'Snakedance'

Dr Who painting by Roger Shore

In essence, this Peter Davison story is a remake of the final Jon Pertwee Doctor Who story called “Planet of the Spiders”. There are many parallels with many of the elements being the same. A great crystal is at the heart of both stories; in "Planet of the Spiders” it was the missing link to allow the Great One to have absolute power. In "Snakedance" the crystal would have allowed the Mara absolute power as well. Buddhism is also predominant in both stories as well emphasizing the power of the mind and the battle between good and evil.

Both stories using the past to shape the future and societies that have become stagnant and arrested cultures. In researching the story I originally planned to base my Doctor Who painting around Tegan (who had been possessed by the Mara) but in doing so I came across a great shot of Nyssa which worked on a number of levels. Her blue dress added a lovely touch. Being blue the same as the crystal. Her character is the essence of purity and innocence. Something that could not be said of the Doctor or Tegan. The background sky and the setting echoing the tranquil repose that the Doctor was trying to achieve to beat the Mara. The blue colour becoming the dominant colour theme throughout the painting.

I felt the final image captured the idea of solitude and tranquility with the predominant colour of blue enhancing the effect. A case of starting off with one idea and ending up going in a totally different direction. Yes I could still do an alternative painting with Tegan but I’m happy with what I achieved.

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