Archive
previous page
bigger ones...
"Jade / Power-cycle" (2009) size: 18 x 18cm
Without any prompting from me, Jade recognized most of the characters in her portrait immediately, likely due to the fact that she herself is very interested in dreams and dream interpretation (and maybe just a little because I'm getting better at what I do as time goes on). Here's a condensed version of the interpretation that Jade and I arrived at during her post-portrait consultation:
(Note: quotes marked with an asterisk (*) are taken from "I Had The Strangest Dream, The Dreamer's Dictionary for the 21st Century" by Kelly Sullivan Walden)
Right off, Jade identified the (top/central) WOMAN on the MOTORCYCLE as her mother. Since it's only the second time in three years that I've used colour in a portrait, I felt that the GREEN COAT was especially significant. The colour GREEN *"... represents good health, nature, healing, positive change, new beginnings and springtime" ..and a COAT, *"...desire for emotional support through a chilling time. You are allowing yourself to be comforted and reassured that all is well." On the coat is a patch of two crossed BAND-AIDS, suggesting *"...a quick fix to a problem; perhaps a temporary mend for a deep pain. Your dream may be asking you to consider the deeper wound that wants to be healed. This dream also represent that the healing process may have already begun."
The HEAD of the bike is an image of Jade's favourite (late) aunt; she taught Jade to interpret dreams. "She's like the spiritual guide, sort of. She was a nun; she was a really cool nun. She summed up life with 'God is Love... that's it'." Her LONG HAIR is symbolic of great strength (the feminine strength that powers the cycle). "She had waist-length hair. She was awesome; people should be so lucky [as] to know her."
"The women in my family - on both sides of my family - are insanely powerful; they're matriarchs... it's almost totemic - it's a power thing... The totemic NEGROID WOMAN that is the tire: when I saw her, I couldn't explain the vision of power in my head that is associated with her, or why she would be negroid, to symbolize her power. Picture ancient society- a large, tall, robust, round woman, near-nude with undulating hips... she is fertility goddess, matriarch, chieftainess, priestess... she is the culmination of all powerful rules, into one totemic being. She is the wheel that propels the women, the vehicle that carries the women of my family."
"My mom and I are believers that each of us has a male and a female portion to ourselves. She has had multiple lives before this one, and this is the life where my mum needs to figure out her 'female' stuff. She has the male stuff down. She thinks in a linear fashion, for the most part. She gets the guy stuff. With the women stuff, she [has some growth to attain]." I realize that this might sound like I have a bias here (being a man), but images at the front of the 'powercycle' suggest the 'guy stuff' might not be fully realized:
Instead of a front wheel, the front of the bike has a DOG'S HEAD in the shape of a child's riding toy. Jade noticed that its nose looks like Rudolph's, suggesting that (the power of) the bike is being guided/steered by it. I suggested to her my intention/intuition that it referenced a guiding principle that she learned when she was very young. This dog image is mirrored by a MAN'S FACE (...Jade's late grandfather)... "He's only partially formed; he has a man's face, but no body... My mom lost her dad when she was [an infant], and she grew up with this story of how perfect her dad was: 'he was a good man, and a merchant marine, and strong' and all that crap.... It didn't foster any kind of real expectations of men ,right?" Jade's grandmother got sick (and recovered) from cancer multiple times; her mom's thought [even as a young child] was, "How am I going to run the home and provide for my brothers?... She had no male figures. She had herself, and her mum, and this story [about what a man was]."
There's a man (top right) holding a TOWEL (consoling / wiping away tears)... "This is my grandfather (who's passed)." Jade's parents had divorced, and her father's side of the family (her grandfather, especially) was very angry towards Jade's mother "...because she broke my dad's heart." Years later, her grandfather developed Alzheimer's... "When he would see me - I'm the spitting image of my mom - he would swear at me, and cast me out, and tell me to leave. [Though] I think that - in his more lucid moments - he felt really bad about it." She believes that (now that he's passed,) he's present to console her for what she'd been put through.
