Ascension IV: Opening the Gates

Number 4 in the Ascension Series 
This mage has been a long time coming. It has truly taught me what it means to trust divine timing in the creative and personal aspects of my life. Nothing can happen before it is time and despite our own desires to strive and force things into being, to “make it happen,” the reality is that some things in life require longer periods of incubation. No matter how much time we spend wishing things were different or pushing for change, nothing happens until Spirit has appointed its time.

I had initially been introduced to the concept of Auric Gates back in 2018 but did not begin to research them in earnest until I was guided to produce this peace. I had begun sketching images on several occasions but never felt like I had a truly solid understanding of them – so I kept postponing any creative activity until I could gather more data, and continue to do more experiential work with my own gates as part of meditation practices with energy and the chakras. Almost every image I create is grounded not only in research but in my own concrete experiences of the concept, phenomena, energies…that I have been guided to depict.

In this case, I needed the depth that was gained from creating the chakra series and the spiritual growth that resulted from my work with the 7 main chakras for the series. This process is what prepared me with a solid knowledge base and spiritual expansion necessary for me to begin attempting to work with and understand the 5 Gates depicted in this image. The seed had already been planted in 20i8, but it needed more incubation time in the deep rich souls of my Spirit and psyche before it would be ready to sprout.

Ascension IV: Opening the Gates

Although the image above depicts seven symbols only five of them are gates. I bracketed the gates above and below in order to create both visual depth and visual didactics. At a basic level, the gates can be seen as additional chakras, but they differ greatly in power and function. The initial clue lies in the name (Gate). A gate is erected to keep certain things in and other things out. A gate can be locked or unlocked only by those who have the correct key. The five auric gates are centers of divine energy that have been locked within the auric field in order to bind the entire aura together.

The main reason we have an aura is due to the frailty of matter. Without the gates, we would be unable to sustain our physical bodies because the divine energies which animate our flesh could not remain in physical form. Our physical bodies are incapable of holding such high-frequency energies within them, so they are placed within a field that both surrounds and interpenetrates the body. The gates help lock these energies in place and prevent too much additional energy from entering so that we literally do not blow the bio-reactive aspect of our body out – like you would an electrical circuit. We can receive more energies, but we need to do so in a progressive and controlled manner so that our bodies can make the changes needed at the intracellular level to accommodate and safely hold higher frequencies.

Symbolism

Each gate has a particular meaning and purpose which I have symbolized within the illustration. Although some of the symbols depicted appear to be power symbols you may have seen before, if you look closely you will see that mine are similar but not exact copies. I appropriated aspects of those symbols in order to represent these energy fields but my research did not associate any symbol(s) with the gates. It would appear that those who can see them only speak about bans of color with the most extreme depth of colors in the location above the head which is associated with that particular gate. I have developed these symbols for visual effect as representations of these energies. However, the colors associated with each of the symbols are accurate representations based upon my research.

The easiest way to proceed will be to work from the familiar to the unfamiliar. Therefore, I will begin my discussion from the bottom up – starting with the figure and then moving upward through each successive symbol. The figure in the image is engaged in a deep state of prayer or meditation. I chose not to depict the entire body in order to save space and let the viewer decide if the figure is standing, seated, or kneeling. In order to create more visual interest I opted for a bird’s eye view of the figure that provides a sense of deeper intimacy with the figure as we witness this sacred act. He is surrounded by a field of white light that travels down (or up) from the central monad symbolized at the top of the canvas. This light can be seen as both auric energy and sacred anointing. The hands are placed in the devotion mudra or prayer position at the heart, with the head tilted forward in deep blessing and contrition.

The first symbol we encounter is the actual symbol and color associated with the crown chakra. The purple color surrounding the figure is used ot depict the crown chakra which floats about one inch above the top of the head. The 1st Gate (8th chakra) is associated with the color fern green and is referred to as the Soul Star or Halo Chakra. Its purpose is to produce the ethereal body and its energies create the halo effect around the head seen in most ancient depictions of Saints and Ascended Masters. The 2nd Gate (9th chakra) is associated with the color turquoise and is referred to as the Spirit Star. When opened, this gate allows us to commune with Angels and other beings of light. The 3rd Gate (10th chakra) is associated with the color pearl white and is referred to as the Universal Chakra. This chakra merges the masculine and feminine (yin/yang, hot and cool…) energies of our bodies and is responsible for the universal aspects of our being. The 4th Gate (11th chakra) is often seen as a violet-sliver or pink-orange in color. I played around with several color roughs and decided that silver was the best color for this gate, it fits well in the overall color composition and sat well with my intuition. This gate is referred to as the Galactic Chakra. When opened, it allows us to teleport, bi-locate, and utilize other supra-sensory powers. The 5th Gate (12th chakra) is associated with the color gold or a golden multi-colored energy. This gate is referred to as the Divine or Stellar Gateway. When opened, this gate allows us to experience total oneness with the divine and complete union with divine energy.

