Sunday, December 23, 2012

Mother Earth


One of the galleries I am working with to display some of my paintings liked my 'people' paintings, but wasn't interested in religious art, so I decided to use some of my pencil drawings as the basis for a new series. I like the idea of 'Mother Earth.' As a mother myself, I know what sweetness it is to bring a new life into the world, and love all the aspects of creating. I believe that Mother Earth symbolizes all these maternal instincts and abilities.

I started with a plum-color underpainting, and sketched the body and plants on with a white pencil (see foreground). I have enjoyed creating all of the elements of this painting, and look forward to seeing it all finished. However, as I began working on the figure, she started having a life of her own, and when I finished, she didn't look as much like Mother Earth as I had first envisioned. In fact, she looks more like Mother Earth's daughter.

That thought triggered another--the story of Persephone and Ceres (or Demeter, as she is sometimes known). Ceres, the mother (and Mother Earth figure), was the wife of Zeus. Persephone was his daughter, but was abducted by the underworld god, Hades (Pluto), for his wife. Ceres walked the earth mourning for her daughter and refused to attend to the growing things on earth. Without her care, they turned brown and died. Ceres was finally able to get her daughter back, but not before Persephone had eaten pomegranate seeds. As a result, Persephone had to go back to live in the underworld for several months each year--during which time, Ceres let everything die again, and established Fall and Winter forever. That's a romantic little tale, isn't it?

So, here is my version of Mother Earth's Daughter. I have plans to work on Mother Earth next. Maybe Mother Moon after that.....


I have never eaten a pomegranate without thinking about this story.....