Man Behind the Masquerade

So hi.

Um...it's been a while.  Like...a month and a half or so while.  And I'm quite sorry.  I could say that I got caught up in working on my garden, which would excuse me for the last few weeks, but honestly I just got caught up in coming home and perching on the sofa, curled in a comfortable ball and surfing Pinterest and the internet on my iPad (which is quite a challenge to write blog posts on).  

I've been writing down ideas for blog posts though, and I know the easiest way to get myself back into the game is just to jump right in and post a new blog. 

So here it is! 

There's this artist...his name is Kit Williams.  Perhaps you know his name already, perhaps you don't.  But you've probably heard of the little book he illustrated in the 70s called Masquerade.  The entire thing was a riddle, with a breathtaking treasure buried in a secret location only unlocked by following the clues in the artworks. 

There's much more to the story of Masquerade, which brings me to the topic of the outstanding documentary, The Man Behind the Masquerade, from BBC.  The documentary tells the story of what happened to the buried treasure Kit created, and shows us what Kit is doing these days.

Come to find out, he lives in a VERY Domythic house, making VERY Domythic artworks that utilize their frames, shapes and symbols, and secret stories.  He lives simply and quietly, with a core group of collectors who know where to find him.  I finished the documentary with a sense that here is a man who truly lives a life of magical creation.

The documentary used to be on YouTube, and if you know of a way to see it, please let me know!  I took these caps based on a few random parts of it that are still on YouTube.


Kit at work on a painting.

I love his shelves and shelves of books and relics and mysterious objects.

A collector discusses one of his works.  He creates the phenomenal frames for his art as well, and makes them a part of the piece.  This is a gorgeous example.

Love the Escher quality of this photo

More shots of his workspace.  So many warm glowing honey colors and wood tones....

Another example of how he plays with the borders of his pieces.

This image was what sent me in search of the documentary again to share it with you.  This is Kit's front door..  Oh yes.

More intriguing objects.

Love how it looks like he has wings in this shot.

Imagine having his art on your walls.  Instant enchantment.

Costumes and wings for model reference.

Or how about a whole bunch of his artworks?

Once again playing with the borders of his art.

His beautiful door and courtyard.

I know, Kit,  if I lived here I'd never leave either...

N

What a charming and subtle sign!