The final symbol is my own addition. I call it the Universal or Divine Monad. This image encapsulates my understanding of the divine as one, the supreme universal consciousness from which the one emanates out to become the many. I placed the symbol within a field of purple to round out the color composition and it’s association with deep spiritual energies. Each symbol is surrounded by the white pearl color which flows down from the Universal monad infusing each chakra, surrounding the figure, unifying all aspects of the auric field, and simultaneously unifying the entire composition.

 

 

Ascension III: Auric Rising

Number 3 in the Ascension Series

I have placed Auric Rising in the Ascension series but it could just as easily have been categorized as the final summarising image within the Chakra series. The inspiration for this image is both didactic and personal. After my initial recovery from my bout with Covid, I was still struggling with ongoing symptoms and challenges related to Long Covid. My body’s energy levels were sorely depleted and I had no reserves. My mitochondria had become so damaged and depleted that I was literally unable to concentrate for any length of time on daily tasks – let alone find the clarity or energy needed to create.

As many of you know I have maintained a consistent mediation practice for years and my illness had not kept me from at least attempting to continue with my daily practice. In order to combat some of my fatigue and work on building up my energy reserves, I began doing a great deal of focused energy work in hopes of helping my body recover by infusing it with sacred higher vibrational energies. I was also guided toward a meditation technique called the “Warrior’s Meditation” which helps one to develop a greater sensitivity to the body’s total energy field. The exercises which comprise this technique combined with my own rededication to Tai Chi Chuan and chakra meditations helped me to begin re-energizing my body from the inside out. From within the body and outward, I also became much more disciplined with clean eating, a consistent sleep schedule, and daily naps.

The Warrior’s Meditation really helped me develop a much stronger, and more nuanced sense of my own auric field. We (and I) often speak about the chakras as individual vortices but not as an aggregate. Many will speak about the body-mind connection, or the heart and its powerful electromagnetic field that extends outward surrounding the body, but we often ignore or neglect the much higher vibrational energies produced by the interconnected chakras which combine to form the auric field. Both of these systems comprise what we most generally refer to as the body’s energetic field. Most of us can easily get a sense of our electromagnetic field but the auric field requires the development of a much more subtle sense of energy because the vibrations are so much higher.

The more I continued with these practices the easier it became to sense my own auric field and raise my vibration in the process. As the weeks went by and I began to gain more energy reserves the urge to create again grew as well. With this desire came an urge to depict what these energies felt like and how they symbolically connected to the chakras as part of an overarching energetic system. Auric Rising is the result of this outpouring.

Ascension III: Auric Rising 18W x 24H

Symbolism

 The rings around the figure correspond to the seven major chakras we often refer to. Even though the Chakras are counted from the bottom up, I chose to reverse the color order for artistic effect. Most images of the chakra system depict the rings horizontally as they correspond to their locations upon the body. However, I wanted to depict more energetic movement and a more natural, flowing, biomorphic relationship with the human body from which these energies flow. When I was completing color sketches for the image, it became immediately apparent that the deep red of the root chakra surrounding the figure was too overpowering to be placed next to a skin tone successfully – so I placed the cooler blues and purples of the sixth and seventh chakras next to the seated figure in order to provide a cooler contrast against the warmer tones found within the figure itself. I also placed the Merkaba beneath the figure as a grounding device representing another chakra we have that connects us to the earth and binds the bottom portion of the auric field. The figure is seated in the half lotus position with his hands in the prayer position (devotion mudra) as the thumbs touch the third eye point of the forehead. The large monad at the top is my own symbol I developed for God-consciousness, while the other two flame-like symbols are my own symbols for the soul or spirit (both symbols can be found in earlier pieces). The white field around the auric field is what most of us see when we initially begin the practice of auric sight. As our vision expands to accommodate higher vibrational frequencies our vision becomes refracted and we are able to view the individual colors in the chakra spectrum. The oblong shape (aureole) of the auric field is attributed to those who reach enlightenment and become Ascended Masters. Hence the figure appears to be floating or ascending upwards into the higher dimensions of spiritual awareness. The black field at the edges of the canvas symbolizes the still point of creation, the universe which births light out of its own darkness.
 

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Moga Yoga

All three of these images are the newest additions to my ongoing series on yoga, the “Asana Series”. Asana is Sanskrit for “pose” or “posture”. The model for these images was the yogini Maureen Mlller. Check her out on Instagram @mogayoga

Full Lotus – Padamasana
from the “Asana Series”

You may recall that I created a similar image of this pose in acrylic paints about four months ago. Although watercolor is a very different medium with its own character, I still wanted to create interest between the two depictions. In order to do so, I used a more dynamic point of perspective, a slightly different color palette, and simplified the background.   