There's another character offering assistance at top-right - a MASKED ANGEL. He's extending a wrench as part of his strong left arm. I was very moved by the look of genuine concern (and urgency) in his eyes. Jade recognized him as her husband... "He's reaching out... [My husband's] gift is love. I've never met anyone who loves like that guy."
"The GAGGED MAN [middle-ground, right]: men want to fix things. When you tell a man your problems, he comes up with solutions... rather than just listening, and empathizing, as a woman does. The gagged man is me... he is the male side of me that looks at the [situation below him], and wants to fix it, but can't. He must be muted, must be silenced, in order for her to pull herself up out of that water."
The female figure in the WATER (lower right, holding a TOASTER)... "This is my best friend, and she's drowning." She's holding a toaster because... "Her partner is a chef. She had a child with him and then abandoned me completely. [We'd been] friends since we were three." Her partner is depicted by the MALE directly behind her. I pointed out that there's a (partial) MASK on a stick being held up before his face... "He's (physically) beautiful. And then you get to know him, and [you find that] he's malevolent and abusive. [And] she's not; she's just afraid."
At the lower left is a character with THREE EYES that Jade identified as her father. While he has three eyes, I pointed out that he doesn't appear to be seeing with any of them. His left HAND has an EYE on the end of it, as does the (adjacent) right hand that belongs to the young GIRL beside him. I told Jade it was my impression that she was attempting to show him something - things to the left in the portrait that he was afraid to look at... "I once said to my dad, 'You complain an awful lot about pain; do you want to hear about my life?', and he said, no." His right hand is a CLAW hand *"...giving you the message to release your fears and let go of [~ 'release'] a person or situation you are holding on to".
Referencing the woman (also with long hair) just above her dad, Jade said, "This [is my Oma, my dad's mother]. This woman ruled with 'an iron fist in a velvet glove'. That's just how that woman rules her family. You're never going to love anybody more than you love that woman, yet you're never ever going to go against what she says. Ever. She's the matriarch, and she's informing my dad [here]."
The DEAD MAN (the face to the left of Jade's dad)... "I think it's death itself. For many years, my dad used to drive by the church, and pray that god would kill him. Take him from his unhappy life. I think that this is my Dad facing that... and not wanting to see what he was really asking for."
In reference to the FISH behind the motorcycle... "This is a Salmon..." (her mother's family name), "...and it's big in our family; we really identify with it." As a visual image, it appears as though the salmon is getting left behind (and 'cooked' from the heat off the spinning back wheel?)... Jade is the last of the child-bearing Salmons.
"And I think the character [the face behind (and slightly down from) the powercycle's wheel] is another shade of myself. I stand in awe of the women in my family, but have never really considered myself to be one of them. I stand in awe of this power that they have- you saw my face, my eyes, when I speak of them- I light up... I think that character represents both my connectedness to those women (in that she is touching the wheel, and looking into that power), and my 'otherness' from them, in that I'm not on the bike with them. I am amidst my past, my demons, I am covered by the salmon, my protection, and I am touching power, the wheel."
"(Ceri)" (2009) size: 31 x 24cm
The original intention for this portrait was that it might be about Julie's daughter, Ceri. Ceri passed away Jan 14, 2007 of cancer (Melanoma). Julie was present for the portrait 'sitting'; she provided me with a reference to work from. Here's a link that she gave me from 2005 that shows Ceri singing (you'd best have tissues handy): www.youtube.com/watch?v=fk-bXbj2Xks This is some of the portrait's interpretation; it includes information from the post-portrait consultation with Julie and her later discussions with friends and family...
Julie's first words upon seeing the portrait: "Oh, gosh... the OWL! My mum's big on owls." In reference to the MAN'S HEAD that the owl is holding she said, "Looking at that makes me think of Cyril (my mum's partner)." The owl character is present as a reference to generational relationships amongst the three women ('mum', Julie and Ceri).
