Over the weekend the painting of the Goddess began. Before arriving on Sunday morning, the artists had boiled up some glue made out of tamarind seeds and water. This sticky (and quite pleasant smelling)light brown mixture was then mixed with a little clay and painted over the figures to seal them and to make them white. Powdered natural paints were then mixed with water and applied to the goddess as a base coat, with another coat just being applied this morning (monday).

The pictures below show the stages followed.

Each of the figures is accompanied by an animal, and are sometimes even seen riding around on them! In our images being created in Oriel 1, Kartikeya is sitting on a peacock, and Durga has one foot on a lion, the other figures have small animals next to them: Sarasvati has her swan, Lakshmi an owl, and Ganesha a little mouse.

There are many different stories behind the symbolism of the mouse, some say that the mouse represents wisdom or the intellect as, owing to its size, it is able to enter places that no one else can and it also teaches us to remain alert. I have also read that the fire god Agni was once terrified of Shiva's rage and turned into a mouse so he could hide underground! Do you know of any other stories behind the mouse or any of the other animals? Please let me know!

Below are a few images which show you the process of making hands fit for a goddess!

I have been away from the gallery for two days, and the Gods and Goddesses have been transformed! The artists are very near the end of this stage, and once the clay dries the painting and decorating begins!

All the figures now have hands and feet and are now looking all smooth (with the help of cotton on top of the clay) and more refined. Have a look at the photos below, and don't forget to come and visit the artists before the 4th April!

Bob wythnos byddaf yn gosod lluniau newydd o fy mhlanhigion - wrth iddynt dyfu! Ebostiwch eich lluniau ata i.

Diweddariadau wythnosol:

23/03/09 Throughout this week all of my daffodils have opened. They are all standing proudly in my garden, the tallest measures 35cms in height. Many more of you have reported your daffodil flowers opening this week and finally your crocuses have opened too! See the flowering dates and map to compare other schools with your own. This is the last week for recording temperatures and rainfall - so please send in all your records before the Easter holidays then I will send you your certificates on the 5th of April.

17/03/09 My 1st daffodil opened today!

04/03/09 Mae llawer o flodau fy nghrocysau wedi ymddangos ac mae fy nghennin Pedr yn torri bol eisiau tyfu hefyd. Cymerais ychydig o ffotos agos heddiw o'r crocysau achos eu bod yn edrych mor bert - gyda gwlith drostyn nhw.

Dwi wedi edrych yn fanwl ar y dyddiadau blodeuo ar gyfartaledd eleni a gweld mai'r cennin Pedr sy wedi agor yn gyntaf mewn llawer o ysgolion. Mae'r crocysau dim ond wedi blodeuo mewn dau le - fy ngardd i ac Ysgol Burton. Fel arfer, y crocws sy'n agor yn gyntaf? Edrychwch ar y map a'r dyddiadau blodeuo

23/02/09 Today, my 1st crocus flower opened! Lots of other flowers have shot up too - but only one has actually opened. In the sunlight you can see through the petals to see the orange anthers inside. My daffodils have grown quite a lot this week, the tallest is now 18cms tall. Have any of your flowers opened yet?

19/02/09 Bore da Gyfeillion y Bylbiau! Croeso'n ôl o'ch ysbaid hanner tymor. Yn f'ardd i mae pethau wedi dechrau tyfu ag awch. Mae egin gwyrdd bach, bach wedi troi'n flodyn porffor prydferth. Dyw hi ddim wedi agor eto - pan mae'n edrych fel hyn dylech chi anfon dyddiad y blodeuo yn syth i'r wefan. Wedyn bydd symbol blodyn yn ymddangos uwchben eich ysgol ar y map a bydd y dyddiad blodeuo ar gyfartaledd ar gyfer eich ysgol yn ymddangos ar y siart flodeuo.

Yn Ysgol Burton, yn Sir Benfro mae un o'u cennin Pedr eisoes wedi ymagor - fel arfer y crocysau sy'n cipio'r blaen. Bydda i'n gwylio fy Nghrocws i bob dydd o hyn ymlaen i weld ydy e'n blodeuo. Gobeithio byddwch chi'n gwneud yr un fath!