Half Moon
Ardha Chandrasana
from the “Asana Series”

I find Half-Moon to be a very interesting and dynamic pose. I wanted to find a perspective point that would stress that dynamism while still giving one a good view of Maureen’s entire figure. The symbolic shape used in this image is a combination between a fractal pattern and a more biometric amoeba-like shape. 

Goddess Pose  
Utkata Konasana
from the “Asana Series” 

In this image, I wanted to give a sense of Maureen’s nobility and power. She truly embodies the energy and wisdom of the Goddes and I really wanted to imbue the image with similar quaities.  

OTHER NEWS
As some of you may have heard via social media, I am in the process of recovering from Covid-19. I am still not sure how I contracted the virus and don’t know of anyone else in my networks of association who has contracted it. 
As of this post, I am in my tenth week of recovery and am still not completely well. It has been a long and frightful journey. I was blessed to not be ill enough to need hospitalization, but there were times when I was convinced that I might die alone in my new home. Thanks be to God that I am alive and on the mend!! At present, I am undergoing testing to ascertain if there has been any permanent damage to my brain or other internal organs. Please keep my recovery in your prayers.

Please take this virus seriously and do all you can to keep yourself and your loved ones safe and healthy!

   

Asana Series: Heart Opening Poses

Full Wheel Pose
Chakrasana
from the “Asana Series”

All three of these images are the newest additions to my ongoing series on yoga, the “Asana Series”. Asana is Sanskrit for “pose” or “posture”. The model for these images was the yogi Quamay Sams. Check him out on Instagram @eye.three

The colors I chose for this series are based upon the asana’s connection to the heart chakra: All three of the poses are heart-opening poses that relate directly to the heart chakra (green).

Camel Pose – Ustrasana
from the “Asana Series” 

Quamay is extremely athletic and flexible. He makes these very difficult poses look almost effortless. I really wanted to capture that connection between strength, effort, and stillness. 

Standing Backbend – Anuvittasana
from the “Asana Series”

I really did a lot of sketching to try and figure out how I could make this pose fit within a composition. The shape created by the figure makes it difficult to place the figure in way which doesn’t create blockages in the overall pictorial flow. I used the energy and from Quamay’s pose to create a loop that brings the eye down to the ground and back around to the figure.

OTHER NEWS
As of March 15th, I have officially left Blank Page Studio. The parting is bittersweet but it was a necessary move. I have now moved into a new home that has enough room for me to maintain a studio space and my living quarters under the same roof. 

I am now officially moved in and ready to begin the next stage of my creative journey in this new location. I am not necessarily worried but do need to be careful that I maintain the same level of discipline that I have over the past 6 years maintaining a studio outside of my home.

These new images are indicative of a solid, strong new start. I am now past the halfway mark with the completion of 9 images out of 15. 

My new series has begun!

My new “Asana” series has officially begun!

The image depicted above is the first piece to be completed in my new Asana series. The last time I reached out, I spoke about my intention to begin collaborating with the Yoginis who have formed the entity Black to Yoga – Maureen Miller, Kirsten Rogers, and Zenovia Forbes. 

This initial reaching out led to the completion of three sessions of photos shoots. I shot loads of reference photos for the coming series and completed some sketches for layouts. The images are HOT, and I have been so inspired that I could hardly wait to begin painting! 

The inspiration for the series hit me about 10 years ago. I had only recently been introduced to yoga by a former partner and I was amazed at how much my limited knowledge and intermittent practice had already begun to have a profound effect on me. At my partner’s suggestion, I borrowed her copy of “Light on Yoga” by B.K.S. Iyengar and then began sketching images of various poses I found in some photographic journals on yoga. Some weeks later, in the midst of a sketch it suddenly struck me, “Why aren’t you producing your own images and interpretations of these poses?” and from that moment on,  the fire began to burn. 

As any creative will testify, inspiration is more often than not- a fickle, fleeting, elusive thing. Just like a cat, it rarely comes just because you call it. The lightning of inspiration does strike but you never really know where or when. Hence the reason most of us rush to strike while the iron is hot. But this fire has been burning for almost 10 years!

Every time I wanted to begin working on the images, circumstances always appeared to block my way. I often spoke about it to yoga students and instructors who entered my studio – and some even offered to model for me. But for some reason, the timing and the offers just didn’t feel right. Something in my spirit would not find ease with those opportunities. but I still kept feeling inspired to work on the series. 

