Flash Series #2: Mythological Elements

Simple concept, each of the platonic solids with a corresponding mythological character and element. 

Cube, Earth, Nüwa, Chinese.

The Cube represents earth and feminine energy.  I chose the myth of Nüwa who brought the earth into being.  Therefore it is accompanied by Chinese inspired imagery of peonies and traditional landscape paintings.

Octahedron, Air, Raven, Native American.

The Octahedron represents air and male energy.  Raven is often used in Pacific Northwest Native American culture and their stories.  As told in the creation of man in the Haida tribes, raven flies down to man who is born out of a clam shell.  Raven then takes off his mask and transforms into a man himself.  I recreated imagery to do with air elements reflecting the different tribes around North America.  I portrayed the peace pipes which originated with the Sioux tribes, and depicted two birds from both the Hopi and Ojibwa tribes.

Tetrahedron, Fire, Púca, Norse.

The Tetrahedron represents fire and male energy.  Púca is from Celtic folklore, and is a bringer of good and bad fortune.  The creatures similarities to Pan, or the representation of Aries (the Ram) and it connection to fire is what helped me decide on depicting Scandinavian imagery.  Far north if you did not have fire, could mean life or death.  The accompanying images are of Odin, god of war, and his two ravens in a Nordic war helmet.  Embedded in the image contains two symbol for protection.  The third design is of two intertwined Celtic dragons.

Icosahedron, Water, Mermaid, Greek.

The Icosahedron represent water and female energy.  Mermaids are a global myth, but its first origins of reference appears in Greece.  Even though this area is rich in history, I was most intrigued by medieval maps and sea monsters from this region.

Dodecahedron, Spirit (Universe), Sphinx, Egyptian.

The Dodecahedron represents spirit and is both male and female energy.  I chose the Sphinx for this sheet becasue of its representation as the bridge between the physical and spiritual world.  The Sphinx at the great pyramids is positioned to honor the rising of the sun.  The Scarab Beetle symbolizes the heavenly cycle and rebirth.  The cobra, which is usually found on the crown of royalty has the eye of Horus, or Wadjet, who is the sky god.

Coincidence: Then vs. Now

Then

Definition: a remarkable concurrence of events or circumstances without apparent causal connection.

To me it means everything and nothing at the same time.

My lack of effort put towards updates in this blog have been less then meager. There are many reasons, none of which I'll get into. And the longer I keep from making posts, the more awkward it feels to try and make one. Without making it too much about myself, I will try to articulate what it is I am still trying to grasp.

We are all on a very unique path, that takes us in many directions. That is common sense to most, an overly used saying for people to explain a feeling without even understanding it. Our path can often be lead by multiple factors, but I would like to look at it as a manifestation of one's goals and desires. The more you focus, the more likely you are to notice.

So is coincidence merely your goals reaching our conscious state? Or is there some truly unexplainable force that is weaving together the fabric of our lives with those around us in a seamlessly organic karmic reaction?

I started this year with the explicit goal to look for signs, to understand where my path is so that I may follow it. I read the Alchimist on the trip, again, which was the best book for me to read at this interval in life. Then the signs started flooding in. And not just little silly pansy signs, like, you are 20 times more likely to get struck by lightning then get this sign slapped in your face. Literally. I looked up the statistics.

So, with me well on my way to making the 'right' decisions so I could follow my true path, I was on my all time high. Things were flowing smoothly and everything was falling into place. Then I had a moment. The moment of doubt. This is when you have to question yourself and dig deep to understand whether or not you know why you are doing what you are doing, and if you are ready. It came to me laying in a beautiful grass field with my horse by my side and my two adorable dogs on the other. I have a wonderful life, so why would I voluntarily give that up?

I think this is where most people freeze. They don't pursue their dreams, because they are comfortable. They don't venture into the unknown, because their current state is pleasant. Why give up all you have, for something that doesn't yet exist?

Then I realized.... I'm in the Oasis.

I've had a long time goal that I set two years ago. And all I have done for the last two years has been working towards making that dream come true. But I started to get complacent in the place I was in, and I had almost lost site, or worse, given myself up for other people. Now the dream is in motion again, but I am stepping out of the oasis, and into the unknown.

I was on a high, and now the challenges have begun to arrive. The challenges are actually coincidences, and the coincidences come with emotion. Things are getting cloudy. But there is one thing I will remind myself throughout this next year. Don't panic. Remember, it is everything and nothing.

