I have a new long term project. Hurrah!
Think owls, Meadowsweet, Broom and Oak, of magic, betrayal and transformation. For any of you who know your Welsh Mythology you will know whose tale I speak of... The tale of 'Blodewuedd'.
I think it was Alan Garner's 1967 YA novel The Owl Service that introduced me to the story of Blodeuwedd and I still have a rather worn school library copy -- which is no doubt a trifle overdue. There have been some wonderful covers but the image here ties the book in with the 1969 TV adaptation. After that I would have read the Mabinogi but elements of "Blodeuwedd have been cropping up in my artwork for years. Now seems the right time to explore further.
Want to know the tale? Head over to Welsh Myths and Legends for an overview.
Check out my Instagram feed for more imagery.
I've started off with sketches to get to know my subject matter. And of course there is plenty of reading and research. I will give you more more posts on 'the Welsh 'flower-face' in the future never fear!
By the way, I was told by a Welsh speaking friend (thanks Sioned) that I was NOT pronouncing it right. So after her instructions I now try something more like 'Bly-DOE-weth'. I have also had to add the word to the dictionaries of my computer and smart phone to put an end to their interesting autocorrect options.