However, there is something to be said for waiting.  The deep inner knowing within us always makes its desires known at the perfect time if we are willing to patiently wait, watch, and listen. I now understand the reason(s) for the delay. My heart was in the right place, my intentions were noble and sound, but I lacked the knowledge, sufficient development in my own yoga practice, and internal maturity needed to pursue this project in a manner that would do it justice. Some things can only be learned and developed through trial and experience and I was simply not yet ready. We often don’t know what we don’t yet know.  Thanks be to Spirit for growth, maturity, and waiting!   

This is the first image in the acrylic images of the Asana series (there will be a much larger watercolor series as well). It is a 30 x 30 – inch acrylic image that was begun live during my first attempt at live painting! The image was initiated at “Yoga After Dark” a monthly event conducted by Black to Yoga. I will be the resident “live painter” at these events for the next 3-4 months so come check me out sometime soon. 

The initiated live painting with model Kirsten Rogers

The completed live painting with model Kirsten Rogers

Insight: Knowing the Light Within

INSPIRATION

Working with the 6th chakra has helped me to intimately understand how everything unfolds perfectly within the divine’s right and proper time. It has helped me discover depths of perception and insight as they have come to me in a steady progression that reminds me of the lotus slowly unfolding to the light of day. For me, this progression was initiated with the new year as I underwent a week of prayer, journaling, fasting, and detoxification. My plan was to release the old, and use journaling and other rituals to clarify and visualize what I wanted to manifest for the future. This time of release and invocation provided me with a clarity of presence and a wide field of vision from which to gain a greater connection to my guides, higher self, and spirit. I was praying for the removal of that which no longer served me, and the insight needed to move with inspired direction.

It reminded me that seeing is a passive faculty. It is the eyes that perceive, but the mind that sees. When our eyes are open they only pick-up the emanations of light and energy that are reflected from the matter around us. These reflections are then turned upside down and reversed before being presented to the mind for perception and interpretation. Seeing is truly an inside job. The only true light we will ever know or comprehend is the light we find within – physically and metaphorically.  From this perspective, physical sight can also be considered an exercise in intuition since we never actually “see” the matter we encounter in the world around us – but simply intuit its presence and capacities based upon the reflected light and energy it emits. We must trust what light we perceive and intuitively adjust our actions and behavior based upon those emanations. We walk by faith, not by sight. The more light we allow and open our eyes to perceive, the greater our capacity to gain insight and interpret the world around us. Likewise, the more we are still, focused and passive, the better our capacity to perceive and interpret the light we have allowed within. This is why the 6th chakra is dedicated to sight, perception, and intuition.

My week of prayer and fasting help me to understand how much the mechanics of sight and insight are almost identical to one another physically and spiritually. Our chakras and minds do not perceive divine light – because its substance and vibration are entirely too high, but rather the myriad reflections of its movement that have slowed enough vibrationally for our minds to perceive them. These reflections are always there but we are able to perceive them more readily when we are still, passive, open, allowing, and focused upon receiving them. In my experience last month. This state allowed me to begin opening my self to greater levels of reception, which fostered stronger intuitive insights and a deepening of my faith after receiving them. Part of this process was magnified after my guides led me to sign up for a “28 Day Challenge” online course geared toward deepening one’s connection to spirit, higher self, and guides. This guidance was given one week after I had been guided to begin work on the 6th chakra as the next piece in the series, and 3 days after I had completed my research and begun the actual painting! Everything unfolds perfectly within the spirit’s right and proper time. 

Although sight and insight are passive, these passive faculties activate other aspects of our being which are much more active and projective. The more we deepen and open ourselves to receive, the greater our capacity for output through the use of imagination, visualization, and manifestation. The greater our capacity to receive, the greater our ability to project. This is why it so important that we know the light within. Creation and manifestation are birthed from imagination and visualization. The more light we allow within, the greater our capacity to manifest and create – both spiritually and physically. The 6th chakra is both active and passive as it functions to provide clarity, insight, and intuition, while simultaneously being actively present in the work of visualization and manifestation. 

As a point of clarification, I would also like to point out that the third eye is not synonymous with the 6th chakra. Many people convolute the third eye, 6th chakra, and pineal gland but they are not the same thing. Each is its own separate entity. Just as there are other chakras, the third eye is another form of chakra but it is not the 6th chakra. Any well-informed teacher will confirm this. The 6th chakra and third eye often support one another or work in tandem but they are still very separate. The 6th chakra is located deeper inside the brain at or just above eye-level, while the third eye is located in the front of the head between the eyes or eyebrows. If you spend some time meditating upon the 6th chakra and grow more attuned to it you will begin to notice the subtle differences in the energy of the two.  It also helps to spend some time bringing energy into the 6th chakra from the back of the head until you can become more familiar with the differences.

