Mark Satchwill Art Fantasy and Mythology Two

"The Enchantress"

4 x 6 inches, watercolour and gouache, 2008

"Adonis"

8 x 9 inches, watercolour and gouache, 2008.

This piece was painted for the EBSQ Nude In Art Show. It shows Adonis sat under a tree on a summer afternoon faling asleep. My aim with the piece was to create a painting with the feel of a pre-raphaelite painting but with a male as the subject . Adonis' mother was Myrrha, and she committed incest with her father Theias at the bidding of Aphrodite. She tricked him by slipping into his bed in darkness but when he discovered her deception he was enraged and she fled from him. Aphrodite turned her into a myrrh tree and Theias shot an arrow at it. The bark split and from it was born Adonis. Aphrodite entrusted him to Persephone's care but she refused to return him. Eventually Zeus decreed that he should spend four months of the year with persephone, four with Aphrodite and four alone. Adonis was killed by a boar sent by Aphrodite's lover Ares. He was essentially a vegetation god - The Festival of Adonis was celebrated in midsummer and was essentially a female cult. Women would plant gardens of Adonis, such as fennel and lettuce, that grew quickly and had short lives.

"Padme Amidala"

5 x 7 inches, watercolor and gouache, June 2007.

Natalie Portman as Queen Amidala. I painted this for my my step-neice as she is a fan of the movies and Amidala is her favourite character.

"Hanako"

Commission, 4 x 6 inches, watercolor and gouache, July 2007.

This was a commission piece.

The client sent me photos of his Japanese friend and the suit of armour he wanted me to use and I had to try and fit her into it and make her look like a warrior! This was my initial finished version - he did ask me to make the armour darker, which I did, but I personally prefer this version. He was happy with the results.