My Portfolio

Sunday, August 15, 2010

"Delirius Night" The painting of the Delirium Nocturnum bottle

http://www.etsy.com/listing/64916046/surreal-oil-painting-night-sky-beer


This piece is the third and most recent of the beer bottle still life series. Everything about this bottle made me think surreal. Since oils are painted from the background forward, that is how I will describe this one.  I had to paint a night sky, a very surreal night sky. I used crazy colors in the clouds, and clear starry sky peaking through. The moon seemed like a necessary addition, but I did not want to go with the cliché full or crescent moon. I chose the half moon. Since this is a fancy Belgium beer, I chose the setting of a fine dining table with a black tablecloth. Why it is hovering in the sky, well you can come to your own conclusion there. While I was setting up the subject, I noticed that my palette would be a cool addition to the still life, so I laid the bottle down on the palette and set the glass next to it. I wanted to give the impression that the beer had been drunk. I decided that it would be neat if the beer and glass were somewhat part of the palette, smeared with the paint. The background is a smooth painting, blended with brushes with no texture. As you get to the foreground the more texture, you encounter. The more I painted, the more I used the palette on the painting as the mixing board. I truly enjoyed painting this and I hope you have enjoyed looking at it and learning about it's creation.
Delirium Nocturnum; Some info about the beer.
The bottle is very well liked among collectors. It is a normal brown glass bottle, but ceramic coated in a gray speckled color. The label includes a pink elephant set on yellow and blue psychedelic background with the big signature ‘Delirium’ pink elephant in the middle, and is lined at the top with golden doves. The bottle has a blue foil that seals the top of the bottle and provides confidence in the quality of the product. The cap is not twist off.
Delirium Nocturnum is sold in 750ml bottles that are sealed with a cork and cage setup, (like a champagne bottle), in four packs of 11.2 fl. oz bottles, or can be bought by the keg.
Delirium Nocturnum is an 8.5% ABV, dark Belgian Strong Ale. It is a triple-fermented dark ale using three different yeast strains and five different malts. Delirium Nocturnum pours a rich brown/ruby color, with a thick tan head that leaves a slight lace on the glass. It is mostly clear and has some carbonation.
The hops in Delirium Nocturnum become more present as the beer warms to room temperature while the alcohol smell becomes present as well. While drinking, the ‘mouth feel’ has a full, rich feel with little carbonation, but runs smoothly, with a soft, medium-bodied feel.
The taste is complex. It has a bouquet of aromatic sweetness with apple, berry, and honey maltiness and a hint of sourness (the smell can be a little similar to a brown ale). The flavor immediately bursts with raisins, bittersweet chocolate and aniseed. Halfway through tasting, one can detect plum and raspberry with an underlying yeastiness. The finish is long, with a fruity, plumy aftertaste with some spiciness.
Beer information from wikipedia.

No comments:

Post a Comment