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One of the gifts of this creative journey has been experiencing ah-ha moments held within seeds of inspiration as those of living fractals, such as with this mandala. I explored this image in congruence with the 1,024 hands beeswax mandala; as the layers of dye were drying on the Hands mandala, I was overcome with inspiration to explore the same ancestral geometric template, except instead of using hands as a representation of each ancestor, they became points of light: 8-pointed stars.  I was so amazed to witness the unfolding of these tiny stars enveloped within a larger fractal of the same geometry. What was even more amazing to me was to realize that this geometry also held the template for creating a thousand-petalled lotus, which represents the Crown Chakra.
It felt like the most amazing gift to witness its blossoming one tiny brushstroke at a time. “Ancestral Loom/Sahasrara” 29” x 29” Silk Dye, Beeswax, Frankincense, Rosewater and Ink on Arches 2021 On view at @as220galleries through 9.25.
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This 28” square ancestral healing mandala surprised me in ways I couldn’t have imagined. It was created working from light to dark, adding progressively deeper hues of indigo, with each layer of shape masked off with beeswax. The process itself led me to touch into all 1,024 ancestral hands not once but three separate times as I added in individual palm and finger prints using a thin brush of hot wax. I had sketched, tested, and planned this design in such a way that all of the left hands would hold a pearl of light as bright as the paper’s surface, and the right hands were placed in support of the left, progressively fading into blue in the outer perimeter. I had been practicing this technique for years in my self-taught silk painting, and while I was nervous attempting such a big undertaking, I also had a certain amount of confidence in that I had done everything I could to prepare, and now it was time to take a leap of faith and apply my practice towards this bigger vision that I had been dreaming about and meditating with for the last 18 months.  By the time the final layer of indigo dye had dried and it was time to iron off all of the wax to witness the image reveal itself for the first time, I was elated. It was one of the most fulfilling moments of my creative career in that, I had attempted this very piece on multiple occasions and kept falling short: it felt like my brain simply could not hold the demands of the geometrical and mathematical aspects of the image alongside with the elements of mystery and flow that comes through the incorporation of hot/cool and wet/dry- all this, along with PATIENCE.
As I slowly removed the ironing paper and witnessed the revealing for the first time, I realized that countless hours of my devotion to each hand’s significance had dissolved into a sea of blue. The majority of depth and dimension that I had practiced for so long to create was lost. But what felt so fulfilling for me was to realize that I was Ok with this. The painting was not a failure; it was simply a byproduct of my devotion to the process. The process was my prayer, and the painting is forever imprinted on my heart. I’m encouraged to keep trying. Ancestral Study/7 Generations no. 28 28"x28" Indigo dye, Frankincense, Rosewater, Beeswax on Arches 2021 On view at AS220 115 Empire Street through September 25, 2021. When the pandemic began, I started hearing Joseph Campbell’s phrase on repeat in my mind: “follow your bliss, and you’ll be met with the support of 1,000 unseen hands.” For years I had been drawn to these types of quotes about pursuing what you love, but none of these offerings ever made it past the fear barricades in my cognitive mind. In other words, the concepts felt inspiring, but disembodied. I realized I wouldn’t stop hearing this phrase unless I tested it out for myself. Could I truly follow my bliss and feel supported at the same time? What *was* my bliss, and what did it actually feel like in my nervous system to feel safe and supported?  These two questions became the compass and bearing for the journey ahead. I began a daily practice of establishing neurocircuitry of safety and support within my own body. Multiple times a day, I would pause and breathe and imagine the physical touch of hands offering support, and I practiced letting myself fully take in this feeling of love that I thought at the time was purely imaginal.
Eventually, it got to the point where I was imagining and sensing an entire field of supportive hands in 360 directions. I could move, leap, fall in any direction and still feel held. This practice offered a sense of liberation and freedom unlike anything I’ve ever experienced. Months in, as an interest in ancestral connection began awakening in me, I was awestruck to realize that these 1,000 hands Campbell spoke of held a close correlation with Seven Generations. I started being pointed towards epigenetics and ancestral healing in my meditation studies. I began learning more about indigenous cultures who held the interest of Seven Generations at the forefront of their decision making. I started being shown so many ways that these concepts could marry as visual meditations that were just as healing for me to create as they were to share with the world, and I came to know these intimate, synthesizing moments of creation as those of Bliss. I never could have imagined how this path of inquiry would lead to such intimacy and awe. Ancestral Study No 13/1,024 hands 7”x7” Acrylic 2021  After twelve incredibly expansive and illuminating weeks, abundant with lessons in every twist and turn, this channeled representation of one of the Hermetic dragons — the World Healer, the avatar of wisdom, has found its home with WorldChangers Media, an AMAZING organization committed to delivering "superior-quality transformational nonfiction by, and for, the next generation of thought leaders, conscious entrepreneurs, creatives, and industry disruptors."