I used to think I was running away from something. Then it was apparent, I've just been running at something so much bigger. It isn't the end, just the building blocks to my inevitable castle.

Now

That was written two years ago.  With what I was setting out to go do,  my belief was that I would have all the tool necessary to make my dreams come true.  Dreams being an undeveloped idea that in being somewhere else things would all work out and I would be happy.  I understand more then ever that happy is a state of mind, you either have it or you don't. Stop running after happiness, and away from unhappiness.  

So all in all, I lied.  I was running away, lets not fool ourselves now that we have hind sight. Having moved to a place where there was the most dense concentration of avoidant run-aways I think on this planet, I only made my own problems worse. I left the oasis to uncharted territory with a small team of people that would challenge everything I understood.  I arrived whole, and was slowly picked apart piece by piece until there was nothing more of me then just broken lego parts scattered across the floor left to be swept up and tossed in the garbage. After regaining consciousness, I was able to find my pieces and put them back together this time better equipped then before.  It took me a few months, but when I set back in place that last piece I was ready for my next adventure.

Thus the beginning of 2016.  I came into the year with the attempt of making it as a painter. Through a strand of even more incredible coincidences I came to the now.  Somewhere in another timeline I purchased that ticket to Germany and took off for some unknown realm of escapism. In this timeline, I decided to make a foundation that would put me on the right path.  The path was still unmarked, but showed promise. In a hectic year of odd jobs I was able to start an apprenticeship for tattooing.  It feels like destiny directed by coincidence, or maybe I'm just blowing smoke up my ass. Either way, there have been an incredible series of events that I could have never of planned for which has created a reality greater then what I could have asked for.  Now my dreams can come true.  Rather then being a misguided attempt of hope that it will work out, I know how to make it work.  

Flash Sheet Series #1

Early last year in a new twist of events I decided to become a tattoo artist. With that I have switched my time usually dedicated to painting for drawing.  My first flash series was assigned by my mentor who gave me topics to cover and some input on how to make the images proper for tattooing.  Being my first go and only knowing what was going on one sheet at a time, I kept things simple. These are the following images in order accompanied with what I was prompted to draw.

Rose, Beetle (any kind), Lotus, Dagger+Skull+Butterfly.

Dia de los Muertos Girl, Gypsy Girl, Gibson Girl.

Two sleeves: Snake+Flower, Lotus+Fish.

Bat, Spider, Owl, Grim Reaper, Graveyard Scene.

Mandala, Bee+Geo, Skull+Geo, Three Piece Pattern.

Look for Prints, Flash, and more art here:  lilyskyart.com

I'm Back.

I'm officially out of hiding.  Who knew farming and living off the grid would have made the entire world cease to exist?  All I knew for eight months was what my eyes could see what my ears could hear.  I have nothing to show except some blurps of cell phone photographs that I took when I had a moment to spare.  Looking back, it is as though it never even happened.

From spring to winter, I experienced all the seasons to it's fullest and most dramatic possibilities.  Going from outside, and returning to the studio.  Living the breath of life.

Paint

Tone from Trent Jaklitsch on Vimeo.

Music by Darkside, if you never got to see them live (Now it is too late) then you should look up their BoilerRoom set, or Pitchfork Festival. Does not come close to the real concert, but good enough.  This video really catches why I love paint, it is a series of wonderful mistakes and simply pushing around color.

Looks much like the opening I made for the watercolor painting lesson videos by Jody Bergsma, which you can check out here.

Be the Great Fool

It's been a while since I've written.  Last year was about others, in friendship, relationships, and work.  From volunteering in Nepal (Click here for the photos), to crazy road trips visiting loved ones (Pit-Stop #1, #2, #3, #4, #5), or with the ones I love.  If I wasn't traveling, my time was spend working in which case I made a website and a magazine.  All in all, I forgot to take time for myself.  This year is about regaining sacred space, and in tribute to that I will be working on a songbird series.  To get started I've been working on sketches.

This year has lots of promising and exciting adventures, from sending applications to festivals, possibly moving to another state, to finishing the anticipated Nepal film, to learning another language, and moving out of the country.  And in all of this, remembering to paint.  Many thing depend on a tiny little string of a plan, all of which could easily be broken.  Even if these things do or do-not happen, luckily I'm good at riding the wave.  So far this year has been extraordinarily freeing, and by re-focusing myself, I can then fulfill the goals and promises I've made to myself and others.  In other words, I know what my dream is and I'm well on my way to making it happen.  However, sometimes the universe has things to teach you and the side-paths are sometimes a necessary course.