(portrait centre) Here we find one of the representations of Ceri: the RECLINING CHARACTER... pregnant with potential (note that she's vocalizing, as a singer), but with damaged knees (suggesting the loss of manoeuvrability) and without arms/helpless. (The BOOT represents a fur-lined boot that Julie bought her during her last months). The CAT at once represents the feminine relationships mentioned, and... some people - Julie included, now - believe that cats have the ability to sense/see other dimensions... "When Ceri passed away (she passed away at home)... after she had died, I guess it was about ten minutes or so, and everyone had left the room except for my son. The cat had been missing all day (it was her cat). She came into the room, and she wandered around for a bit and then jumped up on the bed. She walked up to look at Ceri, and then she just walked to the end of the bed she sat down on the end of the bed, totally still and looked up, out of the window, and she stayed there for quite some time. She definitely could see something. She's never done it since; I'd never seen her do it before (it was dark outside). She was totally oblivious to [the other people] in the room. She just looked, and all of a sudden she just followed something [with her eyes] back out through the window, and then she sat there for ages, and then she just curled up and went to sleep by Ceri's legs. That was the spookiest thing I'd ever seen. I think she watched her go; I really do."
It's pertinent to note here that the happiest-looking characters are the ones whose attentions are directed away from the portrait centre.
Julie: "Sometimes there are things you just don't want to face up to and the overwhelming feeling of anger and sadness that comes out of this portrait was picked up by both [Julie's sister and son]. My sister's take... the crying, pointing character she felt was me and the character holding the urinating cat she also felt was me and that I was angry with myself for letting what happened to Ceri happen".
The trio of characters at the top-left represents the bond between Julie and her daughter. Dogs are symbolic of loyalty and unconditional love; the stance that the DOG has taken makes it appear as if it's protecting that loving bond from the turmoil going on in other parts of the portrait.
I believe Julie's husband, Peter, is referenced in the portrait at the top-right; he appears as the BLURRED IMAGE (read: 'not fully present') that seems reminiscent of a face on currency... "Pete worked so much to provide for his family that he missed [out] on so much".
The VOCALIZING WOMAN at bottom-right is also Ceri. "She had all those animals... cat, rabbit, hamster." I mentioned to Julie that the RABBIT looked quite upset, and that I wasn't sure whether it was holding it's head or taking it off. "Every time we went away, one of her animals would die. We went away [once and left the rabbit in the fenced backyard], and something killed the rabbit. It didn't eat it, it just bit the head off."
Notice the *DARK SPOT where Ceri's hair is parted... "when her hair fell out - every day [in my mind] I see this bloody thing... it was *here [Julie points], and it was quite big and it must have been in her hair... and it's right there [in the picture]!" Being the largest image, it appears that this is the characterization of Ceri that we're intended to recognize as most deserving of our attentions... she's looking outward, her hands are again animated, she's with her animals and singing.
"Dream Goddess Constellation" (2009) size: 18 x 18cm
I didn't exactly feel like myself, both during the sitting and the post-portrait consultation for this one; I was less like a self-assured 45 year old, and more like a nervous teenager. It's a portrait of the woman who wrote the dream dictionary I (religiously) reference. Here's a condensed version of the interpretation that I arrived at after speaking with Kelly Sullivan-Walden and her husband, Dana:
(Quotes marked with an asterisk (*) are taken from Kelly's book, "I Had The Strangest Dream, The Dreamer's Dictionary for the 21st Century")
Much of Kelly's portrait depicts her work as a dream therapist, and the family (including ancestral) relations that influence her life-dream; it illustrates the concept that entanglements are carried over generationally... negative ones (of course), but also positive, life-affirming missions, attitudes, and influences.
Kelly herself is represented by the (central) WOMAN wearing glasses. Besides the obvious fact that she herself is a woman, *"Dreams of a woman are about your connection to the goddess, the feminine archetype, to cycles, intuition, softness and sensitivity." A book that she's written is titled "Discover Your Inner Goddess Queen - an inspirational journey from drama queen to goddess queen". The GLASSES are a reference to what I would describe as her 'enhanced vision', and her ability to not only see more clearly, but to offer to others the GIFTS/SWEETS that this enhanced vision provides. It's significant that her ears are drawn in very large and with the same texture as is her hair (~power); it indicates that her ability to listen is perhaps her greatest strength.
