My work explores female experience, personal and universal combined with my interest and fascination in myth, folklore and identity. Current works use symbolic imagery from the natural world, birds, fish and plants. Nature and the ‘wild self’ is never far away from the core of my work. Each portrait offers a glimpse into the world of the artist but also into women’s myriad stories/roles and connections. I use acrylics and mixed media on paper, board or salvaged wood. Recent works are made using book pages, collaged papers, fragments from the past, reconfiguring them in the present. I have a print browser and range of original handmade cards.
2025
Lyn Hodnett
Artist Statement
‘Morning Glory’ - Acrylic/Mixed-Media on Board. 21 x 23cm. Morning Glory, Bindweed, Brides Gown, there are many folklore names for this tenacious wild plant. The mother figure in the painting is visited by a blackbird messenger and a small doll figure from a fairy tale called Vasilisa the Wise. They are symbols of protection, passing on wisdom through female knowledge and intuition.
'Deep Water'. Acrylic on Board. 18 x 23cm. Life began in the depths of the ocean. People still feel a great affinity to water. Some feel that being submerged is a place of renewal and reconnecting with nature. In this painting, the female figure is submerged and although the water is deep, the fishes are keeping her company.
‘Black Birds, White Hen’. Acrylic on Board 33 x 53cm. Blackbirds have a connection to intuition and change, blossom trees suggest new beginnings. In myth, blackbirds are often seen as helpers in the unknown. In the painting, the girl in white, cradles a white hen. A white chicken symbolizes innocence and a fresh start, representing a nurturing and protective spirit as she embarks on life’s journey.
‘Time Flies’- Acrylic/Mixed-Media on Board. 31 x 40cm The female figure stands stoically as three ravens fly around her, dandelion clocks symbolic of fleeting time. Ravens represent life changes and adaptability; they symbolise transformative nature. Time brings change and new opportunities. Accepting that the death of one phase of life brings the birth of another.