Rebecca Hossack Art Gallery

Helen Flockhart on Fire & Fauna meanings

 

The singing of Stymphalian birds

Heracles is slaying the birds of Lake Stymphalos (in Arkadia) to take them to Eurystheus as one of his 12 labours.  In the picture he is wearing the skin of the Nemean lion, which he had slain as one of his earlier labours.  I had seen a picture of a Greek amphora (a two handled urn) from around 550 BC.  The picture of the urn is amazingly detailed with that luminous orange/ red background which is typical of the type.  On it you can see Heracles wearing the lion's skin and several of the birds.  I used the patterns of some of the birds for my painting and created some of the others.  The cabbagey trees were based on some which I had seen from a picture of an altar dedicated to Cybele in Asia minor 3rd Century AD.  I know I am mixing my eras and countries here but it is classical europe and I reckon there must be a lot of similar vegetation in geographically close areas and eras.  

 

Mare of Diomedes

Heracles has to capture the mares of Diomedes as another of the 12 labours.

 

Nemean lion

 Another of the 12 labours.  The lion had terrorised the local villagers, was impervious to wounds and Heracles overpowered him and clubbed him then tore off his flesh with the lion's own claws.

 

Jenny's seldom dry, Draigl't petticoaties  & Study for Jenny are all based on Burns "Comin thro' the rye"

 

Comin thro' the rye, poor body

Comin thro' the rye'

She draigl't a' her petticoatie

Comin thro' the rye

 

Oh, Jenny's a' weet, poor body

Jenny's seldom dry

She's draigl't a' her petticoatie

Comin thro' the rye

 

Gin a body meet a body

Comin thro' the rye

Gin a body kiss a body

Need a body cry

 

Oh Jenny's a' weet poor body

Jenny's seldom dry

She's draigl't a' her petticoatie

Comin thro' the rye

 

Gin a body meet a body

Comin thro' the glen

Gin a body kiss a body

Need the warld ken

 

Oh Jenny's a' weet poor body

Jenny's seldom dry

She's draigl't a' her petticoatie

Comin thro' the rye

 

Charmer

This piece is purely an image from my imagination of a figure playing a flute, charming a bird, though I know there are many figures in mythology who would match up with this such as Orpheus. 

 

Trojan Horse

I had an idea to paint a Trojan horse earlier in the year then heard of a Trojan horse having been set alight in the street amidst the Student riots.  I did not see pictures of it but it is strange how life sometimes collides with what's brewing in the imagination.  And, as I've said, it has been hard to avoid images of fire in 2011 from the riots in England, Student riots, the Arab spring and ensuing conflict.  It has been at the very least on the periphery of one's mind while we go about our daily lives, as the images are ever present. 

 

Leaping hare

 I don't know what it is about hares.  What makes them so much less innocent, oblivious and cuddly than the rabbit, apart from the fact that they can reach quite an alarming size, are rather ungainly and clumsy.  They seem somehow knowing, and I am not sure we would like to know what they know.  Rather unsettling creatures. 

 

 Peach

These are leftovers in a similar landscape which the animals have appeared, and are also populated with animals, albeit tiny ones.  Peaches are almost indecent fruits, very sexual.  As are pomegranates which often also appear in my paintings.  Just because they don't have a face doesn't mean they do not communicate, for example, sensuality and decay.

 

November 2011