Her husband, Dana is the SUPERHERO at the top of the portrait. He appears as though he's just landing. He's arrived carrying two items (his two children?) on his brilliant white cape. I love the fact that his outfit also includes GOGGLES... *"...represents the ability to see what is beneath the surface of your true feelings, into your subconscious and your most intimate feelings. You realize the ability to read between the lines and understand esoteric knowledge."
Dana identified the SHORT-HAIRED woman (top left) as Kelly's grandmother (Sullivan). Her left hand appears to be more like a FORK (serving fork, eating fork...?) than a hand, and it reaches out to touch the cupcake on Kelly's head... *"Dreams of a fork represent a tool for allowing and receiving energy." I mentioned that her attire makes me think of a Robin Hood character; I asked Kelly if (and she confirmed) that described something about her grandmother's personality - it might not necessarily refer to things of a monetary nature, but perhaps she 'takes from the rich and gives to the poor' things related to spirit (or of a 'mindful' nature). The fact that she's drawn in quite large is representative of size of the influence that she's been on Kelly.
Kelly: "When I'm interpreting dreams, I always think that every character is an aspect of the dreamer, so [the LITTLE BOY ('flipping the bird', at far left)] could very well be my dad, but I feel like, if it's a part of me, then it's this rebellious, young energy in me that's rebelling against the older, more rule oriented part of society." (Perhaps - as follows - that part of society that operates without a healthy respect for (/integration of) qualities provided us by our more intuitive/emotional natures).
Referring to the BOY with the long neck (bottom left), Dana said, "I had a dream one time about somebody we know and it was exactly like [this], and it represented this person who is always 'in his head' and it was just a head on a stick... [he] just operated totally from the intellect." Considering the MAN in the SUIT, he said, "These are both your grandpa Bishop. he always had a young kid with him; he was always playful, and then he would switch off into serious mode, ...back and forth [like that]."
The little boy character doesn't seem to be very happy about the fact that he's getting hit in the head with a SPONGE. If we consider the sponge as a metaphor for something that soaks up information (about emotions, about the subconscious), it's understandable that the sponge connects to an image that Dana referred to as a representation of Carl Jung (the SPECTACLED BEAVER, in the water beside the boy). I wondered to myself why Kelly and Carl Jung were being portrayed as beavers. I was sure the image was a reference to her work as a dream therapist, but why not fish... something that totally lives in the water (~the collective unconscious)? Beavers though, can travel both on land and in the water, and so, might be more accessible to others who might feel out of their element in it (even a FOX - as cunning as they are - benefits from a beaver's help, bottom-left). They (beavers) use the flow of the water (emotions) to transform their surroundings into a nurturing and abundant environment for themselves and others (their own family, as well as a multitude of other creatures). Incidentally, the 'Carl Jung' beaver's tail appears as though in a position to strike the water... a warning about the dangers of ignoring the subconscious? (And, ironically perhaps - in proximity to his tail - a DINOSAUR with its head open brings to mind the idea of taking a look at outdated modes of thinking in respect to our mental health).
Kelly had this to say about a character she identified as 'Tendril' (the FACE-UP character just below page centre): "[Tendril is] this Tibetan baby that we were going to adopt that drowned in water (in a bathtub) before we could adopt her. We always refer to her as one of our angels. She was born in the Himalayan mountains; and it kind of looks like, even though she's in water, there are [these kind of] mountain peaks all around her... covering her is this bright white; it's one of the brightest spots in the whole picture." She's in an open area - the central area between all the busier areas of the composition - as if she connects these areas by the water that she's in. As Kelly pointed out, (in both senses of the word), "...'Tendril' is a connector."
It was difficult to ascertain exactly what's going on (thematically) with the grouping of characters at the bottom right. From Kelly, "The LITTLE GIRL at the bottom [right], I really feel like she's trying to get away. It's like there's this aggressive energy, and she's trying to keep [safe] the little toy or the doll... (her connection to her innocence)." The man that she's trying to get some distance from (out of the water from, even)... it seems like he's holding an element, rather than an object. Dana: "...it's light in the form of a scroll, and it's info; it's carrying information." Kelly again, "[He has] an exaggerated 'Dannion Brinkley' face." I had no idea who this was until I Googled him. Read the description provided by the link; consider what the character is holding and that I drew his nose like Pinocchio's, and tell me that's not ironic! (His hair appears singed, no less!).
