The arms are quite an exceptional design. Stunning really.
I love to see such a bold, imaginative design, though I agree with your father-in-law about the decoration.
Doesn’t the or/argent combination violate the tincture rule, though? If not in theory, then at least in practical purpose? Why not a heart gules? That would carry the gules in the crest into the shield, making the design more unified.
David Pope;83481 wrote:
Doesn’t the or/argent combination violate the tincture rule, though? If not in theory, then at least in practical purpose? Why not a heart gules? That would carry the gules in the crest into the shield, making the design more unified.
I don’t think this is tincture rule violation because heart and irradiation are on same layer?
Jeffrey Boyd Garrison;83484 wrote:
I don’t think this is tincture rule violation because heart and irradiation are on same layer?
Right, perhaps it’s not a technical violation of the tincture rule, but the underlying reason for the tincture rule is that white and yellow, when placed side-by side, on top of the other, etc., don’t provide enough contrast to be easily recognizable.
In the same way, one can avoid a technical violation of the tincture rule by putting a "Black Bear proper" on a green shield instead of a "bear sable" on a green shield. The effect is the same, though. Black on green doesn’t show up well because of the lack of contrast.
Technically this may (or may not) violate the tincture rule; but sometimes—rarely of course—you gotta go with what knocks your socks off and live with the technical violation.
The only drawback is having to do the "yes, but…" to every less-artistic newbie or wannabee with a keyboard!
We are all familiar with the phrase you gotta know the rules before you can break the rules; but usually it comes up as an admonition on the front end and rarely do we see the result on the back. This is a wonderful example of how Joe’s having completely internalized the rules has allowed him to break them in as elegant a manner possible.
Kenneth Mansfield;83534 wrote:
We are all familiar with the phrase you gotta know the rules before you can break the rules; but usually it comes up as an admonition on the front end and rarely do we see the result on the back. This is a wonderful example of how Joe’s having completely internalized the rules has allowed him to break them in as elegant a manner possible.
There is no doubt that these arms are striking and well done. The only flaw (I hesitate to use that word) that I can see is one of distance. On the field of battle, the Argent heart would fairly well melt into the Or radiation. I expect that’s not really a concern at all.
At possibly 200 yards effective range of my (imaginary) welsh longbow, I spot the irradiated heart. At this distance of examination, the exact transition from Argent to Or is unclear, but in the mercurial dance of prancing steeds supporting ornamented tin cans exchanging blows, I can easily see the glint of a burning white center in the prickly hedge of golden rays and the shape of a heart unquestionably deduced from the lack of any other clear shape. I have found my target!
Unfortunately just as I draw back my trusty bowstring, bending the full length of my yew hewn instrument of death to it’s maximum tension, the Baron Munchausen falls out of the sky and lands on me, snapping my bow in half.
<Baron Munchausen>: "and that my fine friends is how I saved the day at the battle of… blah blah blabbity blah…"
The artist can easily outline the heart in black without doing violence to the blazon or the design—that’s a part of what "artistic license" is for…
Apologies for not responding on this—I’ve been on travel the last few days.
I struggled over the issue of whether this design was a tincture violation (I don’t think the tincture rule should be ignored lightly) and finally decided it wasn’t, for the reason that irradiating a charge would become impossible if the rays were treated as subject to the tincture rule. For example, if we were to have "Argent a roundel Gules irradiated Or," the gold rays on the silver field would be considered a violation. Conversely, if it were "Azure a roundel Gules irradiated Or," the roundel and the field would be color on color—particularly since the artist is at considerable liberty on how to emblazon the rays.
Ultimately it was an esthetic choice; I didn’t like the way the black, gold, and red looked together. (Black and gold were essential—the family’s from Pittsburgh.)
Today is my father-in-law’s 94th birthday and I just finished this painting of the arms discussed above:
http://mysite.verizon.net/vzeohzt4/Hricik-painting468.jpg
Now to get it matted and in the mail!
Very nice, Joe - and happy birthday to your father-in-law!
...and when can we see your marital impalement? (or at least the two shields accollee) - should be most attractive!
Well done, Joe!