This was all lead up to because of a comment I received from a person my friend met on the bus going from Bellingham WA to Vanouver BC.  She mentioned to him that she was down visiting a friend, and his remark was "The one with the great walk? Even if she doesn't know where she is going, she must get there with confidence." 

I do, often.  I'm not a planner, but I still do more then most.  And my life has turned into a series of moments that are more then just coincidence.  Being that during my friend's visit we read a book called Einstein's dreams, it was another one of those moments that are a bit too perfect when we were spending time in a used book store flipping to random pages and reading aloud, when we came to this snippet...

The fool is the most potent of the archetypes and also the most capable teacher of crazy wisdom. There are actually two types of fool: the foolish fool and the great fool. The foolish fool is inept and silly, a clown of the mind. The great fool is wise beyond ordinary understanding. The foolish fool is the one we see every day when we look in the mirror or walk down the street. The great fool is the rarest of beings.

Innocence is the trademark of both fools. The innocence of the foolish fool makes him clumsy and unsophisticated because he tries to live according to convention. The great fool, however, does not try to fit in; in his innocence, he lives by his own rules.  The foolish fool and his money are soon parted, but the great fool gives his money away. The foolish fool always gets lost, while the great fool is at home everywhere.  The great fool has different values then the rest of us and therefore is crazy wisdom's master of ceremony.

Einstein was a man who could ask immensely simple questions

The great fool, like Einstein, wonders about the obvious and stands in awe of the ordinary, which makes him capable of revolutionary discoveries about space and time. The great fool lives outside the blinding circle of routine, remaining open to the surprise of each moment.  We are the foolish ones, complacent I our understanding.  We take for granted the miraculous dance of creation, but the great fool continuously sees it as if for the first time.  The revelations of the great fool often shows us where we are going, or-more often- where we are.

 My only thought to the man's complement, "The great fool is never lost".  I will find my way, wherever that may be.

Portico plus Joe Newman

This man has the grace of overtone chanting in his voice.   I'm obsessed.

New Beginnings

First day in new office.  Last week I quite my job as Creative Director, and am now focusing on creating an hour long feature film from the work I've done in Nepal and Israel for Ecopolitan EcoHealth Community and the Everest Learning Academy.

Now this is what I call living.

Recondite

New Fav.

So much wow.

2015 Mantra

I am strong, I relax, I forgive.
I am going places.

It is easy to get wound up, it is difficult to put it behind you and move forward.  Live a life of going against the gain, the difficult path is always more rewarding.

Some people are good at constants, routines, and the day-to-day.  I however seem to demand an ever-constant flowing change, routinely moving forward, and day-to-day surprises.

I am Strong.  I have what I need to move forward.  I've been working up to this moment and now is that time to move, lung forth and leave behind my ties.

I relax.

I forgive.  I forgive myself, for all the choices I made, if it wasn't for them I wouldn't be where I am now.  Take it as a blessing.  I forgive others, for the choices they made, they had to do what was needed in order to learn and grow, it was all for the best.

I relax.

In the last few months I've witnessed much drama based on people's assumptions, it is but a big reminder to follow these four agreements:
1.  Be impeccable with my word
2.  Know to not take it personally
3.  Not to make assumptions
4.  To always do my best.

I relax.

I am going places.  Read The Alchemist, again.  I am a creator, remember your thoughts shape your future.  Your words create today.  Your choices become your reality.  Watch for the signs, they've been there all along, and sometimes sting your harder then you asked for.

This is what the sting ray was telling you.

He is letting you know that everything is now in place. You have the knowledge, you have the means, you have the tools and you have the skills – now get busy and get on with it. Everything you have worked toward is open to you so stop hesitating. Have faith in your abilities and follow your inner guidance.
Alternatively Stingray is asking you to stay on course and keep moving forward. Don’t allow distractions or drama to sway you from your journey. Do not be afraid to protect your own path.

Has Everyone Gone Mad?

It starts to feel lonely when everyone seems to have lost it.

Painting with Moulding Mediums

Find the creation of this image here.

Okay, this image is very pixelated I know.  But that's okay, because this is just a draft.