I was really curious as to what PRESIDENT OBAMA's face is doing in the portrait, with his arms bound, 'shocked' hair, and in a 'Thumbelina' get-up (if you knew how much I personally admire the man, you'd know I mean it when I say, "no disrespect intended!"). Dana suggested that the man wearing the DARK HAT (just above, in relationship to Obama) is a reference to slave history. He actually seems to have two faces (which suggests dishonesty), and his gaze is directed away from the white water (~'pure' thoughts) to his left; he's also WHISTLING, which suggests that he's actually fearful of the 'good' energy he's avoiding. It heartens me to see that his left hand is transparent, and cannot actually grasp the president's WING... *"Dreams of wings signify a desire for freedom, abandon, glory, self-expression and to take flight from the confines of your earthbound life that you may feel a closer connection to God/Goddess/Spirit". The message here is blatant: if we can overcome our generational traumas (check out "Constellation Therapy"), how true becomes the statement, "You can be whatever you want to be; you could be president!"
When I described the two characters to the right of centre (the SWIMMING MAN and the EAGLE), Dana put in, "It's Kutenla and the eagle energy... this is almost an exact drawing of Kutenla's face, with his shades on and everything." Kutenla is a Tibetan oracle whom his holiness the Dalai Lama often calls upon as an advisor. Kelly: "We hosted [Kutenla] a couple of years ago in LA. This monk that was part of the tour[, he] has an orphanage in India, and he rescues children from this remote region in the Himalayas which is how we were going to adopt Tendril. So there's all these children that we're connected to through Lama Tenzin that are all being rescued." They're being rescued ('fished out', as it were) with the help of Kelly's ancestors (some of whom are represented by the characters directly behind her image). Kelly identified the HORNED RATTLE (to the right of her outstretched hand) as being a reference to her Nordic ancestry; where it's situated in the composition suggests that it's something the children can be soothed by, and that there's a (WHITE ~peaceful, protective) strength there that will lead them to safety, and to good/sweet things in life.
"Becoming Stella" (2009) size: 31 x 24cm
Here's a condensed version of the interpretation that Stephanie (Steph) and I arrived at during her post-portrait consultation:
When I pointed out to Steph what appeared to be a DRAIN on the left hand of the figure at bottom (who I originally described to her as someone who seems to be 'pinned down'), she said, "I've spent most of my life feeling obligation and guilt from [other people], feeling suffocated by their problems rather than my own. I've spent time trying to drain [and being drained by] sorrows and wounds that are (mine, but) mostly not mine, at least just trying to identify them. I feel that a lot of my traits and behaviours are not of who I am as an individual being, but as a manifestation of other situations." "I'm in a purging place in my life where I'm trying to leave behind things that are [just] not part of who I am."
Clinging to her LEFT HAND (*"...connected to your mother") are other hands and characters that she feels a loyalty to (as indicated by the dog; i.e. DOG: loyalty). "Probably one of the biggest patterns in my life is that I try and save people, or that people will come to me to be saved". But she recognizes that, unless she is strong within herself, (as large as her helping hand is) simple physics dictates that she will be pulled down by overmuch weight on her "...it's like one person standing on a chair; you're going to be brought down, they're not coming up... it's just gravity." The CUFF on her sweater sleeve suggests that something (that she's 'wearing', as in a part of her person) is holding her back. In Steph's own words, people with cuffs on their wrists are "...not having control over their own lives."
Her RIGHT HAND (*"...influenced and connected to your father or the right hand of God...") holds a head. The HEAD is representative of her *"... thoughts, opinions, critical functions, higher wisdom, awareness, self-perceptions, and ability to think, reason, be logical, and make sense out of situations. If a head is disconnected from a body, then this reflects a lack of integration between your thoughts and feelings." The head itself appears naked, suggesting a desire that it be revealed, examined/inspected.