In my rabbit hole of research for this phenomenal commission, I was particularly taken with a concept I came across of Dragon as being an even higher embodiment of the Phoenix, particularly the Rainbow Dragon. This was the frequency I chose to embody and connect with throughout the duration of the work, yet it was only when I surrendered the outdated narratives within my mental body that I could truly feel connected to this energy within the creative process. As such, this painting became an *incredibly* potent teacher for inspiring a deeper dive into embodiment practices. Through this discovery process, I came across many new teachers, including the work of Dr. Sue Morter, who I later learned my client actually supported in the evolution of her book that I’m reading now titled The Energy Codes (!!!)- and as I pursue studies with Dr. Sue in greater depth, I'm grateful to feel so reawakened in my yoga practice and teaching, as well as in my creativity! While I would probably really enjoy writing an entire BOOK on all of the layers of meaning woven into this piece, my wish at this point is for viewers to simply observe and note their own inner experience when connecting with the image. There is no right or wrong way to perceive- there is only your Presence, and my wish for people receiving this work is to simply see and feel and BE in Presence. Bryna Haynes, thank you SO much for this incredible opportunity to embody this inspiration; to be enlivened and transformed through this work. May its highest intentions contribute to the collective healing and inspiration of Humanity and of Gaia herself. 48"X60", Acrylic on Canvas, infused with ancient sacred oils of Frankincense, Myrrh, Galbanum, Hyssop, and Cistus. Timelapse video of the painting creation available here. Prints available at https://www.etsy.com/.../rainbow-dragon-painting-hermetic...
What this painting asked of me became incredibly powerful medicine. Its unfolding allowed me to fully anchor into in a field of grace as one of my nearest and dearest soul friends crossed over into the next plane. I felt her with me in every brushstroke: effortless, at ease, and totally ensconced in joy, love, and a radiant, mysterious sense of adventure that echoed a deep sense of familiarity
Imagery of hands offering support in all directions has been evolving with me since the beginning of the pandemic.
As so much of the world that I knew, and the facades I identified with, began to drop away, I became inexplicably drawn to the circle and the color indigo as a means of self-soothing. Meditating on this singular shape and color was a way for me to establish a sense of certainty within myself, to feel anchored within the chaos and not-knowing that felt so overwhelming. The circle is one of the most ancient symbols used by humanity to communicate; it was utilized long before written language came into existence. As such, connecting with the circle connects us with the very roots of our evolution as a species: a sense of deep interconnection and belonging that has been with us long before we arrived. While the wisdom of the circle is both ancient and timeless, Carl Jung was the first westerner to observe and document how people naturally gravitate towards circular shapes during times of upheaval and transformation. He began working with the mandala as a means of understanding his own individuation as well as that of his patients. Resting within the mandala (Sanskrit for “sacred circle) allows both the viewer and creator to access a sense of calm within chaos; it is a powerful tool of the subconscious for calling back fragmented parts, of inviting wholeness and a sense of timelessness. Ancestral Study no 13, 7”x7” acrylic on paper. Influenced and inspired by late mentor Richard Yarde, a connection who years later is my greatest gift from my studies at Umass Amherst. This particular image is a representation of all 1024 hands that comprise the 7 generations of the 512 people that have formed and shaped your unique genetic imprint. You exist in the center of the golden Vesica Piscis. It is a portal into ancestry both past and future, spanning seven generations in both directions of linear time. Working with this imagery connects the viewer with the whole of humanity and what’s known as Seven Generations principle: a sacred philosophy honored by many indigenous cultures, a vital code of ethics that is crying out to be remembered.  Ouroboros is one of the oldest mystical symbols in the world. While the etymology comes from the Greek for “tail eater”, ouroboros has been depicted as early as 1600 BC in ancient Egypt and is even included in King Tut’s tomb.
