Figures
Nine Muses of Ancient Greece: A study in motion
As a painter with a wide range of interests, the study of motion was brought to the forefront the last few years through a multiple painting project I began: the nine muses of ancient Greece.
While borne of ancient times—their imagery is timeless. The last image you’ll see of my work is that of Urania, the muse of astronomy. Her backdrop is that of the cosmos as captured by the Hubble telescope, an impossible image even for Michelangelo to have captured, but a reality for a painter of today.
This project underscored for me how motion, from capturing space to the fluidity of the human body to the cascade of a flower bouquet, has been a tricky yet vital element for me to fully incorporate. I have paid heed to the study of successful painters whose movement in landscape and water (Swedish painter Anders Zorn is a master of this) is truly worth study.