Although I have not been able to find any definitive statement on the exact function of the third eye, I would postulate that it is exactly what its name suggests – a spiritual third eye or chakra geared specifically toward the reception of spiritual light and energies. It functions as our physical eyes by picking up these energies and transmitting them to the 6th chakra so that they can be interpreted, provide wisdom…and then hopefully used by the 6th chakra for the purposes of imagination, visualization, and manifestation. 

Insight: Knowing the Light Within

SYMBOLISM

This chakra moves us a step further along the color wheel and higher in vibration. We move from the lighter, cerulean blue of the 5th chakra to the deep indigo of the 6th. The closest representation of that blue is found within the graphic symbol of the chakra depicted above the figures head. Because the indigo is so deep and rich, I was forced to integrate other shades of blue into the composition in order to maintain clarity between the deep purple of the 7th chakra and the deep blue of 6th. Sometimes, the eyes can confuse the two hues with black, and/or not clearly distinguish between them when they are so closely placed to one another. I hope to show the whole series together once it is completed and was concerned that patrons might not be able to easily differentiate between the two – so I took the liberty of using my artistic license in order to create a greater distinction between the hues. This is also why I chose to use a somewhat lighter blue for the background color. Even with the white covering parts of it, the deep indigo would have just been too overpowering.

As in the other four depictions, the figure sits upon a lotus flower, The subtle difference here is that this figure is not just in meditation but also in visualization. We have moved from the vibratory matter of the 5th chakra (she was chanting) to the higher vibration of light here in the 6th. Sight and insight are the material of visualization. Her thumbs are placed upon her heart as she somatically connects head and heart through the action of touch. Scientific studies have shown that placing one’s hands upon the heart, and or touching the heart while meditating strengthens the bond between them thus allowing for increased levels of intuition and greater amplitude from the heart itself. 

The graphic lotus symbol above her head contains the Sanskrit character for the chakra and the two petals associated with the 6th chakra. The white of the background is representative of the cosmic ethers waiting to be absorbed and directed.    

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Flowering of the Cosmic Consciousness

INSPIRATION

To tell the truth, I’m really not sure where this is going? I have been doing a great deal of reflecting in the past few weeks and am in a constant state of awe and gratitude for my present way of being. My decision to pursue my dreams of being a full-time artist has also placed me in the unique position of starting my life all over again. I have literally been given (and co-created) an opportunity to re-create myself and my life. I sit at the potter’s wheel before a massive piece of clay that is ready to be formed into whatever image I desire. But what do I wish to create? What is the quality and content of my vision? I am totally free to fashion and create my life into anything I would like it to be. But this too is a position of both awesome freedom and great responsibility.

I have spent the last few weeks reflecting deeply upon my past, letting go of regrets, forgiving myself for wrongs inflicted upon self and others, examining the present moments, and thinking critically about who and how I want to be in the world. The decisions I make now, and the things I begin to manifest will become the building blocks of my new future – and this realization fills me with terror and exhilaration. But my past and its lessons are also still with me. These experiences have provided me with enough insight to understand that I cannot create a truly new and better future by operating with the same habits and levels of consciousness that have brought me to this moment. I must take a leap both artistically and spiritually. In order for lasting positive change to occur, one must not only know better but BE better!  Creating lasting change is an inside job. Without inner transformation, there can be no lasting and authentic manifestation. It is this realization which has caused me to spend the last few months meditating upon the crown chakra.

There can be no conscious creation without a corresponding change in consciousness. Einstein put it this way, “You cannot successfully solve a problem operating from the same level of consciousness which created it” (paraphrase mine). And so all things must become new. The 7th or “Crown” chakra serves as the gateway to higher levels of consciousness. It is our connection to the highest divinity and a key component in every act of physical manifestation. Spirit has been leading me to meditate upon the crown chakra (and my third eye) so that I can work on opening, widening, and deepening my connection to the higher levels of consciousness needed to become a more connected, centered, intuitive, creative, disciplined, resilient Damon – who is capable of creating and sustaining the life of my dreams. This effort necessitates the flowering of a cosmic consciousness. To leap towards the next level of my enlightenment.

Fron this perspective, we see the true meaning of enlightenment has nothing to do with a destination or goal to be achieved, but a process of ever-deepening discovery, or a never-ending expansion of one’s consciousness into that of the divine.  This expansion brings with it the capability to receive and perceive higher levels of vibration within one’s consciousness as the crown’s lotus expands and opens.  Hence we find that enlightenment is not a state of being, but a journey without beginning nor end.

