About This Project

I’ve always liked the Pre-raphaelites. That group of painters who, at the turn of the last century, broke the mould and broke with tradition, yet achieved critical acclaim.

More importantly I liked their subject matter which, as painter-story-tellers, brought the mythology of the ancient world to life on canvas.

So, imagine for a moment you’re Zeus, ruler, protector and Greek God of The Sky.

One balmyevening you set eyes upon the young and beautiful-to-behold, Princess of Argos in Peloponnese. Her name is Io (pronounced – eye-o). 

You’re beguiled, besotted and in a cunning ploy, disguised as a cloud, you wrap yourself around Io and seduce her.

How easy was that? You are, after all, God of the Sky. So disguising yourself as a cloud is a pushover.

As was Princess Io.

Problem is you’re already married to the Goddess Hera. Who, learning of your betrayal and youramorous, disguised-as-a-cloud-malarkey, is seriously pissed-off.

Now, of course, this is all myth and legend. And the re-telling of the fable becomes even more muddled by conjecture and hypothesis when the scholars of antiquity can‘t agree on the facts.

Some say it was his jealous wife Hera who, in an act of vengeance, turned Io into a cow. Some say it was Zeus himself!

As this is complete fantasy, reality and veracity go out’ the window.

This painting is my interpretation of the story and the myth of Io and Zeus. As far as I’m concerned conjecture, prevarication, fabrication, falsification and downright lies don’t come into it!

This small, yet majestic, picture – Gods, Myths and Mortals – is my version of the absolute truth.

Not a porky-pie in sight! Not even one disguised as a cloud!