Painting Seasonal Goddesses
I did it!! I finished my painting on time to be framed for the group exhibition I was part of this month (see here for those who missed it). Not only that, but it’s the second ‘big’ painting I’ve done this year, after months of just experimenting with various media in my sketchbook.
Following all that exploration I thought maybe my next big piece would be in mixed media, but as it was part of my Friendship series, I wanted to carry on with gouache. And frankly, I was a bit afraid of trying something ‘serious’ with a mix of techniques. I think I still need to practice / have fun with it all first.
Do you want to see the finished piece?
Here it is in any case:
In line with the two previous paintings being named after ancient Greek deities, I titled this one The Horai. It can also be spelt Horae and a few other different ways, but I chose the spelling that was easiest to pronounce in English. The Horai are the three Greek goddesses of the seasons: spring, summer and autumn. Or rather that’s the ‘classical’ triad. There are other iterations of the Horai, sometimes including winter.
I’ve only just begun to read about Greek myths but it’s already obvious that multiple versions of the same story exist, and the people who wrote them didn’t always stick to the previous version’s details. It makes for a slightly confusing, though invariably fascinating, read. More on that further down.
It was obvious to me which character was which season, but I wanted to make sure it would be clear for everybody. So, I added signifiers… which are arguably not that clear. I can see that some explanations are needed:
Thallo, goddess of spring
Thallo is also the goddess of buds and blooms, so she’s wearing earrings with gold flower pendants, and a necklace in the shape of a flower.
Auxo, goddess of summer
As a goddess associated with plant growth and fertility, Auxo is frequently depicted in art as bearing a sheaf of grain. If you look VERY CLOSELY, her earring is a golden sheaf of grain, and her necklace is a lone wheat stem pendant. Being the one with a baby, she was the natural choice to represent fertility.
Carpo, goddess of autumn
Associated with the harvest, Carpo is typically depicted as bearing grapes or other fruits of the harvest. Once again, the clue is in the earring: the grape shaped cluster of pearls, topped with a gold leaf.
Here’s an example of confusing mythology: Carpo may have been a revised version of the Greek harvest goddess Demeter. Who’s also the goddess of fertility, like Auxo. I told you: confusing.
During the exhibition’s private view, a few people asked me if I had a reference photo for the painting. Well, I had 80 of them! Including a few of me in various poses, because I chose an angle with barely any reference photos out there.
As usual, I researched extensively what my characters would be wearing, what accessories and objects they’d own based on their personality (and my own taste). It would be too long to mention everything here, but I’m thinking of creating Notes on Substack and / or Instagram posts about the elements I included.
And with that, that’s it from me this side of the New Year. The last Tuesday of December falls on the 31st this year, and I hope you have plans that don’t involve reading newsletters on that day. See you in 2025!
Judith xx
Monthly inspiration
I already had Greek myths on my ‘to read’ list, but going to Italy in September and seeing art related to those myths was the final push.
I decided to start with Divine Might: Goddesses in Greek Myth by Natalie Haynes because it centres on women. Haynes tells their stories from a woman’s point of view, so although she bases everything she recounts on the original stories, we get more insights into the goddesses’ minds and actions.
The book is full of contemporary references, which I loved. Like the opening sequence of Disney’s Hercules to introduce the Muses, or Lady Gaga’s Venus music videos (the official one and the Muppets version!) in the Aphrodite / Venus chapter.
Now I want to visit all the museums mentioned in the book to see the ancient Greek pots and sculptures telling the stories of these deities. One of the things I love when reading about a piece of art is that it makes me appreciate it on a whole new level.
This is a bell-krater (wine-bowl) telling the story of Orestes seeking sanctuary from the avenging Furies. Athena and Apollo intervene on his behalf, and he is purified of the killing of his mother. Spoiler alert: women don’t get treated very well in Greek myths.
You can see my illustration and graphic design work here.