'Persephone'. An illustration from the book 'The Miracle of Flowers'

'Persephone' by Amanda Clark. 2010.


Snowdrops are here!  Spring is on it's way and I want to write a little about the Greek creation myth and the Goddess, Persephone.

Beautiful Persephone is the daughter of Zeus and Demeter ( Mother Earth ). Persephone is the Goddess of Spring and helps Demeter tend to the plant kingdom.
Hades, lord of the underworld, snatches Persephone away and makes her Queen of the underworld without Zeus's consent.
Her mother Demeter is broken hearted and thought her daughter had left. Demeter stopped tending to the plant kingdom and went in search for Persephone. Animals and humans began to starve. 
Demeter insisted to Zeus that Persephone was found and returned to her. So Zeus went to talk to Hades and begged that Persephone leave the underworld before everyone on earth starved to death.  Hades protested. Zeus with all his power declared that Persephone's marriage will be void as long as she ate nothing from the garden of the underworld.  Hades managed to woo Persephone with a pomegranate and she ate this fruit from the garden of the underworld which consummated her marriage to Hades.  So as the story goes, Persephone must return to Hades and the underworld at the beginning of every winter but her return to Zeus and Demeter marks the beginning of spring.

I love to see the earth come to life again in February. The catkins on hazel, daffodil bulbs pushing through the earth. Birds are getting busy and their songs are floating in the crystal air. I can feel the winter lifting and my time of introspecting during the long nights are ending to bring new energy and creativity  into the light once again.  Time for sewing seeds.

Habondia. Goddess painting in my etsy shop.

  Habondia    by    Amanda Clark      2010        

Habondia  is said to be descended from a Germanic Goddess of the earth.  The Anglo-Saxon Goddess of abundance and prosperity.   In Medieval times she was a special divinity of witches, teaching the work of herbs and their virtues.

Myths, fairytales and ancient stories.

http://www.endicott-studio.com/jMA06Winter/index.html

This link is to the most cherished fairytales,and sometimes more adult myth stories.
There is a wealth of knowledge and art passed down through the other worldly years.

'Oldy World' Interiors.

I  was inspired by mysteriously old world interiors early on in my career. A fragment of pre-raphaelites.  I must have painted nearly 200 .  I loved the way the natural wood tones created a warm and cozy light and how the trinkets told a story of the people and how things were past down to them, usually handmade.    Maybe I'll paint a few new ones with a 'twist' this year.

Artist Rima Staines. Illustration of Baba Yaga.

http://www.etsy.com/listing/66108854/baba-yaga

Strange how things wander across your path.   I 've been reading the book 'Women that run with the Wolves' and the latest story/myth was of  Baba Yaga.  Rima's illustration was shown to me today.    I love the strangeness of old fairytales and vividly wild women artists! 

power animals

A painting for Emma and Chris.

Power animals and guides are with you through out your life time and its the shamanic way to speak, dance or become one with your power animal. Whether its through journeying or working through your dreams while you sleep.. You can have many guides through out your life time depending on what attributes the animal brings and what it is you need at any moment of time. There's one very special power animal that will be with you always. 

Owl attributes are clear sightedness, intuition,wisdom, messenger of omens, comfort with shadow self, freedom and moon magic.
If owl is your power animal or guide, it can pierce through illusions and look past blocks to find the truth.  The owl can also teach us to see the darkest parts of our psyche and learn with great wisdom about that which has become hidden. The owl flys so silently through the world it can teach us how to do the same.

Commissions  for power animal paintings are always welcome. 
Email: amandaclark@hotmail.co.uk

Sleepy Winter

  Time is passing by so quickly these winter months, where does the time go!
  Today the sky was heavy with fast moving smokey clouds that seemed to make the hours rush past me as I draw and paint my new ideas and recipes of magic colours and patterns. Weaving a dream carpet of story and myth in painting.

The last week I find myself looking out for the first signs of Spring. Snowdrops beginning to push up through the leaves, their white flowers contrasting with the rich dark earth. Shining beacons of the first flowers and imbolc quietly approaching as mother nature breathing her children awake and bringing new life after the sleepy winter.

Sacred Hollow - Sam's portrait.

Exhibition at the Skye Healing Centre in Dorking, Surrey. Until January 2011.

A few more  new paintings.

Driving to Outwood Windmill.

All of the 42 paintings were taken to Outwood Surrey to the wonderful souls of 'Slippery Jacks', Sunday afternoon. We were driving in the darkest rain clouds we have ever seen!    The exhibition space is in the most enchanting little windmill called 'Outwood'.    Now we are back home, sitting by the fireside drinking mulled wine with a splash of brandy.  All the clouds have revealed the most stunning starry night, crystal clear cosmos, shooting stars and quarter moon.  The air so still with the calling of the owls in the oak tree.  Think its going to be a sparkly, frosty morning. I love these early mornings, light is silver and gold with ribbons of mist weaving between the trees.
 A preview of a few of the new paintings......   'Angel' has the silver and gold light.

Solo exhibition Invite.

My solo exhibition in November.
In a beautiful windmill in Surrey.

Thank you 'Slippery Jacks'


20th and 21st November
from 10am to 4pm.
Outwood Windmill
Outwood
Surrey

Paintings and Poems

The Woods

Covered and buried in leaves,

Under the trees, under the wispy sky,

The earth, she whispers and  breathes.
My ear to the ground,

Her heart beat a deeper sound,

Then matches with mine. My light shines.

Slowly the trees move and sway above me,

 Moving patterns of sun light brings more life.

Connecting my soul with the heavens, 

Bringing peace in, bring love in.

Moving, spiralling to a place I remember,

Beyond the womb of time.

 

   

Prayer

Think this was me as a little girl.



'Crow'

Ever seen a white crow?   This painting is called 'Souls'



A painting called 'Freedom'.                                                                               
I feel my heart in flight when
 I'm painting and wandering in
 nature,  by the sea, and early
mornings at dawn.

 and sacred spirals   

'Follow'

'The Hare and Crow'  

There's beauty everywhere, just have to choose to see it.

The White Hare