Can you tame the wolf?

The Gunniwolf

Acrylic on Paper

11" x 17"

The African-American folktale, the Gunniwolf, is one of my favorite stories.  In it a little girl tames a wolf by singing him to sleep. 

What song would you use to tame the beast?

You can read more about this story in my new book,
Art Stories, Folktales to Inspire Creativity for Teachers and Art Lovers.






Frankenstein or Piggie? Does your art come to life?

Pygmalion

9" x 12"

Acrylic on Paper

No, this isn't Frankenstein.  This is the sculpture of Pygmalion.  He created a woman of such beauty that he fell in love with her. 

If you are curious about what happened to this strange couple you can read about it in my book,
Art Stories, Folktales to Inspire Creativity for Teachers and Art Lovers

Have you been creating monsters or things of beauty?

The Festival of Venus

The Festival of Venus

Oil on Canvas

12" x 16"


September 26th was the ancient Roman holiday of the festival of Venus.  This is a time when the summer cycle is at an end and the apples weigh heavy on the trees.

Happy Venus day everyone!

My Book, "Art Stories" is now available on Amazon!

Big news!  My first book, "Art Stories, Folktales to Inspire Creativity for Teachers and Art Lovers," is now available on Amazon.

The inspiration for this book came from my work teaching art for children at the Indianapolis Art Center.  Every day I would start the class with a folktale related to creating art. 

In this book you will find the story of the Greek Muses, Pygmalion and more.  Each story inspires artistic creativity and hits on what it means to be an artist.  This book is perfect for reading aloud in art classrooms or alone to awaken your inner muse.

Broad Ripple Canal

Broad Ripple Canal

Acrylic on Canvas Stretched over Frame

8" x 10"

One of the best things I love about my new neighborhood is the canal.  The teal bridge is the college street pedestrian bridge.  I love it for its color. 

SOLD!

The original painting has sold, but you can purchase a reprint through Fine Art America.

Aphrodite Sowing Seeds

Aphrodite Sowing Seeds

Acrylic on Canvas Stretched over Frame

24" x 36"

Inspired by all of the flowers that are in bloom in my garden I decided to paint Aphrodite as the creator of all this beauty.
This painting will be in a show during the month of October and available in November.

The Kiss

The Kiss

6" x 6"

Acrylic on Paper

Are you feeling romantic?

Narcissus

In Greek mythology, Narcissus was a man who saw his reflection in a pool of water. He fell in love with his own image. Here I have depicted Narcissus as a woman. I enjoyed the challenge of painting a reflected image in water.

Book Recommendation

I can't recommend this book highly enough!
Doorways to the Soul, 52 Wisdom Tales from Around the World by Elisa Davy Pearmain has been hanging out in my purse for the past month ready to be re-opened at any quiet moment.
In it you will find a wonderful collection of thought provoking stories that hint at morality without being overly didactic.

One good thing about the Super Bowl!

Indianapolis will be hosting the Super Bowl this year. 

One good thing about it (other than the ranch dressing) is that we will soon have 46 NEW MURALS about town! 

The Arts Council and the City are commissioning these works from artists.  Thank you, Thank you!

To find out more visit:

http://www.artscouncilofindianapolis.org/murals/

Who is your Muse?

The Story of the Muses

In the land of ancient Greece there was a natural spring where water bubbled up out of the ground. The winged horse named Pegasus flew down to this spring. As he drank the water his hooves gently touched the ground. From his footsteps nine beautiful women were born.

These women became known as the Muses. Each of them had a special talent. One was a poet, one was a musician and one was a dancer. When they created their art, new ideas would come to humans. These inspirations began guiding artists all around the world. Zeus, king of the Gods, gathered the Muses to his side. They lived in the heavens of Mount Olympus.

You can read more about this story and how the Muses inspired the Sphinx in my new book, "Art Stories, Folktales to Inspire Creativity for Teachers and Art Lovers." It will be available on Amazon in just a few weeks!

If you are curious to find out which Muse speaks to you follow this link for a fun online quiz:

http://www.blogthings.com/whatmuseareyouquiz/

 

  May the Muse be with you!

Daphne

Daphne

Acrylic on Paper

15 X 22
Reprints available on Fine Art America

In Greek mythology Apollo, the sun God, fell in love with Daphne when Cupid's arrow struck him.  But she was afraid of Apollo and prayed to the river God to help her escape.  Daphne was changed into a tree.  This painting depicts the moment of her transformation.

Prints and cards of this painting are available at:

http://fineartamerica.com/featured/daphne-addie-may-hirschten.html

Painting of my daughter, Emmaline

"Emmaline in August 2011"

Watercolor on Paper

11 X 17

Venus Painting

Inspired by the "Daily Painters" I am going to start posting paintings as I produced them.  This one depicts Venus.

The Fall of Icarus Painting

I created this painting to illustrate the "Fall of Icarus" story. I am compiling a book of folktales for artists. It is a big project and I am almost finished!