UNDERSTANDING ABSTRACT ART #9

Title “Artemis – Goddess of the Moon and Nature” (Acrylic) 120x90cm

ABOUT THIS PAINTING:

This painting is in the Art Collection of DLA Piper Australia (International Lawyers).

It is one of a series of paintings called In the Image of Goddesses. In this series I examine and celebrate the different qualities that are inherent in my personality structure. Everyone has these qualities to varying degrees…men and women alike…they are similar to a personality profile that psychologists use. In ancient times though, Gods and Goddesses were seen to embody these qualities.

The Goddess of the Moon and Nature in classical Greek times was Artemis. She was later called Dianna in ancient Roman times. She embodied those qualities that are associated with the Moon and Nature. Artemis is the goddess of the wilderness, the hunt, wild animals, and moon.

I showcased this series in a solo exhibition called “In the Image of Goddesses”. The paintings in this exhibition were solely of major classical deities.

Artistic techniques used in the painting:

I show here a sequence of photos of the painting as it developed.

Figure 1 is my symbol for Artemis which shows a stylized figure running with bow (goddess of the hunt). The moon which she represents is shown in the background.

Figure 2 shows her running through the forest. She is also goddess of nature. I have changed the colour of Artemis to silver which is symbolic of the moon.

In Figure 3 I have eliminated the symbolic image of Artemis but have retained what she stands for, which is the forest and nature.

In the finished painting, I have used elimination to abstract the image of the forest and capture the essence of what Artemis stands.

The orientation of many of my painting can be optional. This is because I have kept the painting balanced throughout the art making process. This is seen here where I have favored the vertical as at the finish. I feel subjectively that the goddess Artemis stands tall and is represented best in the vertical.

The cool colours represent the forest and the moon. She also represent the cooler aspects of womans’ nature… being a virgin goddess.