10/02/09 Mae'r egin erbyn nawr yn 2-3cm. Mae hyn yn fach ar gyfer yr adeg o'r flwyddyn oherwydd i'n gwanwyn fod mor oer. Yr un adeg llynedd roedd blodau'r crocws eisoes wedi ymagor ac roedd y cenin Pedr yn 11cm!

Pa eginyn yw p'un? Mae gan eginyn y genhinen Bedr flaenau llyfn, crwm, gwyrdd golau. Maen nhw'n lletach o lawer na blaenau egin y crocws. Mae egin y crocws yn gul a miniog ac maen nhw fel arfer yn ymddangos mewn clystyrau o bump. Mae gyda nhw ymylon gwyrdd tywyll sy'n gwneud iddyn nhw edrych ychydig yn streipiog.

03/02/09 Eira ymhobman heddiw, hyd yn oed yng Nghaerdydd! Nid yw'r cyffion wedi tyfu llawer yr wythnos hon, a nawr maent wedi'u gorchuddio a haenen o eira.

Dewch yn ol yr wythnos nesaf i weld faint mae nhw wedi tyfu.

Athro'r Ardd

Nôl i SCAN

Mae'r ffigurau i gyd efo gwynebau nawr! Mae alarch i gael efo Sarasvati, ac rydych hefyd yn gallu gweld siap paun Kartikeya.

I have now been informed that ‘Ganesh’ should be spelt with ‘Ganesha’, so please accept my apologies!

Ganesha has four arms and the head of an elephant, with those big elephant ears enabling him to hear the needs of his people. The multiple arms demonstrate Ganesha’s immense power and ability to perform several acts at the same time. This deity brings good luck and clears all obstacles and is therefore worshipped before important events and rituals.

If you look at the picture below you will see that Dibyendu Dey and Purnendu Dey have now covered the straw structure with clay and the image of Ganesha can be clearly seen. He is looking truly impressive!

Dibyendu Dey and Purnendu Dey have been working hard in Oriel 1 and a great deal has been accomplished in the last couple of days. The hay structures of Durga (along with the lion she is sitting on and the buffalo demon), Ganesh, Lakshmi, Sarasvati and Kartikeya are pretty much complete and Sarasvati even has the beginnings of her musical instrument! (I’m not sure at the moment if it’s a sitar or a veena, but will let you know!)

Visitors to the gallery have been enjoying watching the artists at work and Anuradha Roma Choudhury, the interpreter for the project, is on hand to chat to everyone about the work and the iconography behind it. Make sure you come by and have a look!

Here are some more photos of the work so far!

Dros y pythefnos nesa yn Oriel 1, Sain Ffagan mae dau artist o India: Purnendu Dey a Dibyendu Dey, yn mynd ati i greu delw o’r Dduwies Hind?aidd Durga. Bob dydd bydd lluniau ychwanegol ar y blog ac adroddiad bach i chi gyd cael gwybod sut mae’r gwaith yn dod yn ei flaen! Wrth gwrs, mae’n llawer gwell os ydych yn gallu dod draw i’r Oriel i weld yr artistiaid wrth eu gwaith. Mae’r ddau artist yn gweithio trwy’r dydd yn yr amgueddfa, a bydd cyfle i chi gael siarad efo nhw a’r dehonglydd rhwng 11.30 a 12.30 a 2.00 a 3.00 bob dydd. Am rhagor o wybodaeth edrychwch ar wefan yr amgueddfa.

Ddoe dechreuodd Purnendu Dey a Dibyendu Dey ar eu gwaith, felly dim ond y gwaith paratoi sydd wedi cael ei gyflawni hyd yn hyn: maent wedi adeiladu cefnlenni allan o bren a mae papur wrthi’n cael ei mwydo mewn bwced o dd?r. Edrychwch ar y lluniau isod i chi gael weld beth sydd wedi digwydd mor belled!