At the moment, Steph is studying psychology. "I just think that the mind is the most interesting thing ever. I don't believe in good and evil, but I believe that there are things that can distract you from being who you are on the core essence of being and your mind is 'that', it's your way of challenging yourself because your mind will present you with these ideas or feelings, or wanting to do certain behaviours that are not who you really are, but they're the easy way out because they make you feel better immediately. But it's a balancing act because your mind is also a very useful tool because it does give you true emotion [/perspective] sometimes, but it's kind of trying to wean out which ones are the 'true' ones and which ones aren't the true ones."
The DOUBLE-ENDED CHARACTER (holding the BOTTLE): because you can see muscles and ribs, this figure represents Steph's relationship with her darker side, "To me, any evil/monster [represents] your mind, and anything religious or spiritual [represents] your inner essence of being. I feel that my mind [/monster] is way more powerful than it should be; in this picture, it's bigger than the other guy (the inverted religious figure with the CROSS on his head)." The CROSS as a symbol serves as a message to her that *"...you will ascend from this difficult time you are moving through." The wings on this figure's back in the same instance doubles as a BLACK HORSE: *"...represents the place within you where the answers live."
The GLASS with the SUN SYMBOL is being put over top of her "monster's" head (as you might do to trap an insect)... "when you put a cap on top of it or a light, you can still see it, but you can see it for what it really is. Because: what does sunshine do? It shows you things for what they truly are." "You can never get rid of your mind or the negative thoughts, but you can see them for what they really are. And as soon as you can see something for what it is, it doesn't have control of you any more." Incidentally, the SUN image shows her that *"...you are connecting with your inner light, essence, and charisma. You are coming into a new level of radiance, spirituality, and power." Directly behind the glass is a small animal's head VOMITING: *"...purging negativity, guilt, shame, and undesirable energy or programming."
The WHITE DOG (bottom right) has a doghouse and a village behind him, indicating that Steph's loyalties lie on this side (she described the right side of the portrait as being representative of the person she'd like to be). The houses in proximity to the dog make up a small VILLAGE" *"...reflect[s] your feelings about family and community, as well as your level of integration with the various aspects of yourself. They might be an expression of your desire for support, belonging, and the power of synergizing resources with people who have a common goal."
To the far right, a character that I initially described to Steph as a 'forest nymph' holds up a cube of SUGAR *"...you are connecting with the sweetness of life, [that] you are enjoying the rewards of your labour, or [that] you are in the process of creating and manifesting something wonderful." Steph is shown feeding the cube to a HORSE, a symbol of *"...sensitive, compassionate" strength and freedom that can carry her to her TREE (where she is heading) *"...solidly rooted, deeply grounded, and yet exalted in your stature and connection with spirit."
One of the smallest drawn characters on this side of the portrait (but perhaps the most significant) is the SNAKE. It signifies *"...wisdom and intuition, and that you are connecting with your unconscious, mystery, and untamed power... because it sheds its skin, [it] denotes your ability to release old incarnations, attachments, and identities and reinvent yourself... the Hermetic traditions taught that a snake represented the wisdom that is earned in facing and embracing your shadow."
Steph summed the portrait up by describing (from left to right) in her own words, "This is where I feel that I was, this is where I feel that I am, and this is where I want to be." In my own words, "...and this is where she's going to be."
"Ayahuasca" (2009) size: 31 x 24cm
All I knew about Mario was that he's married to a woman who loves him very much and gives great birthday gifts. He didn't know anything about the work that I do until Tamara brought him to my studio. His intuitive portrait turned out to be a fascinating insight into a life-changing purging ritual that he's taken part in based on the Peruvian medicine called ayahuasca. Here is a condensed version of what was documented during the post-portrait consultation:
(Contextually, the portrait imagery starts with the BLACK BIRD and progresses counter-clockwise...)
The BLACK BIRD atop the totem has plumes suggesting identification as a tropical species. It's image references the shaman who helped Mario through his ayahuasca experience (the shaman uses feathers in the ceremony). The GIRAFFE that he sits on represents "*compassion and wisdom... flexibility and an ability to see many points of view". Being atop the giraffe, the shaman is well positioned to offer direction, which he seems to be doing by angling his wings... away from the faded images to the left of his totemic perch, images that Mario recognized as sources of conflict within him (references to authority, religion, family, death...).
