2022 | Acrylic and collage on Canvas Board

Aphrodite, the ancient Greek Goddess of Love.

You may know her as Venus, her Roman counterpart, and she is the reason this collection began.

Legends tell that when she emerged from the sea, flowers sprung at her feet wherever she walked and the red rose or red anemone was created by her blood or tears shed in heartache over her lover Adonis’s death. As such, her marble white form is depicted here surrounded by flowers as a nod to these stories.

Created with layers of collage with hand-stamped paper and acrylic paint, finished with gold paint, this painting is luxuriously textured and is stunning both from afar and up close with so many details peeking through.

Details:

• 18x24”

• Acryclic and collage on canvas board.

• Signed on the bottom front left corner. (Signed, titled and dated on the back.)

• Varnished and ready to frame.

OPTIONAL FRAMING

The price listed is for the piece unframed. If you would like the piece WITH FRAME AS SHOWN then an additional charge for the frame (and any related changes to shipping costs) will be invoiced after purchase. Feel free to email me with questions you may have.

The frame shown is a beautifully conditioned authentic antique wood frame measuring approx 25x31”.

The cost WITH THE FRAME SHOWN would be $525 CAD (plus applicable taxes and shipping TBD).

About the Collection:

I have had a fascination with ancient sculptures since I first saw Michelangelo’s Prisoners or Slaves on a visit to Florence when I was 13 years old. There is something beyond the beauty and the master craftsmanship of being able to create soft flesh and draped fabrics from a marble slab. To me, there exists an unquestionable soul one can feel in their presence even though they are made of stone.

Years later, while visiting the Louvre Museum, I once again found myself mesmerized by — not the Mona Lisa, although she was intriguing — the sight of Venus de Milo. That day, over 15 years ago, Venus stole my heart — and as I pulled out my sketchbook to capture her beauty, the seed was planted.

Fast forward to last year, when something moved me to complete a painted version of that sketch. I remember that day and that painting as if it were yesterday — raw and rough, and painted all in blues, the process seeming to capture the essence of carving a statue from stone. Still, there was something missing. Something lifeless. Something that haunted my dreams until now.

Earlier this year I awoke with an idea. What if I followed my heart and used more colour? What if I followed my intuition and added my marks? What if I took the time to set the foundation?

“The sculpture is already complete within the marble block, before I start my work. It is already there, I just have to chisel away the superfluous material.”

—Michelangelo

How fitting that these goddess paintings, inspired by historic sculpture, revealed themselves to me in a similar manner.

Each painting was begun with a gut feeling rather than a plan, allowing the process to guide me, each brushstroke or layer informing the next. Then once the intuitive foundational layers of collage, colour, and marks were deep enough, in a fleeting instant, an image of who she was intended to be would appear. After a quick sketch to capture her image, slowly, bit by bit, layer by layer, I’d carve her out of the background. And yet this time, there was something different. The marks and colours and layers upon layers of collage paper and paint gave each lady a soul.

And the Goddess Collection was born.

Walking a line between traditional historical female nudes and contemporary expressionistic whimsy, the Goddess Collection is a small collection of 10 colourful mixed-media acrylic paintings (2 large and 8 small) celebrating the female in all her forms and illuminating the beautiful goddess spirit within all of us.

This collection has taught me so much about who I am as both an artist and an individual, reminded me of who and what I am deeply inspired by, and helped me come one step further on the journey of accepting the woman I am meant to be.

I hope you enjoy this collection as much as I enjoyed its creation—this might be my favourite yet!

Shipping:

This item may require an additional charge for shipping.

Shipping is not included in these prices but is estimated at checkout. Any discrepancy will be invoiced (or refunded) after your purchase. Price will depend on your location. Shipping within North America can range from $20-200 CAD (or more) depending on the size. International shipping could be more.

Worldwide shipping is available.

Local Pickup is available in Grimsby.

Please reach out if you have any questions or concerns.

All prices are in CAD. Taxes and Shipping are not included.

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