chapter xiv: peace

Next up for lunar faces | feminine divine is Hanhepi Wi, also called Hanwi.  She is a moon goddess in Native North American religions, specifically among the Sioux and Lakota peoples. As a goddess of the moon she is intrinsically feminine and represents fertility, dreams, emotions, and transformations. She represents the rhythm of natural cycles. She is also the Goddess of motherhood, feminine power, and watches over women during their monthly cycle.

This was one of my favorite study sessions. Throughout this series, I’ve had friends and family pose as the goddess to give a more realistic body image and position. Through hanhepi I got to photograph a good friend while she was pregnant. It was a really beautiful moment and experience.

While researching this goddess I actually came across a lesson plan for Lakota elementary age students and it tells Hanwi’s story. It’s called “When the People Laughed at the Moon”. It’s a really powerful story, the main theme being jealousy. As a result the judgement given is the sun and moon can no longer share the same sky. If you’d like to read the lesson plan that shares the full story, check out https://www.wolakotaproject.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/01-Hanwi-Moon.pdf

Overall this piece was beautiful and powerful in the research but I found composing the work to be very difficult. So difficult that I put a pin in it to finish at a later time. Later turned out to be 2 years. In the end I’m glad I paused and came back to it because the finished product is so much better.

chapter xii: evermore

Next in my lunar faces | feminine divine series is Anahita.

Anahita was known as the Lady of the Waters and goddess of fertility, worshipped in what’s known today as Iran. At the time, it was the Persian Empire and she was one of the most revered deities of the ancient religions. She is described as a beautiful maiden, strong, tall and pure. She is depicted as wearing a mantle embroidered with gold. As her popularity spread, she picked up attributes to other goddesses of the regions she was brought to, soon becoming associated with the moon.

This is where she crossed into my research. So many of the moon goddesses also have water associations which I find to be incredibly fascinating as the moon has such strong effects on the tides.

Anahita in particular with her strong associations with purity and water led me to create this piece. Bringing forward that regal grace and giving her the pitcher of water she is so often said to be associated with. I loved creating a meteor shower type event with this background while still allowing the moon to be super prominent. I hope you enjoy her as much as I do.

chapter ix: are you ready for it?

It’s been a while guys! I’ve been out with a serious injury to my lower back, subsequent surgery and then we had the arrival of a new family member! Now that my little miracle, Dashel, is in school 3x a week I finally have the time to focus on something more than being a full time caregiver. I am so excited to reemerge into the art world with a renewed sense of passion and creativity. This time away has allowed me to reflect, grow, and gain fresh perspectives that I am eager to incorporate into my work. I am excited to share my new insights and showcase my latest creations starting with my series I’m calling lunar faces | feminine divine.

AL UZZA : the star goddess

fiercely protective and from Arabian mythology

This series that I’ve been working on to get back into art scene has led me down many different research avenues. I’ve been excitedly looking into different cultures and mythologies of moon goddesses and their associated powers and symbols. Many of my friends and family have generously given  their time posing for me, infusing their energy and movement into the study. Each artwork tells a unique story, capturing the essence of these divine feminine figures in a captivating and intriguing way. I am excited to continue growing this series, diving deeper into the rich history and symbolism surrounding moon goddesses from around the world. Each new piece is a journey of discovery and creativity, and I can't wait to see lunar faces | feminine divine come to life.

chapter viii: sad beautiful tragic

This whole pandemic has been a big anxiety inducing creative block. I had huge plans to finish the impossible cities series back in April and get it submitted for all the summer exhibitions. Except now everything is digital and I can’t seem to get the creative juices flowing in order to finish. However, what I’m learning is that I have to work at my own pace and there is no one putting any sort of pressure on me but me. This period of isolation has been a weird one for sure. While I’m having trouble putting material down to create, it hasn’t stopped my future creative plans. I’ve continued to submit my current works to different exhibitions and while they may mostly be digital/not hosting opening receptions/limiting people inside the gallery, they are still happening. In fact, my work The Unexpected was accepted into the ‘Unleashed’ exhibition by the Gallery Underground in Arlington, Virginia.

