Day 18 - Snail Oinochoe

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) "

Snail Oinochoe, oil, 8"x8", click here for purchasing details

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. 

Day 13 - Something to Celebrate

 I promised some new snails and I wasn't kidding.. today's painting is the latest in my series of snails who have alternative shells.. :)  

So, jumping right to it... things can get pretty dark sometimes...every one of us knows that. But on the flip side, there is always something to celebrate too.  Always.  Finding things to celebrate is good for the soul and helps smooth the way for happiness. 

Todays snail is titled "Something to Celebrate" and she is having a little celebration right there in my painting.  Her and the ladybug, of course.  I thoroughly enjoyed painting that rainbow cupcake... can't help myself.. I'm a color nerd. :) And it was nice to paint a new snail.. they are so much fun to design and paint.. a great little world to live in for awhile.  

 Today, I'll celebrate COLOR.  Can't imagine not having color in the world! ♥

"Something to Celebrate", oil, 8"x8", click here for purchasing details

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Day 26 of the 28 in 28.. a few teeny days left, and enter - Cocktail Snail...

A close friend of Hawking's snail, Miss Darling, an albino snail is feeling a little frisky.. She's sporting a Mai Tai cocktail as her shell nouveau..

The past 2 days have brought images of tea, a drink associated with a warm hug. Miss Darling needed a little bit more than a warm hug and thought a Mai Tai would fit the bill.. complete with umbrella and pineapple slice, this solar energy beverage will warm you up from your toes to your nose..

Cocktail Snail, oil on panel, 8"x8"
to purchase, please click here

Oh.. and something's not right here... do you know what it is?

The drink should be spilling out of the glass, right?  I didn't catch my design mistake until after I painted it... and when I finally did, I just stood there for about 5 minutes staring at it...annoyed.  But then I decided "I'm fine with it." ..."maybe it's jello mai tai...?" It just means I have to paint another one!

Day 24 of the 28 in the 28 - Slow Down and Drink Tea

And now for another edition of Hawking's snail for today's painting.. This time, she is trying on one of her favorite teacups as a potential new style :)  Yes, it's cute, and yes it's sweet, but, since tea is one of the simplest yet most satisfying pleasures in life, it might make good sense that a cup of tea could make for a great house.  Just by the look on her face, I can tell she thinks its pretty hot.. 

Slow Down and Drink Tea, oil on panel, 8"x8"
to purchase, please click here

Day 18 of the 28 in 28 - Find Out How Far

Soon after the idea occurred to me, my daughter and I hashed out fun possibilities of Hawking's snail trying on new and different shells.  She suggested "a fishbowl", which I heartily embraced :)  this painting is tailored from that idea... Fish bowls are, by nature a strange thing.  Perhaps I can imagine a good kind of strange, though, if Hawking's snail is looking after them... 

The title? From a T.S. Elliot quote worth considering: "Only those who risk going too far can possibly find out how far one can go"   Could be..

"Find Out How Far", Oil on panel, 8"x8"
To purchase, please click here