Behind the Brush
Welcome to Yours in Myth and Magic!
Have you ever imagined anything so intensely that it became real? Art is a form of magic. By combining desire with skill, a flight of fancy becomes a physical reality with a life and power all its own.
Whether you're an art enthusiast or fellow dreamer, please enjoy this debut of ongoing information and dialogue. I am pleased to share the inspirations, symbolism and techniques of my paintings, past, present and future. Whatever is happening at the Iris Studio, an unveiling, exhibit, new gift item or contest, you'll see it here first. With layouts for paintings multiplying on my drawing board, there's beauty and fascination in our future!
May I begin with a series about the paintings I enjoy most?
In honour of abundant beginnings, Aphrodite is the Alpha of our adventure. She is the first Goddess I ever painted...
Aphrodite - The Myth
Aphrodite is the Greek goddess of love in all its aspects, of beauty, pleasure and fertility. Her identification with the planet Venus, the morning star, suggests a cultural connection to the eastern goddess Ishtar. From aphros, or sea foam, Aphrodite rose from the sea, borne on ocean breezes to the Cyprian shore. Zeus married her to Hephaestus, god of the forge, but what coerced bond could restrict this feminine force of nature? Aphrodite's liasons with gods and mortals are legendary. Her children, both human and divine, enrich the cannon of mythology.
The effect of Aphrodite's sway is as mysterious and complex as her personality. She is devoted and unfaithful, maternal and vengeful, a bestower of blessings and a creatix of strife. Above all, she is a transformative power, as anyone who has been enveloped by her golden light will attest.
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