"The Last Supper" by Ralph Cabrera
History on the Last Supper
Ralph Cabrera felt inspired to begin working on "The Last Supper" in 1996 on Good Friday. The original size was 30 X 15. From this point, the only day which Ralph would dedicate to "The Last Supper" was Good Friday. He felt that through meditation, prayer, and sacrifice; he would feel inspired to complete this work of art. As Ralph mastered the textures, background, and special effects through computer generated graphics, "The Last Supper" took it's form. The final rendition was completed in 2009, thirteen years after it's initiation.
Upon asking Ralph about his artwork, he mentioned:
"Composition-wise, I wanted Jesus to stand out. Not only is he found in the middle, but he is also the only bright color. All the apostles' tones were muted. I did not want to rely on just Jesus' glow. The background involved the most work as I wanted to show the appeal of the atmosphere of a city at sunset."
This piece initiated his transition into the realm of Graphic Art through Photoshop techniques. Ralph was apprehensive at first , yet soon became acclimated with the stunning results of his ability to achieve texture and so much more. He practiced Shading and composition as his major strides in this peace.
Do you think this transition was met with ease? Not really, but we did laugh quite a bit. For instance, one evening, as he finished the transition from full original to digital conversion, he spent the entire Good Friday working on the texture of the table cloth, shading, and texture of the floor. at midnight, he calls his wife and say,"I am done for the day, What do you think?" You can imagine her face when she looked at the tablecloth and all the plates seems to be falling from the table. The she said,"Are you playing with me? The plates are falling". Ralph looked up and said,"Oh, no, I was so busy on texture...that I did not even notice. I am too tired..oh no, it has to wait for next year".
The dedicate of an artist to work on an artwork at a certain time is tasking at times. Whether this involve a deadline or a self made promise to work on this piece exclusively on Good Friday in meditation. The overall piece is stunning as it graces the halls of many a rectory or religious institution.
Bring the magic of this scene which teaches so much into your home today. The overall lesson is that we can all gather the closest of family and friends to a real and go hearty conversation and meal. . it is so significant that this is why we have thanksgiving every year. it is a day of giving thanks for we all realize we sometimes have much more than others and it is time to give back and just say,"Thanks"
Thank you for joining us in this blog and I invite you to visit the world of Ralph Cabrera at www.ralphcabrera.com
