Art and Illumination

Snow Melting

Crystalline, white, and pure

intricate, silent, and still

Beauty in every line and every spreading shape.

You and I are one in a sea of millions.

Yet you stand out clear and resolute.

Perfect and pristine

I desire so to touch you

to pull you close

to admire you more

to see the intimate details

My desire is warm and soft

my breath escapes me

If I bare my vulnerability

and reach forward what then

trembling

if I touched you what then

the wind is stirring

if I wait…. what then

time and fate are stirring

and where would we be blown

I desire so to touch you

to pull you close

to admire you more

to see the intimate details

My desire is warm and soft

my breath escapes me

If I bare my vulnerability

and reach forward what then

trembling

if I touched you what then

Posted in Poetry and Prose

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Here is the rose I have been working on. The first close up of a bloom I have done in a long time. It is my favorite rose and I have been craving it’s scent. With any luck I will be able to track down this antique variety and add it to my garden this summer. I especially love quarter blossoming roses and this one is very low maintenance. I will be missing toiling in soil until the weather is warm again, till then I guess I can paint the flowers.

I tried painting on a new surface, a paper that was not made for watercolor and very smooth. I am going to have to play with the paper some more and see if it handles layers of translucent pigment as well as the opaqueness of white gauche. The only draw back to the gauche with such layering is it did not dissolve and reshape with later layers as well as I would like.

Posted in Art Work Completed, Nature

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Ushering in the new!

There are a lot of changes coming in. As many of you know I have been working in three areas with my art. Illumination, Illustration, and Art licensing. That will all continue this year and become more focused. I have chosen a great mentor for the art licensing and am looking forward to start working with her and will share more on that later.

I have a very involved and specific portfolio to finish for a particular agent- would love to be brought on board that group. I am also very very very excited to fulfill a deep passion of mine which is Illumination. I have several things ready to go after the early phase of experimenting with some techniques and organic mediums.

While my art is working and being fueled by a modest increase in business I have found that my work spiritually is also picking up in pace. Creativity is flourishing abundantly again- I am so in love with life again, so I am not surprised. However, as things are evolving and growing I can no longer keep them all mixed together.

Things need their own space.

Shortly into the new year I will be announcing a new home for the art aspect of this blog. All the old posts will remain here, but I will cease publishing my art here. Because so many of you find me through my work with alphabets, symbols, and esoteric philosophy- that will be the focus here. It also fits with the title best.

The design will change completely and the current design will carry to the new address. I will transfer only the art articles over.

This is just a summary and I will post more information shortly before the move is final. I also wanted to thank everyone for all your kind words and emails. That kind of connectivity really fuels my creativity.

I don’t know if I will post again before the calendar new year. In case I don’t I want to wish you all well in the new year! Many of you have been visiting from all over the world for over a year now- or so google tells me. May you all be blessed abundantly with the deepest peace, the most compassionate love, and my your lives my forged in the fires of inspiration!

Posted in Art News

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Letting Go of an Exercise

Today I am celebrating letting go. In doing so, I am sharing a piece of work that will never ever be finished. I realized a certain distance in that it was not going to work out. I could fight it and make it the best I could- but there is no reason to. I have learned what I needed from the exercise and can move on. The next time I come to the subject I will have a keener understanding of process to render the effects for this subject. I will know what NOT to do- that is huge.

I don’t have to finish everything I start, especially when I have finished learning from the experience. Clearly that is not something that could ever apply to commissions.

Just getting to a place where I can accept letting go has been huge. In the past I would just do all I could to force it to be it’s best so to speak. Knowing it was ludicrous to waste the time on it when the lesson was learned and I could move on to more fruitful things. I suppose this happens in life too.

My next step is to throw the bloody things away. I mean why can’t I throw them out?? Well one thing at a time I guess. I know- I will offer them to the next fire we build in the back yard.

Now I am off to scan the image and share the failure- hope it is liberating as I am so anxious about doing it.

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Baby Portrait II

Just finished the last details. I have one more this week and then I will have to decide if I want to paint them in watercolor or oil. I don’t like the smell and fumes of oils- but have been pushed to try water soluble oils.

I worked hard to get the look of soft morning light. Too much contrast changes the mood- not enough is bland. I am always so timid about it, after all once you’ve gone too far you can’t exactly undo it.

I feel this great urge to get everything on my slate finished. Mostly so my painting time at the start of the year can go into working with parchment and egg temperas. I am really really eager to get to that- but can’t throw discipline aside.

Still working at the illustration portfolio and have to work with warriors or beast next. Not exactly my favorites- but at the least I have boys who love the stuff to give good feedback. Would like to pick up my pace- but at least things are moving steadily.

Posted in Art Work Completed

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Murdhuacha of the Kelp Forests – one phase left

Must fix a few areas and work in the others – but happy with the results so far. Next- warriors or beasts.

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Murdhuacha of the Kelp Forests – progress

Most of my painting this last week has been working on this character. I have just finished highlighting the background today as well as layering in the base colors for the figure. The concept sketch of her is below you can click on her image to read the literary sketch. I have not quite tapped into her darker side in the painting yet.

It has been more meditative than painting usually is. In part I imagine because I really have to detach from outcome more when painting backgrounds. That helps me keep from overdoing the background too. After all we have to focus first and most keenly on what is before us.

I have been doing a lot of traveling and taking many more little pilgrimages these last couple weeks as well. I realize retrospectively how much I was wading in the tides. I have been re-evaluating where, how, and when I spend my energy. What comes back and serves my larger goals. What, that does not feed back into the goals, feeds back into my spirit core through emotions or information.

Through this process I have really been forced to listen to my feelings. The whole time I was diving into myself I was trying to paint watery depth. Omission of ones manifesting desire is a wretched and choking thing. Even if you are forced to sacrifice some time, space, or method- stick to the devotion. The energy will multiply when you follow through for your deepest self.

Artist Notes

High quality translucent pigments are a must
300lb paper to avoid cockling with so many washed layers
Pthalo is perfect of transparency and cool watery depth

Posted in Art Work In Progress, Mythical Creatures and Beings

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Chinese Lantern Study

This was a simple exploration of a dry papery texture. I have a few of these I need to post from things gathered from my Autumn hikes. I learn so much from these studies that I am able to apply to the mythological art.

Artist Notes

Damp on damp altering colors to create papery texture
Use light and dark lines to create veining texture
Authentic vermillion pigment as key warm red hue

Posted in Art Work Completed, Nature

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Self Portrait

It has been about ten years since I have done a self portrait, and decided it was about time. It is watercolor and ink about 8.5 x 8.5 inches. The papers texture irked me a bit when painting the skin, but I got over it. Though I wont do portraits on that paper again.

The really challenging part was that I didn’t think about lighting when I took the photo. I had light coming from the lamp infront of me which was neutral white and yellowish light from the windows- made shading a challenge that I feel I could have done a tad better with.

That is the exciting thing about art- it is always enticing you to believe it can actually be tamed and mastered.