The Unexpected

detail

So I guess what all of this has taught me is that even when the world feels like its burning down around us, press on. Use those feelings of anxiety and creative blocks to grow my craft in other ways. I’m doing a daily sketch notebook, I’m sculpting, and I’m jotting down random ideas that may or may not turn into something one day. I’m doing anything and everything to move my creative process forward and on days when its too much I turn to something else; baking, gardening, exercise. And as I’m finishing up the Impossible Cities series way behind my internal schedule I will remember to be kind to myself.

chapter vii: wonderland

The last time I was here I told you about my epiphany and the art that came as a result. This is an expansion of that. I am so excited to venture outside of the box that I had put myself into. This new series is an exciting take on the idea of impossible cities. Through this theme I’m getting to explore my favorite materials (hello resin and gold leaf!), plus I am able to research through stories and talking to friends and family about what they would consider an impossible city to be. Through this I’m learning about collaboration and how to grow my interpretation of it.

The subtle color changes in the resin that makes up the clouds gives the illusion of a nighttime view of the castle.

A village of copper buildings within each hollowed tree stacked upon one another but still working within the confines of the forest.

Collaboration is important. I’m learning that it can help the creative process to talk things out—to hear other peoples perspectives. That collaboration, that meeting of the minds is necessary for growth. I’m learning that it doesn’t always require talking to other artists either. Talk to engineers, talk to counselors, teachers, retail workers, nurses, and everyone in between. I’ve started to gather all of these different viewpoints and then interpret it into my own art. There are so many interesting takes on the idea of impossible cities and I would love to hear what you would consider an impossible city to be!

chapter vi: everything has changed

I had this weird epiphany this summer. I realized that I was boxing myself into specific themes for my art and I was therefore feeling very restricted creatively. I was literally holding myself off from creating something because I was telling myself that it ‘wasn’t in my wheelhouse’. That realization came while on a trip to Mackinaw. I was missing Louisiana and biking around one of the islands. This got me thinking about the way water moves through the state—and poof! this idea was born.

Louisiana

These materials tell the story of how a state like Louisiana becomes recognizable with its rivers defining its boundaries

Colorado

When outlining all the rivers and tributaries, Colorado’s state lines become less recognizable.

I almost didn’t pursue making this. I almost talked myself out of it. I almost missed this crazy exciting exploration of water movements and boundaries. Realizing that I didn’t have to be within a certain theme in order to pursue art was a big moment for me. It makes me that much more confident in proclaiming “I am an artist” to those who ask what I do.

chapter iv: call it what you want

All of those chapters leads me to this one. My current life chapter--the one where creation balance is important and overall designs mean something. I've come to realize that I don't have to recreate images of things that already exist because I have started to find my own voice. To design something purely inspired by the story, to extrapolate and interpret through design. This is what I've been searching for in my art.  A way to be a fan of something without just recreating what someone else has already designed.  I'm taking my passion of books and stories and creating my own imaginings around them. Forests of Fiction is the name of the new series. The book pages have taken on new meaning, they are no longer exclusively used as a background. All along I've been intrigued by the use of them as a material, and now that is finally starting to take shape--quite literally.

The Unexpected

“When they depart, they shake hands and embrace like old friends, even if they have only just met, and as they go their separate ways they feel less alone than they had before.”

— Erin Morgenstern, The Night Circus

Into the Unknown

“In a dark place we find ourselves, a little more knowledge lights our way”

— George Lucas, Star Wars

I want to create. I want to learn. I want to continue to grow as an artist and I want my designs to reflect that growth. This is just the current chapter that I'm living. Cheers to whats next. 

chapter iii: speak now

Finding your place in a field that you're passionate about is difficult.  People pretend like there are rules, but there aren't. There is no formula to follow. You have to be genuine. You have to be open. You have to be willing to work and put yourself out there.  You have to be constantly striving for better--not just best.  So I was doing those things (well mostly--openness does not come easily for me); I was being genuine, working, and striving for better. And somehow I made a place for myself in my small community. between all the shows and events people started recognizing my style. it was exciting and terrifying all at the same time.

something blue

“Don’t you just love those long rainy afternoons in New Orleans when an hour isn’t just an hour - but a little piece of eternity dropped into your hands - and who knows what to do with it?”

— Tennessee Williams

don’t look back

“How blessed are some people, whose lives have no fears, no dreads; to whom sleep is a blessing that comes nightly, and brings nothing but sweet dreams.”

— Bram Stoker, Dracula

I was creating these canvases that were intriguing and selling but somehow I was still separated from the creative process.  I was recreating existing designsusing my mixed medium methods. I wanted to be inspired by these things, not just reimagining them.