Today's painting is the latest addition to my snails with alternative shells series. I have no real reason for painting these guys, other than they amuse me to no end. I've decided to take the idea and run with it and to my delight, the ideas just keep coming.
You know, I've had several fellow artists question me, asking me why do I paint "the same thing" over and over... and I wonder to myself, if I am painting the same thing over and over, than what about landscape artists? or Portrait artists? or still life artists.. the list goes on.. these genres of art have been around for thousands of years... many MANY more years than I have been creating my brand of artwork... there are literally millions of landscape/still life/portrait paintings out there.. but really, how many snail paintings have you seen in your life? I ask you to ponder that...
Anyway, pondering aside, the title.
I couldn't come up with something cute or tongue in cheek today so, I'm calling this what it is - Snail Oinochoe. Which I think is just fine since Oinochoe (pronounced Oy-nok-oh-wee) is now my new favorite word to say, right up there with Quinacridone. Simply put, and quoting from Wikipedia: "An oenochoe, also spelled oinochoe, is a wine jug and a key form of ancient Greek pottery. Intermediate between a pithos (large storage vessel) or amphora (transport vessel), and individual cups or bowls, it held fluid for several persons temporarily until it could be poured.
Oenochoe - (Ancient Greek: οἰνοχόη; from Ancient Greek: οἶνος oînos, "wine" and Ancient Greek: χέω khéō, "I pour," sense "wine-pourer"; plural oinochoai; New Latin oenochoë, plural oenochoae, English plural oenochoes or oinochoes) "
Thoughts about vessels.. I have a thing for vessels, likely because I am classically trained as a ceramist. My mug cabinet is full to bursting, because I believe that one can never have enough mugs. And the same goes for bowls. Couldn't tell you how many bowls are in my cabinet but there are a lot, in all sizes and designs. It was not a stretch to put an ancient Greek vessel on the back of one of my snails, and, I am happy to say that the Greeks had all manner of vessels to suit their every whim..meaning, there could be more of these to come :)
In case you are interested in furthering your store of useless Greek vessel knowledge, here are some names you can google: Kylix, Kantharos, Phiale, Skyphos, Oinochoe, loutrophorus. All are actual types of Greek vessels, different shapes and sizes, used for various food and drink dispensing purposes. You are welcome.
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