CLEO ON THE NILE

CLEO ON THE NILE

I'm going to take a break from forcing my fingers from doing a tap-dance on the keyboard and give my brain a little time off from thinking up stories to write about and start splashing some paint around on this 32"x60" canvas - attempt to finish the painting over the remaining winter months. 

My Cleopatra is actually Ramona the Belly Dancer all decked out in jewels, posing in her Cleopatra outfit.  As you can, see she is very beautiful and in my personal opinion, Mark Antony would most likely have rather floated down the Nile with her and made her the mummy of his twins.  Historically, I believe Cleopatra wasn't noted so much for her beauty (believe she was on the plain side; right up there with Bertha Butt; she had quite the honker).  And her voice - apparently it had the lilting qualities of a warbling goose during mating season - perhaps that was the attraction because she went to bed with both Julius Caesar and Mark Antony. Rumor has it that her barge was gilded in silver and painted purple (being the royal colour - any other local yahoo wearing the colour purple was beheaded without ceremony). 

Since my mind is often times spaced out, I've placed Cleopatra lounging on her barge, drifting around the world and moon.  And it's not just a barge; it's her own personal a satellite.  On a very clear night after knocking back about a dozen bottles of wine, you just might be able to see her if you have a good telescope. The bird and fish, including her pet fish Julius situated in the corner of the painting, are residents of the Nile or Red Sea.  Would have been silly to have painted an orca and bald eagle - I don't think her barge ever made it as far as the west coast of BC.

I'll keep those of you who are interested in the painting, posted as it progresses - cheers - eh!