Circe Invidiosa - The Irony

You may know the story behind the JW Waterhouse painting Circe Invidiosa, if not let me cut to the chase.

The sorceress (Circe) is furious (Glaucus has refused to become Circe's lover) and decides to take revenge, not on Glaucus, whom she decides she loves, but on the innocent Scylla. Circe Invidiosa (jealous Circe) prepares a terrible potion and pours it in the grotto where Scylla goes to bathe. As soon as Scylla steps into the pool, the 'water around her groin erupts with yelping monsters'. Seven dogs' heads rise snarling out of the sea. Scylla screams and tries to slap them away. But every blow causes her pain because they are part of her. Her lower limbs have become horrible man-eating dogs.

I was using the JW Waterhouse painting as inspiration for my own photographs.  I mixed up a batch of lemon-lime Kool-Aid, representing the potion whipped up by Circe, which was poured into the pond that was teaming with life.  Life ranging from large frogs and goldfish to invisible microbes feeding on animal and plant wastes.  In the course of the photography session, I fell into the stream of pond water and cut my elbow.  Not much blood exited the wound but a threshold was created.  Mana, the model, and I finished the session wet and having the odor of the pond emanating from our bodies.

As I worked the next day, I felt hot.  I was constantly drinking water, as if to put out the fire.  I didn't have access to a thermometer but I was sure I had a fever.  My elbow as quite swollen and the area from my elbow to my wrist was warm, really warm.  I knew I had a bacterial infection.  Experience!  I took some anti-inflammatory pills before bed.  I needed to seek professional medical attention the next day.  I just finished the ten day supply of antibiotics.

So there I was photographing the scene in which a sorceress is poisoning a pond so that monsters will replace the lower half of an unsuspecting female foe when she baths in the water.  Contrastingly, I had a model pour unsweetened Kool-Aid, some people may call poison, into the water of a pond.  I then cut myself when I fell into the pond water, monsters then entered my body and began to poison my blood.

Ironic, wouldn't you say?

Circe Invidiosa III

I was having problems finding the correct color liquid for the potion in the image.  While I was doing online research and racking my brain I saw my son had a gallon of Hawaiian Punch.   He paid less than $2.00 for the gallon.  That is less expensive than Gatorade.  That got me thinking.  Maybe there were other liquids besides Gatorade and auto anti-freeze that will match the green color.  (I didn't, and still don't, think anti-freeze was/is a good idea to pour into a pond filled with fish, tadpoles and frogs.  I have heard that two tablespoons of anti-freeze is enough to kill child.  A drink might be a better idea.)  He bought the Hawaiian Punch at WalMart.  I got into my car and headed that way.


While in the drink aisle at WalMart, I found a green Hawaiian Punch and thought I hit the jackpot.  Holding the bottle up to the fluorescent lights, I saw it was not transparent.  I need a green transparent liquid.  I continued to scour the shelves for my green liquid.  Then, down on the lowest shelf, I spied packets of Kool-Aid.  Lemon-Lime Kool-Aid in unsweetened packets @ $0.20/packet.  Each packet makes one half gallon.  I figured I need one gallon just to fill the bowl.  So, I purchased four packets.  A good price for my green liquid.  I also purchased a box of food coloring with the colors, red, blue, yellow and green.  If the color of the Kool-
Aid isn't quite right I can adjust it with the food coloring.  I was feeling pretty good when I left WalMart.

At this point in time, except for actually making the drape/chiton with Stitch Witchery and mixing up a batch of Kool-Aid to get the color correct, I believe I have my props.  It shouldn't take too much time but, I need to get busy.

LINKS

Circe Invidiosa

Circe Invidiosa II

Time is drawing near to the photo session date of Sunday Sept 4.  I have most of the props except a drape/chiton and green liquid for the poison.  I was searching for green food coloring in sufficient quantity to color a few gallons of water.  One restaurant supply house has red and black food coloring by the gallon but I want green.  Supermarkets have the usual home cooking four packs of red, yellow, blue and green each in .25 oz containers.  There is not enough green there for my needs.  If I had thought of it earlier, I could have gotten a large quantity of green food coloring at Amazon.com.  (You know I am old, don't you?)  As of this very moment, I have narrowed my search for Gatorade G2 Rain Lime.  Rain Lime seems to have the correct color I am seeking.  All I need now is to find enough Gatorade G2 Rain Lime in a store or more than one store.  As for the drape, I will visit a fabric store and see what I can find that will work.  I found this silky blue print on Joann's site.  I need to see and feel the fabric before I purchase.

Link

JW Waterhouse - Circe Invidiosa

Circe Invidiosa

Today I visited IKEA and purchased a hand blown bowl and a carafe to use in my Circe Invidiosa project.  (I can visualize the green liquid pouring into the pond now)

I also learned, later this evening, that a threat of a huge hurricane hitting the area.  Last year when I visited the photography location, it was after a heavy rain.  The grass was combed downhill, covered with debris and the grounds were muddy.  In that conditon, unusable for the photography session.  If hurricane Irene comes through over Sat-Sun, the grounds will not have time to recover from the rain.  Only to add to my worries, there is the matter of whether the model will show.  I may have to postpone this project as I did my Equality project.   DAMN!  All I can do is hope for the best.

New Photography Project:Circe Invidiosa

I have been dying to do another personal photography project.  Back in the spring I had the Equality Project in mind which turned into an enormous endeavor and was postponed until next summer.  Now I am working with one model using the John William Waterhouse painting of Circe Invidiosa as my inspiration.

I chose a curvaceous young model.  She still hasn't given me the thumbs up but I am proceeding with searching for my props and looking for a location.  I want a clear glass or plastic bowl as in the painting- wide and shallow.  I also need a dress of a chiton style or a fabric that I will fashion into a chiton type drape.  I have a location in mind but need to visit again to be sure the landscape hasn't changed and the pond is not covered with green algae at this time of year.

I am searching several places for a bowl.  I have looked online at IKEA, Crate and Barrel and Bed Bath and Beyond, Overstock ...  I have also been looking in Lowe's at the lighting displays that are on clearance for a glass diffuser on a ceiling light fixture that could be used as a bowl.  I was also searching for vessel sinks that may be scratched or special order returns for a low price.  There are also a few garage/lawn sales each weekend plus Marshall's, Home Goods and thrift stores to visit.  As for dresses I saw a possible dress at Target but I think I am leaning towards fabric fashioned into a chiton type drape.

In any case, I will be busy in my free time.  I guess it won't be free time, if I am busy.