Flowering of the Cosmic Consciousness

SYMBOLISM

The graphic lotus symbol above the figure depicts the crown chakra and its accompanying Sanskrit character “Om” (pronounced A-u-m). The repetition of the Om is purported to be the frequency and sound of the universe (Uni – one and verse – song = one song). As the Om is chanted our song becomes more fully integrated with the universal frequency until all is immersed into one song (the cosmic consciousness).

The color violet is associated with the crown chakra and is thus reflected in various shades throughout the composition. The colors which appear darkest to our eyes also retain the highest frequencies energetically, thus it makes perfect sense that a deep, rich, violet would serve as the highest point of the chakra system while the brighter colors containing the lower vibrational frequencies would comprise the lower chakras.

The figure is seated upon an opening lotus flower, in a deep state of meditation. His hands are formed in the shape of a power mudra as he connects to the source of all power and potentiality. In order to further emphasize the opening or flowering of higher consciousness, I also placed a violet spark on his forehead in the location of the third eye symbolizing the accompanying expansion of consciousness. The swirling mass around the figure is symbolic of the universal energies of creation and their raw unformed potential for physical manifestation. “In the beginning…the earth was a formless void and darkness covered the face of the deep, while a wind from God swept over the face of the waters.” Genesis 1:1

Look out for a discussion of the sacral chakra next month!

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Memento Mori

INSPIRATION

The inspiration for this piece began about three months ago while visiting a Diebenkorn exhibit. I overheard a comment by one of the docents referencing an object placed within one of the paintings (I forget which one) as a “memento mori”. Her utterance of the term immediately brought me back to my undergraduate art history classes. I was struck by the idea and wanted to begin sketching immediately but I hadn’ t brought a pen or paper because I had ridden to the museum on my motorcycle. I resolved myself to begin creating some kind of work around this theme as soon as time would permit.

About 6 weeks ago I began researching and sketching for the creation of my own memento mori. As I mentioned last month, I was later invited to submit a sketch for a South American “Day of the Dead” Pyramid tribute for Burning Man this year. The sketch was accepted and set to be placed upon one of the blocks which would comprise the pyramid. The image was to be printed onto a sheet of vinyl and then mounted onto one of the blocks of the pyramid. Unfortunately, finances and family commitments prevented me from attending the event, but I assume that everything went according to plan?

THE MEDIUM

Since this piece was much larger than the mock-up it took me quite a bit of time to complete it using scratchboard. In order to remain relatively consistent with the sketch I had previously submitted, I tinted the image with watercolor and color pencil after completing the initial black and white scratching process.  For those of you not familiar with the medium, Scratchboard is a white clay board that is blacked over with ink. The image is then scratch back out using various scratching tools (X-acto knives, scalpels, tattoo needles…). The process is actually drawing using a reverse, subtractive approach. When drawing with a pen or pencil one adds marks and shading – while scratchboard creates shading by revealing the white clay beneath the ink.

Completed Balck & White Image

When coloring the board it must first be covered with some kind of clear fixative in order to keep the ink from running when the dyes or watercolor are applied to the surface. For some reason, I wasn’t obtaining the effect I normally prefer and decided to add some color pencil for additional texture and opacity.

Memento Mori (final image)

SYMBOLISM

The symbols placed within this work all center around the theme of death. The animated skeleton sitting just outside of his open grave site (lower portion) hints at the notion of life after death, resurrection…while the comic caption-like heart shape spouting from his head is indicative of discussions regarding life review, judgment, and the undying power of love. I intentionally wanted some of the references to be more open to differing various mythologies concerning death and the afterlife.

The two standing figures on each side represent Aunbis (Greek), Anpu/Inpu (Egyptian) the Egyptian god of death. Anubis was responsible for: the protection of tombs and burial grounds/sites, guiding souls to the underworld, and judging their hearts upon the scales in order to decide whether or not the soul was worthy of eternal life. I purposely made the two images slightly different in order to create more variety in the composition. The function of Anubis as a guardian of tombs and judge fits in well with the imagery of the skeleton emerging from his tomb and conducting his own life review as seen in the caption.

The middle caption-like portion is an attempt to lighten up the theme a bit. It was added later in the design process after I began to deliberately link my design to the Burning Man project. Since the Day of the Dead carries more festive connotations I thought it would be good to lighten up the overall composition a bit. The skeleton below is remembering love in his life (the caption-like heart) but still doing so as if he were dead – hence the skeleton within the caption. In addition, he is seated next to a succubus. The succubus is a demonic mythical creature which was believed to seduce men in their sleep. During the act of intercourse, the succubus would drain them of their life force. In this instance, the skeleton is actually not remembering his life, but his dream through which he was drained of his essence!

