PAINTING DEMETER AND PERSEPHONE

(DEMETER, oil and collage on canvas, 2013 by Jennifer Hosein)

A few months into my very dark year, I was driving home with the radio on, when the host began talking about Demeter and Persephone. Demeter was the Greek goddess of the harvest whose daughter, Persephone, was abducted by the king of the Underworld. In her state of despair, Demeter stopped performing her duties as goddess of the harvest, which resulted in winter. Demeter and the king of the Underworld worked out an agreement to share Persephone, which resulted in the division of the year into winter and summer.

(PERSEPHONE, oil and collage on canvas, 2013 by Jennifer Hosein)

It occurred to me that I was Demeter, longing for my daughter who had moved across the continent and I was Persephone, mourning my mother who had just passed away. I wrote a poem in my head and wrote it down as soon as I pulled into the garage; the poem is called Winter. I began the series of drawings and paintings of Demeter and Persephone the next day.

(PERSEPHONE AND THE KING, oil and collage on canvas, 2013 by Jennifer Hosein)

All paintings were done by me and photographed on my Nikon 3200.

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