Sunday, January 15, 2012

Altarpiece 1: Jaguar


Happy Sunday! I skipped my usual Random Stuff Saturday because I was busy completing this painting. It is a "vision painting", meant as an altarpiece, which was "commissioned" by the spirit depicted and which contains elements of both my personal visions and the legends associated with him.  This, obviously, is Jaguar, Sun of the Underworld and a potent spirit whom I am privileged to know. This painting will be censed with copal daily for 21 days before being framed and hung above my altar. 

Vision paintings are almost the only artwork I do anymore. A spirit I am working with (or one a friend, loved one or client is working with) generally sends me visions of the "portrait" they would like, we negotiate specifics and I get to work. If the work is for a client, I will go on journeys to contact their requested spirit until I have a proper image of what is wanted. I usually work in intense trance, spending up to five hours at a sitting working on the piece with it feeling like one (except for how tired I am!) The Divine is my Muse, and I absolutely love creating art that acts as both altarpiece and offering.

2 comments:

  1. I personally have the same relationship with the Deer God. (who appears to me as a large luck with a skull for a face and ancient, huge antlers.)

    http://tracingpaperclouds.deviantart.com/gallery/#/d3goh1p was done for him, and he snuck into http://tracingpaperclouds.deviantart.com/gallery/#/d3kep1k and AGAIN into http://tracingpaperclouds.deviantart.com/gallery/#/d468oj5 Lol. I'm glad this is apparently a Shamanic thing.

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