The skull at the top of the image is representative of the traditional Euroethnic notion of memento mori that can be found throughout the euroethnic art-historical cannon. The symbol placed upon the skull’s forehead is the Japanese character for death.

 

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The Flowering of Truth

INSPIRATION

The impetus for this work has been part of an ongoing struggle. A struggle that has been uniquely mine yet paradoxically experienced by each of us at various points throughout life. From the earliest stages of human development, each of us learns about self through the experience of contrast between us and that which is other. A baby begins to comprehend the difference between self and mother through the contrasts created by the touch. sight, and sound of its mother versus that of its own. Later in life, we often learn to distinguish who we are through the experience of contrast between the ways others (friends, parents, classmates…) are like us or different from us.

 

This process of self-discovery continues throughout the life cycle because each of us is always changing. The person you were at 3 is still present within your DNA and consciousness but is definitely not the same person who is reading this post right now. This process of continual growth and deepening consciousness requires that we not only discover who we are in terms of likes and preferences but also necessitates that we come to know self with depth and profundity. In a sense, one could postulate that we don’t actually learn who we truly are, but rather that we find the courage and strength to discover, and then become who we truly are. That living a conscious life is a continual process of becoming or embodying the spiritual beings whom we truly are.

  

As our eternal being, our essence becomes more fully integrated and embodied within us it shines forth more brightly through us under the guise of personality. In order for this to occur, we must first find the willingness to look within, the strength to face what we find there, and finally the courage to be that person in the world regardless of what others may say or think about us because of it. This kind of courage requires that we commit ourselves to complete truth and authenticity in all of our interactions. That you find the courage and commitment to be and do YOU in every aspect of your life – no matter what the circumstances. No facades, no compromises to get along, no hiding how you really feel or think to fit in, no holding back your truth for another’s sake…etc. I’m talking about having the courage and determination to be who you are in every way you can, under any and all circumstances.

 

Each of us has the right and the responsibility, to be who we are and do what we want as long as we are honest and forthright in our intentions, and do not hurt or harm others in the process. This kind of freedom can only be achieved by operating from a level of truth and authenticity that most of us are not willing to live from.  In my opinion, this is the kind of commitment to truth and authenticity which lies at the core of 5th chakra symbolism.  

The 5th chakra’s core principle is truth. It is the first chakra to move us beyond the boundaries of our physicality and connect us to the higher realms of consciousness by acting as a conduit for the expression of vibration, sound, and speech. Thus it is associated with the throat, neck thyroid, shoulders, arms, and hands. When we deny the truth within ourselves, or continually speak or act in ways which lack integrity or truth this chakra can easily become clogged or choked thereby weakening its’ vibration. When fully opened, this chakra gives one the courage and commitment to express one’s self in truth and authenticity.  

This has been the focus of my struggle. To not only know, “Who I am” but to strive to authentically “be me” in all situations and circumstances. To stop worrying about, “how others view me or my art?” If speaking my truth will cost me friends or prestige? Will people not like me if I show them who I really am or what I’m about? To be true to self is the simplest yet most difficult of endeavors. This year I am determined to open and clear this chakra. To let the real me shine forth and open up like as a flower opens to the receive the rays of the morning sun! To open to my truth, and express that authenticity in all my interactions. This is the Flowering of Truth.

SYMBOLISM

The symbolism within this work is focused on truth. The large lotus symbol floating above the figure is a reinterpretation of the 5th chakra symbol. The deep cerulean blue is one of the colors associated with the chakra. The symbol found within the inner flower is the Bija symbol (or seed sound) “Ham”. When repeated, this sound is the key used to activate the chakra and unlock its power. The symbol eye-like piece above symbol is my own additive that which is reminiscent of omniscient divine presence. The white outline used to outline the flower is symbolic of the full moon which is also part of the chakra’s symbolism. T

The flower upon which the figure sits is also a lotus. I purposely used the varying shades of blue for this composition since the primary colors associated with the chakra are cerulean blue and turquoise. This flowering lotus is opening because the figure seated upon it is chanting the seed sound “Ham” as a mantra as she meditates upon the qualities associated with the 5th chakra. 

Since the seated figure is meditating upon the 5th chakra and chanting its’ seed sound, I chose the lift her head and expose her neck – the primary body part associated with the 5th chakra. I intentionally placed the tale end of the seed symbol in the lotus above her head near the figure’s throat in order to further accentuate her neckline and the connection between sound/mantra, the symbol, and the chakra’s connection to the throat. 

My intention was to strike a balance between the areas that were more highly rendered (the opening lotus and the figure’s flesh) and the more graphic areas (the lotus above the figure and the figure’s clothing in order to create a visually energetic push-and-pull between the various portions of the composition. This tension helps to create a downward movement which draws the eye from the face down through the opening lotus. I chose to keep the background soft and muted so that it would not distract from the main focal point of the composition – the meditating figure.

