Skip to main content

Posts

The Last Free Dawn of Fenrir

In Norse mythology, Fenrir is the son of Loki and the wolf destined to kill Odin during the last battle of Ragnarök. Fenrir grew so big that the gods feared him, so they goaded him into allowing them to bind him to test his strength. He broke all fetters, until the dwarves made a ribbon from things which don't exist and can't  be touched.  In order to persuade the wolf to allow the gods to bind him with the last, magical fetter, Týr betrayed Fenrir. He promised to free him if he couldn't break the binding, and agreed to put his hand in Fenrir's mouth to show trust. When Fenrir couldn't break free, the gods refused to release him, and the wolf bit off Týr's hand for his treachery. The gods then left Fenrir bound, and his anger grew and grew, to be unleased upon his enemies during the events of Ragnarök. In this painting, Fenrir is settling down during his last free dawn, unaware that by dusk the gods would have taken his freedom through an act of deceit and betra
Post a Comment
Read more
Recent posts

Ragnarök: Odin & Fenrir

After much procrastination, my latest piece is finally finished and laid out to dry. This time I focussed on some of the men/males of Norse mythology, Odin and Fenrir. It is said that during the events of Ragnarök, Fenrir will break free if his fetters. When Odin rides out to meet him in battle, Fenrir will kill the king of the gods, father of the slain, and lord of inspiration and fury. Ragnarök: Odin & Fenrir Oil on canvas, By Angela Louise McGurk 2022/23 Copyright @ Angela Louise McGurk 2022 It is illegal to edit, sell, or reproduce this artwork without the artist’s written permission.
Post a Comment
Read more

Liminal: The Norse Ladies of the Dead

 My latest piece depicts Freyja, Rán, Hel, and the Valkyries, the ladies associated with the dead and death in Norse Mythology. The painting is also about liminal spaces, the meeting between life and death, or night and day, as well as land, sea, and sky, or earth, air, fire, and water, and between Helheim, Midgard, Vanaheim, and Asgard. It is about the veil, or Bifröst, or the point of transition and transformation where one thing becomes another.  The piece also celebrates the roles of goddesses in not traditionally feminine roles; as the goddesses of warriors, as queens of the afterlife, or as the dealers of fate who drag men down into the sea or select them for Odin’s hall. They are powerful figures who oversee the fates of every living person and their transition into whatever comes after. This piece is oil on canvas. All rights reserved. " Liminal: The Norse Ladies of the Dead ". Oil on canvas, By Angela Louise McGurk, 2021/22. Copyright @ Angela Louise McGurk 2021. It
Post a Comment
Read more

Sunrise over the Ullswater Steamers

Ullswater is possibly named for the Norse god, Ullr. It is the lake where I first went camping with my husband's family, and where I first went kayaking, many years ago. This piece,  a painting of sunrise over the glassy lake and the Ullswater Steamers, is an early birthday present for my mother-in-law. " Sunrise over the Ullswater Steamers ". Oil on canvas. by Angela Louise McGurk, 2021. Copyright @ A L McGurk 2021.  It is illegal to edit, sell, or reproduce this artwork without the artist's written permission.
Post a Comment
Read more

Valhalla

Valhalla is Odin's hall, where half of those who die in battle, and who are chosen by the Valkyries, go to train for Ragnarök. A goat and stag stand on it's roof, and inside the slain warriors fight, fall, and then feast together. " Valhalla ". Acrylic on canvas. by Angela Louise McGurk, 2018. Copyright @ A L McGurk 2018.  It is illegal to edit, sell, or reproduce this artwork without the artist's written permission. " Valhalla ". Acrylic on canvas. by Angela Louise McGurk, 2018. Copyright @ A L McGurk 2018.  It is illegal to edit, sell, or reproduce this artwork without the artist's written permission.
Post a Comment
Read more