16″ x 20″, acrylic on canvas, August 2020

Persephone; goddess of springtime and vegetation, queen of the underworld. Abducted by Hades, Persephone was taken to the underworld where he held her captive with intent to make her his bride. Her mother, Demeter, lost her mind with grief over this whole ordeal. She wandered to the underworld in search of her beloved daughter. The trip resulted in the earth falling barren and cold while Demeter was away, giving her title of the goddess of good harvest and autumn. While with Hades, Persephone was tricked into eating seeds of the pomegranate, tethering her to the underworld. Because of this, Zeus was unable to let her leave the underworld permanently. So Persephone spends half her time on Earth and half her time in the underworld. Our seasonal shifts from a barren, wintered land to a lush paradise are a result of Persephone returning to the earth. Though her story has a tragic side to it, Persephone’s tale shows that even in the darkest of times, your presence can motivate growth all around you.