Paul Compton

    Paul Compton in reply to Firedrake’s comment, 3 months ago

    Yes. You can see big congealed dollops of it at the top of the image : )

  • Damian

    Damian, 3 months ago

    LOL, you really put yourself into your images :)
    Okay, no-one else had said it!
    It’s a lovely stage. I could imagine your images as wonderfully quirky animations. Boy Drowning sounds terribly tragic, but I can imagine it would be wonderful.

  • Paul Compton

    Paul Compton in reply to Damian’s comment, 3 months ago

    Thank you so much Damian. LOL! Yep, a lot of blood, sweat and tears go into my work, well, maybe not sweat…....yet…... : ))

  • Talya Chalef

    Talya Chalef, 3 months ago

    paul, this on is fabulous. woweewah.
    :-)

  • Paul Compton

    Paul Compton in reply to Talya Chalef’s comment, 3 months ago

    Hee hee, thanks a billion Talya! : )

  • jase8812

    jase8812, 3 months ago

    Awesome work

  • bchrisdesigns

    bchrisdesigns, 3 months ago

    Very cool drawing!

  • Jo O'Brien

    Jo O'Briencommunity ambassador, 3 months ago

    love the ‘frame within a frame’ and the textures in this

  • Paul Compton

    Paul Compton in reply to Jo O'Brien’s comment, 3 months ago

    Thank you so much Jo. I really appreciate the comment : )

  • Carol & Kev Haberle

    Carol & Kev Ha..., 2 months ago

    Seriously..ink and blood…I just love this image…a sense of “What’s Missing”, then you look again and realise there is nothing missing, just perfect as it is…..magical!!

  • Paul Compton

    Paul Compton in reply to Carol & Kev Haberle’s comment, 2 months ago

    You are a treasure Carol. I can’t thank you enough for your comments and encouragement. Best wishes to you : )

  • Carol & Kev Haberle

    Carol & Kev Ha..., 2 months ago

    No thanks needed Paul…it’s a pleasure viewing your artwork…..THANK YOU for sharing!!!

  • wynity2

    wynity2, 2 months ago

    Hey, Paul…’we pass this way but once…’! I feel that I have just glanced back to where I was before, but then realise that I haven’t been there and that this is where I’m going!! Love your style! And blood?? nicer medium to work with than John’s cat poo!! lol! Beth :-)

  • wynity2

    wynity2, 2 months ago

    P.S. Is the fore-ground water? As in a flood?

  • Paul Compton

    Paul Compton in reply to wynity2’s comment, 2 months ago

    Hee hee, any medium is better than cat poo! Is the foreground water? Well no but in the animation that I made the frame fills up with dark black water so in a sense you are right. Thank you so much for commenting Beth. x

  • wynity2

    wynity2, 2 months ago

    I promise I won’t look into your head again Paul! But sometimes I can’t help myself!! lol!!! :-) x

  • frozenfa

    frozenfa, 2 months ago

    was wondering what blood you used when i saw the comment that you had nosebleed. hehe.. that’s cute. sorta.. that way your blood didn’t go to waste.. XD
    love this piece.. the emptiness makes it look a lil disturbing. i like~ XD

  • Paul Compton

    Paul Compton in reply to frozenfa’s comment, 2 months ago

    Hee hee, thank you : )

  • Sylvia Karall

    Sylvia Karall, 2 months ago

    I love the theatrical feel of this work. Well, done!

  • BLYTHART

    BLYTHART, 2 months ago

    Hmmmm … so you like the Secret Garden … another one of my favourite reads. Looking through your portfolio, I realised I hadn’t commented on this picture …....... it has a nice sense of depth to it that I like. Do you have vampires in Australia? Reading the comments tells me that a lot of people (myself included) were worried about where you got the blood from :)) For my own peace of mind I shall choose to believe that you do get nose-bleeds ;) Only teasing.

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Tags:

drawing, ink, empty, stage and vignette