.the left hand of darkness.

I’m done! Dont think I have ever taken so long to complete  a painting. Probably took me only 8-9 hours, over 50 days!

Now, here’s where it gets strange. I had just started reading Ursula Le Guin’s ‘Left Hand of Darkness’ (1969) around the time the need to paint came crashing down on me. I wasnt sure until now if I had read the book before I started painting or after. Le Guin’s novel is set in the future on a planet called Genthen or Winter which has never seen war; this is attributed to the peculiar characteristics of its inhabitants. Long story short, Le Guin is a genius, she takes you on a journey through time and space. Reminds me of the Discworld series. This is the cover of the copy I own,

There were absolutely no similarities and it didn’t cross my mind that the painting was connected to the book in any way. It was only when I looked for an image of the cover, to upload for another post, did I realise how influenced the painting actually is.

Here are the early edition covers that I came across only tonight,

Maybe its just me, but this is pretty awesome! =)