Angel of the Thames

Original oil painting on deep canvas, 45cm x 60cm

I read ‘The Gifts’ by Liz Hyder and was struck by her story of women who sprout ‘angel’ wings - not from a belief in God, but from a deep connection with life around them – the plants, soil, animals and people.

This resonated deeply with me. Illness, recovery, reprieve, and release into the living world has awoken a fierce appreciation of life in all its forms.

Liz’s book also introduced me to the myth of The Angel of the Thames, who appears and consoles in times of trouble. Very fitting!

So this painting was born - a melding of my experiences and Liz Hyder’s ‘angels’. Floating free and benevolent, the angel is surrounded by the flow of air and water and fellow life -  flying geese (symbols of freedom), the Thames below, and if you look closely, some of the plants that grow along the Thames – samphire, glasswort, sea purslane and eelgrass. Her wings are duck wings from a local duck, and the geese are also local to Oxford.