I am guilty, of having not painted all year.  Instead I have filled it with work, travel, and play. However I recently received some private classes on acrylic mediums, and it has opened an entirely new realm of possibility.  If you are an artist and want to learn how to become skilled at materials, take private lessons.  If you want to be an artist who just acts like an artist, go to school.

I got my four year degree, and all I got out of it was a piece of paper and two years of never touching a sketch book or canvas.  Take one night of private lessons, and get a crazy urge to paint.  I know that in todays society it is almost mandatory to get a degree in order to be taken seriously.  Having a degree in art will qualify someone to get hired for a job that has nothing to do with art just because it looks better then the person without any secondary schooling.  It is a shame, but it is how 'Merica is modeled.  Whoever works the hardest gets the leg up, unless it's physical labor, then you just get treated like dirt.

Last year was all about painting.  This year was all about travel, work, and making movies.  Next year I think is going to look different all together.

Just after my last statement, I just realized something.  This drawing was my logo for my production business for film.  Yet now it's a painting.  A merger is beginning!

If you know me personally, you'll know not to take much of what I say seriously.

And Just a bit later...

Credit where credit's due.  Meet Honeydew.

Vonnegut

This has to be the best advice I've ever herd.

Wear sunscreen.

If I could offer you only one tip for the future, sunscreen would be it. The long-term benefits of sunscreen have been proved by scientists, whereas the rest of my advice has no basis more reliable than my own meandering experience. I will dispense this advice now.

Enjoy the power and beauty of your youth. Oh, never mind. You will not understand the power and beauty of your youth until they’ve faded. But trust me, in 20 years, you’ll look back at photos of yourself and recall in a way you can’t grasp now how much possibility lay before you and how fabulous you really looked. You are not as fat as you imagine

Don’t worry about the future. Or worry, but know that worrying is as effective as trying to solve an algebra equation by chewing bubble gum. The real troubles in your life are apt to be things that never crossed your worried mind, the kind that blindside you at 4 pm on some idle Tuesday.

Do one thing every day that scares you.

Sing.

Don’t be reckless with other people’s hearts. Don’t put up with people who are reckless with yours.

Floss.

Don’t waste your time on jealousy. Sometimes you’re ahead, sometimes you’re behind. The race is long and, in the end, it’s only with yourself.

Remember compliments you receive. Forget the insults. If you succeed in doing this, tell me how.

Keep your old love letters. Throw away your old bank statements.

Stretch.

Don’t feel guilty if you don’t know what you want to do with your life. The most interesting people I know didn’t know at 22 what they wanted to do with their lives. Some of the most interesting 40-year-olds I know still don’t.

Get plenty of calcium. Be kind to your knees. You’ll miss them when they’re gone.

Maybe you’ll marry, maybe you won’t. Maybe you’ll have children, maybe you won’t. Maybe you’ll divorce at 40, maybe you’ll dance the funky chicken on your 75th wedding anniversary. Whatever you do, don’t congratulate yourself too much, or berate yourself either. Your choices are half chance. So are everybody else’s.

Enjoy your body. Use it every way you can. Don’t be afraid of it or of what other people think of it. It’s the greatest instrument you’ll ever own.

Dance, even if you have nowhere to do it but your living room.

Read the directions, even if you don’t follow them.

Do not read beauty magazines. They will only make you feel ugly.

Get to know your parents. You never know when they’ll be gone for good. Be nice to your siblings. They’re your best link to your past and the people most likely to stick with you in the future.

Understand that friends come and go, but with a precious few you should hold on. Work hard to bridge the gaps in geography and lifestyle, because the older you get, the more you need the people who knew you when you were young.

Live in New York City once, but leave before it makes you hard. Live in Northern California once, but leave before it makes you soft. Travel.

Accept certain inalienable truths: Prices will rise. Politicians will philander. You, too, will get old. And when you do, you’ll fantasize that when you were young, prices were reasonable, politicians were noble, and children respected their elders.

Respect your elders.

Don’t expect anyone else to support you. Maybe you have a trust fund. Maybe you’ll have a wealthy spouse. But you never know when either one might run out.

Don’t mess too much with your hair or by the time you’re 40 it will look 85.

Be careful whose advice you buy, but be patient with those who supply it. Advice is a form of nostalgia. Dispensing it is a way of fishing the past from the disposal, wiping it off, painting over the ugly parts and recycling it for more than it’s worth.

But trust me on the sunscreen.

Four Tet Remix

(John Beltran - Faux) (Remixed)

Late Summer in Washington