Swimming Otter Watercolor By Niina Niskanen

Year:

Medium:

Watercolor

Size - (USA):

21 W x 29 H x 0 D (cm)

Size - (metric):

8.3 W x 11.4 H x 0.0 D (inches)

Theme:

Animals

Edition:

Original

Artwork ID:

628093

PDF Copy:

Artwork Info Sheet (PDF)

Artwork Description:

I created this artwork for North Wales myths and legends projects to illustrate the story of Cerridwen. According to the legend the great witch Cerridwen made a potion in her magical cauldron to grant the gift of wisdom and poetic inspiration, also called Awen. The mixture had to be boiled for a year and a day. She set Morda, a blind man, to tend the fire beneath the cauldron, while Gwion Bach, a young boy, stirred the concoction. The first three drops of liquid from this potion gave wisdom the rest was a fatal poison. Three hot drops spilled onto Gwion s thumb as he stirred, burning him. He instinctively put his thumb in his mouth, and gained the wisdom and knowledge Ceridwen had intended for her son. Realising that Ceridwen would be angry, Gwion fled. Ceridwen chased him. Using the powers of the potion he turned himself into a hare. She became a greyhound. He became a fish and jumped into a river. She transformed into an otter. He turned into a bird she became a hawk. Finally, he turned into a single grain of corn. She then became a hen and, being a goddess or enchantress, depending on the version of the tale , she found and ate him without trouble. But because of the potion he was not destroyed. When Ceridwen became pregnant, she knew it was Gwion and resolved to kill the child when he was born. However, when he was born, he was so beautiful that she could not do it. She threw him in the ocean instead, sewing him inside a leather-skin bag or set him in a coracle, depending on the story. The child did not die, but was rescued on a Welsh shore. Later on the boy grew to became the great bard Taliesin. Makes lovely decoration to a bedroom, nursery living room, office etc and a wonderful gift for yourself or someone special. Painted with watercolors on acid-free watercolor paper. Signed and dated by the artist. Measures: 21 x 29 cm 8 x 11 inches. Guaranteed original

Artwork Keywords:   Original Watercolor

Materials:   Watercolors