Ancient Stones & The Sea

I have always been fascinated with the sea and old stones worn smooth by the tides,

 the hidden mysteries beneath the deep ocean and the folklore of mermaids.

Come away with me to a place of mystery, imagination and beauty.  ~rose

Seawater rushing across ancient stones…a remembered dream. ~rose

I am still creating traditional art work as well, but for now I am enjoying the freedom that

mobile photography has given me. The ability to create imaginative, photographic

images while traveling and exploring throughout beautiful Northern California.

Wishing all of you a beautiful, magical Spring! ~rose

 

Work in Progress

Started working on this painting early this morning as the rain came down in a steady rhythm against my studio windows. There is something magical about the early morning hours before the rest of the world wakes up. In those quiet, stolen moments before dawn there is a deep stillness and beauty. I love this time of day!

As I painted I thought about the forest in folklore and mythology and became inspired to create my own version of the lady of the forest. Ideas danced around in my head as I listened to our oak tree let loose an unbelievable amount of acorns on our roof. All the noise reminded me it was time to put the kettle on for tea.

Lady of the Forest – Acrylic/ Mixed Medium – 16 x 20 inches on canvas

“Have a deep respect for the source of life and also for the ocean, for the forest, for the stars and for the truth.” – Unknown

Computer Glitch

It has been an interesting weekend. I’ve been without a computer since Thursday, so I haven’t posted for awhile.

My hubby was able to repair it over the weekend and I am one happy camper to have my computer up and running again. The down time gave me a chance to clean my computer desk which really needed it, and I found a couple of watercolor tubes that have been missing for awhile.

This weekend I found two Mayan masks at a local thrift shop while we were thrifting on Saturday. I was hoping to find a jaguar statue, but there were none to be found. For the Maya the jaguar was a powerful symbol of authority, as well as an integral part of their religion and mythology.

The Maya revered jaguars and often gave their Gods jaguar attributes. They believed the jaguar had the ability to cross between worlds and for them daytime and nighttime represented two worlds. The daytime was associated with the living and the mother earth, and the nighttime was associated with the spirit world and the ancestors.

It has also been said that shamans regard the jaguar as a spirit companion or guardian which protects the shaman from evil spirits while they move between the earth and spirit realm.

As with so many other cultures, the Maya have a vast and rich history of folklore and mythology.

The Guardian – Combined Medium – 8 X 10 inches

“Into the House of the Tapir no one goes. Woven into its walls,
nightblack and amber motifs become anaconda gliding along a
branch of water, jaguar loping across the savannah. The shaman
waits at the entrance, in a dream or trance.” – The House of the Tapir – Jan Conn

Raven Woman

I’ve been working on this painting for a week or so and it’s almost done. The woman here represents a shape-changer, a being which has the power to alter form and bring about great changes in people’s lives.

In her human form she enters an ecstatic state in order to travel away from this reality into the invisible realms which are dream like, flowing, fluid worlds, where time ceases to exist. A place where every nuance, thought, and transformation takes place in the blink of an eye.

The spirit of the raven watches over her, protecting and guiding her through this place between heaven and earth, teaching her various ways to heal her people, as well as how to see through false forms, lies, and tricks of others. Mostly the raven teaches her how to appreciate the humor in life.

Raven – Combined Medium – 8 X 10 inches

“She perches upon the threshold of the worlds, both flesh and spirit” … – Brenna Gwyn