As Valentine’s Day is fast approaching, we took a look at the history of Valentine’s Day which began in Rome when the Emperor, Claudius 2nd or “Claudius the Cruel” believed that wives and children were too much of a distraction and that they made men weak and he wanted the strongest force possible. So he made all marriages and engagements in Rome illegal. St. Valentine was a priest in Rome in the year 269 and continued to perform marriages for lovers in secret. His actions were eventually discovered and he was sentenced to death. While in prison it is believed that he fell in love with the jailer’s daughter. Before his death he wrote her a letter which he signed: “From Your Valentine.” In 496 Pope Gelasius marked February 14th to honor St. Valentine.
Other Valentine histories are derived from both the Greek and the Roman traditions. In ancient Greek mythology Cupid and his magical arrows were believed to make those he shot fall in love and the Roman festival Lupercalia was celebrated on February 15th which honoured Queen Juno, the goddess of women and Marriage. Chocolate may be a popular Valentine treat given that some doctors in the 1880’s prescribed chocolate to patients to help soothe their broken hearts.
This week, students were excited to learn how to draw a rose and create this colourful piece for someone special. Inspired by Tom Fedro, a Pop Artist who was born in 1969. He lives and works in Arlington Hts., Illinois, just outside of Chicago. Since he was a young boy, drawing and painting were always his hobbies. He would copy illustrations in the Sunday paper – particularly Beetle Bailey. He plays over 12 instruments, including many of the wind instruments, piano, guitar and drums. He attended Valparaiso University on a music scholarship. In his freshman year, Tom painted a piece of Patrick Nagel on the back of a denim jacket which became immensely popular among his friends on campus and lead him to sell them at a local boutique. He decided to attended The Illinois Institute of Art and started painting murals and displaying his artwork throughout restaurants. After a while, he also started selling on eBay and rapidly, he was shipping 300 originals a year.
Tom creates paintings on canvas using mostly acrylic paints. He also makes fiberboard sculptures. Inspired by the famous artist Roy Lichtenstein, Fedro’s work is brightly colored, energetic and diverse. It includes modern abstracts, cityscapes, landscapes, hearts, buildings and instruments. His creative and playful style incorporate pop art and a touch of whimsy.
Students used bright colours, bold features and bold lines in their own Valentine pieces in the style of Tom Fedro.
Happy Valentine’s Day Everyone!