The Elements Series

I've done a series of the four elements. Each one is represented by a female figure from Greek mythology. The idea of essential elements is found in many cultures and intrigued me. They are considered natural observations of the phases of matter. The paintings are oil on canvas over panel and 16x16 inches.

The first is "Gaea", the primal Greek goddess personifying earth, the Greek version of Mother Nature. She's a deity of the ancient Greek pantheon and considered a Mother Titan. I wanted her tied to the earth and was inspired for this one by driving through farming communities of the south.

Next is "Hestia", Greek goddess of hearth and home, keeper of the sacred flame. The hearth fire of a Greek or a Roman household was not allowed to go out, unless it was ritually extinguished and ritually renewed, accompanied by impressive rights of completion, purification and renewal. I liked the idea of an eternal flame, so she became my representative of fire. 

When thinking of the element of air I thought of the powerful forces of nature. "Cardea" is a goddess of health, doorways and hinges also associated with wind. Ovid said of Cardea, "Her power is to open what is shut; to shut what is open." We are not in Kansas anymore...

"Tethys", daughter of Uranus and Gaea was an archaic Titaness and aquatic sea goddess. She was mother of the chief rivers of the world known to the Greeks.

Other paintings in my Fairy Tales, Myths, Legends and Literature inspired series can be found here.