How Tangaroa got it’s name... A personalised print.
A wonderful lady who lives far across the waves, over the horizon, in another hemisphere gave birth to a gorgeous little boy and she asked me to hand-finish an AEgir 1 print with the specific moon that he was born under, to hang on his nursery wall.
The reason that this particular painting spoke to her was because the moon-phase that little Mahlo was born under was that of Tangaroa, the Maori God of the Ocean.
“Māori believe that water is an energy, with many moods. It can be calm and life-giving, or dangerous and destructive. This energy is called Tangaroa – ‘god of the sea’.“
I had already called this painting AEgir - after the divine personification of the ocean from Norse mythology, however, after such a special request and researching deep into the legends of Tangaroa, I decided to change the name of it, in honour of Mahlo and my love for New Zealand - to which I hope to return one day.
The warm palette of blues, and tempestuous energy in the composition, seem to suit stories of the Southern Hemisphere far more than how I imagine a cooler, less impulsive ‘AEgir’ might be.
I love how much a simple personalisation of a picture has taught me - learning of the Maori legends and moon-phases has gifted me with a rich seam of inspiration from which to draw for future work. If you would like a piece personalised somehow - do get in touch and lend me your ideas.
Original picture of the Tangaroa moon phase sent to me that I worked from.
Enlarged image of the moon ready to transfer onto the A1 print with graphite paper.
After transferring guidelines to work within I layered up the gold leaf - working vigorously into areas that I wanted to depict the shadows and craters of the surface, and adding extra layers for the light to catch upon areas that represented higher ground.
The whole print ready to be signed, embossed, rolled and tubed.
And so it arrived on the other side of the world, ready to be put up and gazed at by a very special little boy for many years to come.
Click through here to share your vision and create you own hand-finished print.