Eros

Have been working very steady in the studio the last few days. Yesterday I think I managed to finish all my big pieces, including the Gypsy, for the upcoming group show entitled Eros. This theme has given me lots to think about and new subject matter to work with, it has also brought me closer to my intent of integrating the figure with the landscape. I really like the challenge of working with a theme that forces me into new territories. Eros is about sexual love but also about the life force and creativity, as well as sensuality. The love story of Psyche and Eros is filled with mythical archetypes that are rich with meaning and metaphor. Eros has provided a wealth of material to work with, from poetry to myths for creating marvelous images.
The myth of Persephone has returned throughout my life, the cyclical descent into the dark underworld only to return to the earth's surface after being ravished by Hades and eating pomegranates holds particular poignance for me. The poet, Louise Gluck
writes several poems from different perspectives pertaining to the Persephone myth that I have been reading over and over as I paint in my studio. That is why I think I will call the Gypsy Queen painting "The Return of Persephone" or "Release and Return of Persephone" any comments or suggestions re the title?