When I completed the Faun image presented in my previous post, I found myself at a loss regarding what to do next. It crossed my mind that it might be fun to try to represent a time before all human-crafted physical and mythic structures, and perhaps even suggest beauty entirely outside of time. The image above arose in my imagination and realizing it in pixels has been a joy.
As details of the composition formed in my thoughts, I wondered, “What’s the story here?” Perhaps that a beautiful, unselfconscious creature seeks communion with her world? But that’s just where the image takes me. I hope if you fall into it you’ll go some lovely place.
I had a friend in Humboldt of the Yurok tribe. His Grandmother was a spiritual guide of the tribe. My friend told me about things his grandmother did including times when she would spend time by the ocean on Trinidad Head communicating with earth, ocean, tribe and spirit. This four way communion always seems to be how tribal people experience relations. The relations are primal and sometimes primeval taking us over to the many ways of many beings. All always interrelated in many ways.
This art of Shaman carried me over to Shagrandmother.
I relive in many ways through your art the communion with earth ocean tribe spirit that comes to us when we open ourselves to our relations.
Thank you Javan
Thank you SO much for your wonderful and amazing account. When I first read it I was filled with delight … and then the sorrow set in. Joy that within living memory people so earnestly sought the embrace of earth, ocean, tribe and spirit. And sorrow at all that is lost. One way of looking at the shaman image is to note that the poor woman hasn’t a thing in the world except a scallop shell, some smudge herbs and apparently some means of setting the herbs ablaze. And someone else might lament, “What a time it was! Every good thing that might be was before her.”
I think you have accomplished your goal wonderfully! The image you have created is timeless, a beautiful human being in communion with her pristine world. So lovely. Calms and lightens my heart.