Belladonna

17.3" x 14.2"/44 x 36cm

Oil on aluminium panel

2024

Available at Quirky Fox Gallery .

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Belladonna means 'beautiful lady'. The ladies of the past found that allowing drops of the extract of the plant to fall into their eyes caused the pupils to dilate, making their eyes appear more alluring. But the belladonna plant is also known as deadly nightshade, because it is a highly poisonous plant. Even honey made by bees, feeding solely on the belladonna flowers, is toxic. Just as with everything in life, the line between benefit and damage is all about the quantity. In small doses atropine, the active ingredient in belladonna, is a life saving drug. In larger doses it's a poison. The chaffinch is a symbol of personal growth and discovery, which often involves having to take our figurative medicine. How much we take, and our willingness to enter into the risk, is our choice.