jan 30th Monday

Good break, dipping into studio as time allowed and not thinking of anything. Much. So have finished the horsefly fairy, now called Blanquette Nights and started to think about fairies. Female other-world. Hence to Melusine; who has interesting characteristics, which vary from tale to tale. Here's a mix -
1. a product of parental disapproval (disobeyed father, cursed -)
2. married on condition husband allows Saturday night off.
3. Builds castles, towers, keeps, overnight - brings prosperity
4. has children - 10 in one story, all slightly flawed (eg one big tooth)
5. is spied on by husband taking bath; he sees her serpents tails
6. oath broken, she disappears. She can be heard lamenting as she flies around her towers, castles, keeps etc. Also reappears lamenting when one of the family is about to die.
7. has a golden key in her mouth - if this can be reached, she can be 'cured'

Wanted to start painting and couldn't (time, opportunity -) so began a drawing. Like it. Maybe drawing the way forward, cheaper, easier to store, though without frames impossible to display. Hardly an issue at this time.

Off to life drawing now. New male model today

Later; todays new model lovely, hobbitesque; can hold a pose and furthermore, can play pipes at the same time. He played elderflower double pipes, a kudu horn and a bone. He is some species of troubadour and very charming - hes coming back next week. None of the work any good but aspects surely useful.
Afterwards returned to drawing of Melusine and started to labour it so stopped. Established two types of space, the human with the husband, in gold-colour and the faerie, hardly any colour (blue/green/grey/white) except for the key, which is the gold of human-side. Made the bathing cauldron heavy lead with ball-and-claw feet, ringed with lions heads holding rings through which a chain is strung. A spell, patriarchal, no usable feet, chained by the king of beasts.
--As I said, beginning to labour it -

Plan to spend the rest of this evening thinking vaguely about otherworld stuff in this vein. I like the parallel world idea.