This month has been a blur. I have been working towards a 2 woman gallery show with artist friend Joanna Barnum. We installed the show yesterday – more on that in another post! It looks amazing and I am beyond excited. But it made me late to this reveal….
When the theme was announced – it dovetailed perfectly into a piece I was working on for the show. A piece involving foliage, goddesses, and owls.
I am calling this series “Animal Icons” and you can see here 2 awaiting cold finishes in the studio. The owl is inspired by the Welsh goddess Bloddeuwedd. She was magically created from 9 plants, although some retellings of her tale simplify to three.
Broom, nettle, oak, burdock, chestnut, meadowsweet, hawthorn, primrose.
( Bean is missing)
In her tale – she is created as a bride for Gwydion. She was supposed to be the ideal docile wife. Well… she ended us having an affair, and in some ways awakening as her own independent entity. She and her lover plot to betray and kill her husband. ( You can read her whole tale here. ) I think this quote from Journeying to the Goddess sums it up: “After Llew is killed, She is pursued and as a punishment, turned into an owl. Owls are associated with wisdom. Blodeuwedd has become the Crone. She has learned what happens when She accepts Herself and turns against what others want Her to be. Blodeuwedd was ‘transformed into the diametrical opposite of her previous self. From a meek, gentle, smiling, benign, beautiful and perfect Mate, She became a solitary night predator, maw gaping in silent flight, screech cutting through the forest. In a positive sense, we may say that She became assertive, independent, self-realized – and wise.’
The base of my ceramic piece is carved with 8 of the 9 plants. ( It was crowded, and bean wasn’t as photogenic… ) I have finished the piece with multiple thin layers of acrylic washes, and then a sealer.
The owl perched atop, also finished with acrylics, is affixed with a dowel for stability. The niche holds moss and a moonstone egg.
A peak into the gallery. The show runs for the month of October at The Palette and the Page in Elkton, MD.
Thanks for reading my entwined tales of myth and art making. Please take a trip through the blogs – team mates and guests!
AE Team
Guests
Jenny Davies-Reazor 
What an interesting tale! I’m so glad you shared some of it with us as well as your amazing interpretation! The shrines(?) within the sculptures are really interesting, but the whole form is moving! I’m glad it worked into this month’s theme! Congrats on the show 😀
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Just beautiful, thanks for sharing your finished piece, I’ve enjoyed seeing how you decorated this piece
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I am amazed at the owl sculpture! It was gorgeous before you painted it but is even more amazing now with the underglazes on there. Thanks for sharing.
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Oh, oh, I love this so much! ❤ ❤ What a wonderful piece.
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Thank you for sharing that story – I love to see how everyone’s pieces come about (especially from stories/folktales/myth). Love the colors and then the textures of the moss!
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Your new work is absolutely stunning Jenny, I love how you’ve created such beautiful pieces that are full of myth and magic. I hope the show is a great success! Thanks so much for taking part in the challenge.
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Jenny, your pieces are amazing and I wish you much success with your show!
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I loved reading the tale of Bloddeuwedd and how you’ve interpreted her story in your beautiful work. The owl, the plants around the base, the moonstone egg within – just perfect!
Best of luck with your show!
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Love your piece(s) and the story that goes with them. Wishing you much success at the gallery. From what I understand she never was (or wasn’t for long) the meek docile wife … ”Blodeuwedd was ‘transformed into the diametrical opposite of her previous self. From a meek, gentle, smiling, benign, beautiful and perfect Mate,…” So as an owl she’s beautiful, free and and probably smiling down at the next unfortunate mate of that guy … just carrying that story a little further :).
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Wonderful work Jenny. Your process of finishing the pieces is very interesting and looks great.
The story of Blodeuwedd is so cool. Love how you incorporated her elements into your animal icon. What a great name for your show!!
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Your work is so beyond my words at this time. I cannot wait to see your work in person at the show. I think you may find me with a huge smile and without words as I just admire the details and stories. This show is going to be amazing!!! Hope you keep making work like this 🙂
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This piece is spectacular. Every detail is so perfectly thought through and combined with the others. And I love when you share bits of mythology. 🙂 I hope your gallery show is a huge success, as I’m sure it will be.
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It was interesting to learn about the story behind your piece. Good wishes for your show.
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SQUEEE!!!! You know your have just made a piece that truly speaks to me! This owl piece based on Bloddeuwedd is sublime. I love the foliage and the story behind this so much. All your new animal icons and personal archetype pieces have such meaning and depth to them.
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What an interesting tale and a super cool piece!! I want to know more about the other one too… raven?
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What a perfect piece created with foliage, goddesses, and owls. Very cool! I hope your show is a success and brings you joy.
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This is incredible! Thank you for sharing.
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What a beautiful piece Jenny – I know you’ve worked hard on this exhibition and I’m sure it will be a great success. I love they way you’ve interpreted the story and have to say, If I were to be punished I can think of worse things than being turned into an owl.
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Such a delightful sculpture! The owl is perfect! I love the story of the goddess and how serendipitous that it was this months theme! The moonstone egg is the perfect addition! Good luck with your show!
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Your sculptures are lovely! Good luck with the exhibition (although I don’t think you’ll need it).
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Jenny you’ve interpreted / intertwined the theme and the mythology beautifully. Hope the show goes great!
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What a fascinating interpretation! Something meant as a punishment turns into glorious reincarnation! The sculpture is fabulous!
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Oh my! What a stunning piece of work! I love how you’ve incorporated so much of the myth into your piece – and then how you finished up the sculpture with the bird’s nest and found objects. This is just amazing – love it!
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