Creative Inspiration

The Three Graces

The Three Graces are gracefulness personified, they promote enjoying life to the fullest with grace and ease, and they embody everything that this year is about. The Ancient Greeks believed if you don’t take time to enjoy life, then working hard means nothing. They are associated with charm, beauty, harmony, nature, wisdom, and amusement, including games, competitions, and divination (casting dice). They are considered patrons of the arts and masters of dancing, music, singing, and poetry. They are also associated with Astronomy, shooting stars, culture, literary arts, performing arts, and athletics.

When I began planning this painting, I was already thinking of their Greek identities as Thalia (representing flowering/blooming, comedy, and good cheer), Euphrosyne (joyfulness, mirth, and music), and Aglaea (brightness, radiance, and elegance). I filled this multimedia painting, which I call Creative Inspiration, with many of their symbols as well as symbols of their associations with Aphrodite, Apollo, Hecate, and Dionysus. Historically, they were depicted in flowing Grecian robes or naked (as a metaphor, they are without pretense). I wanted to go for an updated look, to bring their ancient significance, which is truly timeless, into the present day. The party didn’t start without them!

I was feeling playful while painting this, naturally, and decided to add some of their jewels three-dimensionally. The beadwork is stitched directly into the canvas. Creatively, I had been looking for ways to turn my art into jewelry, and now I was bringing the jewelry making back to my art.

Inspired by Beatrex Quntanna‘s annual workbook, “Living by the Light of the Moon”, learning to live by cycles instead of by time, and her Moon Book Calendar for “The Year of Inspiration” which is all about creativity, and all that is joyful, musical, artistic, and imaginative.

I created the whole book design and all the graphic art for Beatrex Quntanna’s Living by the Light of the Moon as well as the layout for the companion Moon Book Calendar.