Paintings on copper leaf

During the summer I started work on some paintings on panel using copper leaf as a base.

The first one was "Hedgerow Venus", so named because during my research I found that copper was associated with the goddess Venus in mythology and alchemy. This was owing to its lustrous beauty, its ancient use in producing mirrors, and its association with Cyprus, which was sacred to the goddess. The elemental alchemy symbol for copper is also the planetary symbol for Venus. 

Appropriately it was also the symbol of Eternal Life. The Ankh was the symbol of Isis, the goddess of Motherhood, healing, and immortality. The Ankh was also carried by many of the Egyptian Gods/Goddesses.  The flowers in the painting were ones I found on the wasteland around my studio. 

And this is work in progress… 

I am working with animals which are significant in stories and myths and can lead us to understand more about our connection to nature and our ancient past.