Mario speaking about his experience with ayahuasca: "It's the world's strongest medicine, no question, bar none." "I've done it twice. It was incredibly profound. I scraped my psyche clean." He described the ritual as a purging, "...the death of things that don't allow you to get to your higher self."
At the far left is a character with a MICROPHONE. Mario recognized it as himself performing. As a musician, he would use heavy metal music as a way of "shunning authority".
In close proximity to the bird/shaman, a SMALL ELEPHANT is attempting to fly, but is being held by an unattached HAND. Upon drawing this smaller elephant, I thought about how elephants can be used as a metaphor for how our perceived constraints hinder us...
...a young elephant is chained to a stake in the ground that it can't pull out; when it grows up, it doesn't even try to pull out the stake that holds it, though it easily could. Its conditioned perception of the strength of its stake/anchor keeps it held there. This idea was reinforced by the fact that there is fabric attached to the hand that holds it and by Mario's comment, "It's not any one person specifically, as opposed to an 'idea' that keeps pulling the little elephant down" ( ...the anchoring hand starting to be seen more as a fabricated idea).
The LION in the foreground:
The difference in the eyes on each side of its face suggest two different concerns, signifying a point of transition across the portrait. This lion offers a gift of a ROSE ("*...love"). A SMALL MAN ('fearful' Mario) rides the lion's NOSE - a nose being "*...a message for you to pay attention to something". While lions may look like something to be fearful of, they have attributes of strength and ferocity that one might assimilate into their own character and benefit from.
The foreground ELEPHANT:
As a symbol, elephants are described as "*...a fortuitous sign that there is something important for you to remember." Also, "...the ability to break down barriers and challenges to success, as well as the ability to truly own one's power, strength, and greatness." Mario: "[Elephants are] known for their gentleness and kindness, and I kind of always feel like that, but there's always something riding on your back. Fears are always riding on your back" Mario's fears are represented here by the lions and the 'authority'-looking figure trying to hold on atop the elephant. While the elephant appears afraid, so too does the authority-figure clinging to it; I found this fascinating in that, without the elephant, this figure has nothing to carry him. He's fearful of losing his place on the elephant lest he fall into the FIRE that pursues this group of characters, fire representing "*...change, transformation, passion, love, sexuality, energy, and destruction... a change is coming, a rite of passage in which you are stepping into the fire of initiation, burning away all that is impure..." an obvious metaphor for the purging brought on during the ayahuasca ritual.
Though they're at the top of the food chain, even lions have fears (eg. fire). With that knowledge, the fearful image of the lion can be conquered and transformed into a powerful, helpful, 'friend' image.
Now most of the way through the sequence of change brought on by the ritual, we come to the SAILBOAT (far-right). It represents escape from fear. "*Because sailing is a watersport, [it] symbolizes your connection to your emotions, your unconscious, and your deeper feelings, longings, and desires." It has an "S" on it's sail; although I'm not usually very accurate with numbers or letters, the "S" identifies his own boat, "Special Brew". It was also the pedigree name of a specific PUPPY that Mario had (an image of which you'll find slightly to the left and up from the sailboat). The puppy image also exists as a message to Mario to let the loveable aspects of his nature shine and be a source of power for him (by the puppy's proximity to the strong arm of the lion above).
At top-right is an area of 'reconciliation' where Mario is shown wearing attire I described as being that of a "peace-fighter" (complete with an image of the sun on his shirt). An interpretation of the SUN image: "*...you are connecting with your inner light, essence, and charisma. You are coming into a new level of radiance, spirituality, and power." He's shown making peace with that which he previously feared (fears formerly embodied in the lion image), and it's power (the strong arm) is reaching out to him in return.
"Birth of Venus" (2009) size: 31 x 24cm
...information withheld at subject's request...
"Aqua-man" (2008) size: 31 x 24cm
The initial consultation for this portrait took place in an open-air, park setting. Here are some of the post-portrait consultation results:
The subject and I realized that the viewer's perspective appears as if underwater, looking upwards. Considering the concept of water as a symbol for creative thought, this references his occupation as a writer.
