Saturday, 7 February 2015

Porpora and Harrison


Whilst studying the NMW websites I became inspired by dogs, healing dogs in particular.  From further research got on to Aesculapius, the Greek God of medicine, then snakes, which are also associated with healing – hence the ‘rod of Aesculapius’,  a snake entwined staff, which remains a symbol of medicine to this day.

The work I intend to make will be in the form of some large mixed-media drawings and monoprints on the theme of healing animals, mainly dogs and snakes, plus smaller drawings and studies in mixed media.

Furthermore, out sketching by lake found interesting lichen  - peltigera canina (DOG lichen), which used to be considered a cure for Rabies.

Also discovered there is a genus of plants named after Asklepias/Asclepias (the Greek form).  One is ‘Showy Milkweed’  from the DOGbane family Apiaceae.

Since October have been keeping Jotter, which contains all my research, so far, and rough drawings of dogs, snakes, lichen, etc. 

My chosen paintings are:
‘Still Life with a Snake, Frogs, Tortoise & Lizard’  by  Paolo Porpora.  1617 – 1673.

                                     &
‘The Llanharan Hunt’  by  John F. Harrison.  1840.


 Joanna Evans

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