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Ascension III: Breaking through the Veil

INSPIRATION

Although the appearance of this image is very different from the two which have preceded it, the impetus for its creation is deeply embedded within the same concept. “Breaking through the Veil” is still very much about ascension. At the most fundamental level, each of us is spirit and exists as such in this dimension and those beyond it. From a quantum perspective, we know that more dense slower moving particles (lower vibration) can not maintain their integrity in the presence of less dense particles (higher vibration). The more dense particles must either be accelerated to the higher frequency or be destroyed by it. From a spiritual viewpoint, Spirit must literally descend to a lower frequency in order to become encased within physical matter. The portion of human consciousness which exists within our bodies had to literally descend and break through into this 4th-dimensional reality. 

Part of our spiritual work is the practice of more fully embodying this higher energy and consciousness within our physical body. At our best, we do this through a process of spiritual formation and an intentional cultivation of the inner life that will help spirit become increasingly more present within every aspect of our being. At our worst, we live unconsciously and are driven by ego, habit, and basic physical impulses. Siddhartha the first Buddha is a shining example of the potential we possess when the spiritual life is cultivated with discipline and intention. As we read his story we are privy to an ongoing process of transformation which culminates in him embodying so much spiritual light that he could phase up and out (ascend) into the higher dimensions of consciousness. He took the small spark which had initially broken through the veil and fanned it into a bright and shining light that brought about his ascension. 

When we review the life of Jesus and the events which led to his resurrection and subsequent ascension we find another point of entry. As a boy, we are told that Jesus was constantly spending time with the spiritual masters of his particular tradition. We also find that a significant portion of this embodiment work was completed during his baptism in the river Jordan under the hand of his cousin John the Baptizer. We are told that when he presents himself to John for baptism, Jesus rose up from the water and the spirit descended upon him like a dove. Whether we view this literally or symbolically, the essential point is that he was transformed in a manner which was easily identifiable by those around him. In this case, he was provided with an inpouring of spiritual power for the performance of his particular mission within the earthly realm. This descension could be interpreted as a greater connection to his higher self, or a greater capacity to access the frequencies within the higher realms. This capacity allowed him to perform various works which seemed to be miraculous by our limited perspective. 

The examples above inspired me to create “Breaking through the Veil”. The images I create are not only birthed from my vocational practice but are the result of spiritual insights that have accompanied my own process of spiritual formation.

 

SYMBOLISM

“Breaking through the Veil” symbolizes ascension and descension. The piece was created using scratchboard because the stark contrasts between dark and light were an essential part of my vision for the image. We encounter utter darkness on the left and right sides of the image. For me, this blackness is pregnant with symbolism. In Western Euroethnic culture, blackness is associated with that which is base and evil. But in other cultures this isn’t the case. The blackness encountered here is associated with formlessness, the void, a place absent of any “thing” yet pregnant with infinite possibility. Science refers to it as anti-matter that fills the spaces between space and as such it is the blank canvas of the cosmos.   

On the left side of this expanse, we find a single point of light shining forth within the darkness. This light, this single spark from source is filled with infinite knowledge which is symbolized by the all-seeing eye contained within it. This single divine spark is filled with all knowledge and therefore, an infinite capacity to act upon and within the darkness which surrounds it. It uses its very being to pierce through, manipulate, and mold the slower moving anti-matter into a form that a portion of its consciousness can embody. In the process of descension and embodiment so much is of its former brilliance is lost that it, we, so often forget that how truly powerful, brilliant and expansive we are. We forget that there is so much more to us than theses bodies and thoughts could ever contain. We forget that this is not all there is and that the reality we know is simply the tip of a massive iceberg buried deep within.  

The child-like figure finds shape and form as it emerges from the darkness yet it is not fully formed as none of us truly are. Some of us will live a thousand lifetimes and still remain partially unformed. unfulfilled, and never fully mature into the possibilities for which we were intended.  This is why we must work at embodying the spark, bringing forth the light which yearns to become fully actualized within us. Live in the Light!

The rings emanating from the figure are indicative of both spiritual light and the dissolution that accompanies time. The first one is bright white and clear as we grow into our full maturity. The second aura is much denser because it represents the genesis of our physical forms process of decline. Notice that each successive emanation has less form and greater degrees of dissipation.  What is spirit must return to spirit. Eventually, the physical form will return back into the void from which it was birthed, and the spark will once again merge with its own omniscient brillance. As Job reminds us, “Naked I came from my mother’s womb, and naked shall I return. The spirit gives and the spirit will take away.” Amen.

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Damon Powell – Artist & Theologian