He identified with the FROG especially as a character that he's written about. He himself is the central AQUA-MAN figure who dons his superhero persona to navigate the depths and currents of literary creativity.
It seems especially important in this portrait to note the significance of where the figures are in relationship to the water. The aqua-man's legs become obscured as he steps into his literary medium. Some of the other characters remain further back: his father wears a half-mask similar to that of the superhero character, and appears brow-beaten by the female figure to the right (the subject's mother). Neither appears to have access to his world. I may have included myself in this portrait as the figure in the CANOE (right of the aqua-man); I am able to navigate on its surface and see into it, but am not a part of it either. It is for him and his characters.
"Medium" (2009) size: 31 x 24cm
I produced this portrait for the clairvoyant medium Stephen Austen. I did not meet (nor speak) with him during the sitting, although I did notify him of the time that it would be taking place so that he could be aware of when it would be happening. Here are some of the results of the post-portrait consultation...
My portraits often include WATER in them as a symbol of the collective subconscious; that said, the water area in this portrait makes up the majority of the composition. Before starting, I was already aware of Stephen's clairvoyant work, so it seemed that having water in the portrait was a no-brainer. When I conveyed to Stephen that I initially thought of titling his portrait "The Red Boat", he informed me that he was once employed as a lifeguard. He said that he taught swimming and, "I saved a few people from drowning". The youthful BLUE LAGOON/BAYWATCH/SURVIVOR FIGURES (bottom left) represent a younger Stephen and his wife, Carla. Stephen's gaze is directed to an area that is out of our view; as he puts it, "I'm looking out for her." Furthermore, they acknowledged that they'd "rescued each other"; it's one of the things that led them to the strong relationship they have today.
I mentioned a couple of things I noticed about the character representing Carla. For one, her shapely legs are prominently displayed. As Stephen said (and I've since met her), she's a very striking woman. It came to me also that it seems to be a fabric covering over her mid-section (as compared to an article of clothing). They explained to me that Carla had endometriosis and had to undergo drastic surgery - nine of them, in fact... she had a full hysterectomy, and the last ten inches of her colon were removed. For the longest time, she felt as if all of the parts of her that represented her female sexuality no longer existed. Although they had really only just started as a couple, Stephen cared for her throughout her ordeal. For the most part, it was just the two of them together in her hospital room, during which time they got to know each other 'intimately'. It was the first time Carla had experienced real love in a relationship (I got emotional when they told me this story, and I'm getting emotional writing about it now; it happens to be Valentine's day today).
The LEVEL at which the boat sits at in the water is relevant (as it is for all the characters). It's not that it's not functional as a life-saving boat, but that it connects them both... at one end it dips down into Stephen's element, and at the other it keeps Carla out of the water high enough that she can dangle her feet in.
"The figure that's looking pretty dead on the CANOE... I work as a medium, so I'm dealing with people that have 'passed over'; and, interestingly, I've had quite a few in the past that were actually death by drowning, too. In one case that's actually come to mind it was - in fact - [in a canoe] that someone had actually drowned falling out of a canoe."
The AMPHIBIOUS CREATURE holding the BOTTLE represents Stephen and the subconscious work that he does with his clients. "In animal mythology, frogs represent transformation and transmutation; it's really what I've been in the process of doing since the age of sixteen, spiritually speaking. To me, the interpretation is transmuting the subconscious and bringing it up as a message." The SWIMMING MAN symbolizes Stephen's clients. He wears a LIFEJACKET because he can't stay afloat in the medium without help, and his left hand is reaching for assistance towards an entity that is obviously much more suited for it.
This is what he had to say about the PYRAMIDS (underwater, at bottom): "...what they represent to me is basically Masonic teachings, or the esoteric wisdom that's hidden; and that wisdom is normally enclosed in the pyramid which represents truth (basically). You have to reach down into your deep subconscious to get it (because look how far down they are)."
also see:
David J. Nagy
All Rights reserved
"I Saw Salvation on My Toast"
