Goddess Fiorella
New Begginings, Springtime & Flowers, 2005 12x16 Print $45.00 (shipping included)

Goddess Fiorella - New Begginings, Springtime & Flowers,- Fiorella, "flourishing one" was the Roman goddess of flowers, gardens, and spring. She is the embodiment of all nature; her name has come to represent all plant life. She is especially a goddess of powers, including the flower of youth. Her festival of unrestrained pleasure, the Floralia, was celebrated at the end of April and beginning of May, this festival was probably the origin of the maypole dance and the gathering of bouquets of flowers, symbolizing the bringing of spring and new life into the world. She gives charm to youth, aroma to wine, sweetness to honey, and fragrance to blossoms. Fiorella teaches us to honor growing things, both inside and outside us. She is a reminder to pay attention to pleasure, to the beauty of spring, and to new life, wherever it is found.

Text Source: Guirand, Felix, ed. THE LAROUSSE ENCYCLOPEDIA OF MYTHOLOGY. Trans. Richard Aldrington and Delano Ames, New York. Barnes & Noble Books. 1994, 210

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About The Style

When I create a portrait, I intentionally abstract some portion of the facial features. I do this to symbolize the uniqueness of the individual and also to give the viewer an extra sense of interest. The viewer can recognize and feel comfortable with the normal facial features, yet there is a sense of disturbance by the abstraction and arrangement of the features. This is an invitation for the viewer to be drawn into the portrait.