The premise of a snake or dragon consuming its own tail symbolizes wholeness and infinity; it speaks to the natural cycle of destruction and creation, representing the unity of all things material and spiritual, which never disappear but perpetually change form. In Jungian psychology, ouroboros is an archetype of the process of individuation. One of Jung’s most frequently quoted phrases that I often reference in my teaching speaks beautifully to this phenomena: “Until we make the unconscious conscious, it will rule our lives and we will call it fate.” Individuation is the process of bringing the unconscious parts of ourselves to light; a welcoming in of all the aspects of ourselves that have been repressed or denied: individually, culturally, societally. Through this process of excavation, illumination, and integration of these denied parts- the self that feels inadequate, the self that feels ashamed, the self that compartmentalizes feelings, the self that feels like a burden to others, the creative self, the playful self, and so on...we call back our Soul’s divine birthright to inner harmony, wholeness, and connection to the unified field of Grace. This piece came to me like a flash of lightning and was completed over Easter weekend on 4/4. It features one of my beeswax ancestral mandala studies, heavily inspired by late mentor Richard Yarde, and includes 44 beings/88 hands- numbers that weren’t pre-planned, but ones that I learned afterward hold powerful vibrations of healing. 20”x20”, mixed media on canvas, 2021Ouroboros is one of the oldest mystical symbols in the world. While the etymology comes from the Greek for “tail eater”, ouroboros has been depicted as early as 1600 BC in ancient Egypt and is even included in King Tut’s tomb. The premise of a snake or dragon consuming its own tail symbolizes wholeness and infinity; it speaks to the natural cycle of destruction and creation, representing the unity of all things material and spiritual, which never disappear but perpetually change form. In Jungian psychology, ouroboros is an archetype of the process of individuation. One of Jung’s most frequently quoted phrases that I often reference in my teaching speaks beautifully to this phenomena: “Until we make the unconscious conscious, it will rule our lives and we will call it fate.” Individuation is the process of bringing the unconscious parts of ourselves to light; a welcoming in of all the aspects of ourselves that have been repressed or denied: individually, culturally, societally. Through this process of excavation, illumination, and integration of these denied parts- the self that feels inadequate, the self that feels ashamed, the self that compartmentalizes feelings, the self that feels like a burden to others, the creative self, the playful self, and so on...we call back our Soul’s divine birthright to inner harmony, wholeness, and connection to the unified field of Grace. This piece came to me like a flash of lightning and was completed over Easter weekend on 4/4. It features one of my beeswax ancestral mandala studies, heavily inspired by late mentor Richard Yarde, and includes 44 beings/88 hands- numbers that weren’t pre-planned, but ones that I learned afterward hold powerful vibrations of healing. 20”x20”, mixed media on canvas, 2021 Who else has experienced the phenomena of “becoming nobody” through a creative practice? Simultaneously dissolving from your self and feeling intimately connected with the whole of aliveness itself. It’s the way I feel in nature, too! It’s what lights me up! Let me know in the comments :) 🗺 🌌 🎨
Original hummingbird heart chakra painting available on Etsy or via email. Full video on my YouTube channel. In this video, I share how as a professional artist and creativity coach, I work with hummingbird energy and the heart chakra through my artwork as a tool for cultivating inner resilience, joy, and vitality during challenging times. This mixed media painting features a dreamlike topographic map background that holds the container for the vibrant floral, hummingbird energy. Save 10% on nature-inspired artwork, yoga mats, and enchanting original paintings with code YOUTUBE. Original mixed media hummingbird artwork available here. Heart chakra hummingbird floral art prints available here.  Something I feel isn’t discussed enough in the “follow your dreams” space is the incredible amount of trust and faith in the unknown that this path demands. These are qualities that anyone hungry enough can develop within themselves. It requires:
-an acceptance of your worthiness to dream, -a willingness to show up for your dream, -a fortitude for taking action on the dream no matter the approval or acceptance from others, -and a tolerance for being square in the middle of the discomfort of having no guarantee of outcomes of the dream- simply doing something for the sake of how it feels to be connecting with that which brings you joy, meaning, or vitality. Many days this requires an hour by hour, sometimes even breath by breath reminder as we decondition paradigms of scarcity and not-enoughness, and recondition an inner knowing and sense of aliveness. It’s a discipline and practice that Elizabeth Gilbert says must be held both seriously and lightly. I love the paradox of this truth. >>>What else would you add to this list?<<< let me know in the comments. ---- Links to the beautiful acrylic painting originals of Southern Spain Mountainscape and Cosmic Saraswati Peacock as seen in image above from my home art studio :) |
Joanna Elizabeth
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