Draft of Hyperbolic Space

Not a high resolution photo of not a complete painting.

The original title for this piece was "Does Not Exist," Which I think is still a very suiting title.  I just found out I first started this canvas in September 2011, you can see my first image in this link.

1)  Gödel, Escher, Bach: An Eternal Golden Braid:

"A metaphorical fugue on minds and machines in the spirit of Lewis Carroll".

By exploring common themes in the lives and works of logician Kurt Gödel, artist M. C. Escher and composer Johann Sebastian Bach, GEB expounds concepts fundamental to mathematics, symmetry, and intelligence. Through illustration and analysis, the book discusses how self-reference and formal rules allow systems to acquire meaning despite being made of "meaningless" elements. It also discusses what it means to communicate, how knowledge can be represented and stored, the methods and limitations of symbolic representation, and even the fundamental notion of "meaning" itself.

This idea is represented throughout the work.  Fugue is a perpetual loop, a melodic harmony that can layer itself one over the other.  The image itself is full of mathematics and symmetry, where certain ratios and shapes are in perfect alignment with every other element in the work. 

2) Polyhydra or The Platonic Solids:  

Through history, polyhedra have been closely associated with the world of art. The peak of this relationship was certainly in the Renaissance. For some Renaissance artists, polyhedra simply provided challenging models to demonstrate their mastery of perspective.  For others, polyhedra were symbolic of deep religious or philosophical truths.  For example, Plato's association in the Timaeus between the Platonic solids and the elements of fire, earth, air, and water (and the universe) was of great import in the Renaissance.  This was tied to the mastery of geometry necessary for perspective, and suggested a mathematical foundation for rationalizing artistry and understanding sight, just as renaissance science explored mathematical and visual foundations for understanding the physical world, astronomy, and anatomy.  For other artists, polyhedra simply provide inspiration and a storehouse of forms with various symmetries from which to draw on.  This is especially so in twentieth century sculpture, free of the material and representational constraints of earlier conceptions of sculpture. 

I have hidden numerous Polyhydra within the work, including cubes, hexagons, and star tetrahedrons.

3) String Theory/ Einstein's Unified Field Theory
In my own words, all I want to say is that there are many different ideas out there.  With the current models for Quantum Mechanics and General Relativity, there is no law that functions for one as it does the other.  Essentially these two very separate fields of study have no commonalities.  And we continue to follow the rules and laws we have set in place because 99% of the time it works.  Einstein was the one who came up with the philosophy that there exists something that unite these two fields of study.  String theory claims to have solved this age old problem, however there have been multiple "answers," just none accepted by the masses.

This work represents the miniscule- quantum mechanics through mathematics, and the infinitely  large- general relativity through space.  All these elements will mirror each other once you reach a certain degree, such as the harmonic scale starts over when you reach the next octave.

4) Ying Yang/The Torus
Most people have always known that the yinyang symbol stands for balance of opposites.  But around a year ago when I first saw this video and herd research on the Torus, I was a little blown away.  A deep obsession of mine has always been black holes.  The idea behind the Torus is that it moves inward and outward through its core into space and back again.  Perpetual loop (Theme of GEB at the top)  Some believe black holes to work this way, matter and particles being sucked in and spit out again.  At the center of every galaxy (including ours) exists a black hole, and currently we are being spit out.  




As you must have noticed at the exact center of this work is an yinyang symbol, which is also the eye of the gecko.

5)  Soundwaves, Frequencies, and Music
Light and sound exists as waves.  Each has a unique wavelength, or frequency.  Every element in the universe has a frequency.  Cymatics.  Just saying.
Our current harmonic scale was invented by Pythagoras.  One note is different from its parent by half of the string's length.  So by sectioning a piece of sting in half, and a half of a half, and a half of that half, and so on gives you the scale of A B C D E F G, then it repeats an octave.  Perpetual loop.

I have imbedded this as imagery within the sphere.  Along with one of M.C. Eshers's images called "Circle Limit."  How this was achieved:  Take 6 consecutive circles and have them intersect each other just past the larger circles edge.  Take circles that are half their diameter and then place down 12 circles, all intersecting at the larger circles intersection.  Repeat this effect and you will notice that from the absolute center of the main circle outward, all the other circles intersect along a line at a ratios of 2:1.  Our harmonic scale.  This also represent infinity, because if you follow this pattern you will never come to the edge of the main circle. Its in other word expanding at an exponential rate.

 Look up "Mathmagic Land" from 1976.  Once again references back to mathematics, music, and Lewis Carrol
I must be an egghead.

6) Mandalas  

Sanskrit for ‘circle’ or ‘center’, mandalas have been used for thousands of years by indigenous elders and spiritual traditions, as a way of giving form to their prayers and weaving visions into the fabric of reality.  In nature, the ‘circle with a center pattern is the basic structure of all creation and is reflected everywhere we look. The center of a seed, a flower, a piece of fruit. The circling rings of stone dropped into water and the spiraling shape of a tiny seashell, up to the wide circular pattern of storms, celestial currents, the Sun, our solar system – and beyond! Every atom and every cell with its nucleus is a mandala.  In the Americas, Indians have long created medicine wheels and sand mandalas for healing and as a gateway to communion with the Divine.  In Tibet, mandalas have been used throughout the ages as an active form of meditation and integral part of spiritual practice. The creation of sand mandalas can take many hours or days to complete. When finished, monks gather in ceremony and they sweep their mandala away, emptying it into a nearby body of water as a blessing.  From Christian nuns to Aztec shaman, mandalas in various forms have been drawn, carved and created throughout the ages to infuse our visions with energy, to unify groups around an idea and to help ‘Dream Our World into Being’.  Pioneering psychiatrist Carl Jung used mandalas extensively in his own personal growth and as a way of communicating and understanding his clients’ subconscious.  He saw them as a “safe refuge of inner reconciliation and wholeness.” Today mandalas are even being used in European schools and hospitals as a way of calming, centering and enlivening patients and children.  Representing wholeness, mandalas can be seen as a model for the organizational structure of life itself, as a doorway into you are on the artistic path of life, you are surely in the right place to begin.

If you haven't noticed, the whole composition encompasses many elements of classical Tibetan mandalas.  The major one being the square, also known as "gateway of the universe."  The whole image works from the center point outward, and tries to express a form of enlightenment, a higher knowledge that can not be explained, but only experienced. 

7) Geckos 
  To read about the Gecko you can find more at this earlier post.

Live Painting to Bass

Listen to this:  Ghostek- No Way Out

Place: Subduction, Seattle.

Goal:  Live painting.


This post is far after the event ever happened.  I was asked by a friend to do a collaboration on a painting.  I started it off before passing it to the next player.  This is the documentation of my time warp.  I cant say how long it took me, but I started before the party did.  When I turned around there was and entire warehouse filled with people below me.  Every time I've been back people call me "Artist Lady."

I found this sign sitting below one of my paintings late in the night, thank you to whoever that was :)

This is many hours into the night when my co-lab partner was ready to start working, so I passed it along and went to join the fun.

The next day we were continuing the party somewhere outdoors.  Never really painted, but instead joined the celebration.  Favorite part of the trip.  Making mud balls with an eight year old for hours by the river.

Chap Chap, Cheerio!

Tomorrow I will be making a trade off for one of my favorite paintings.  $2400, which has become my first real sale to someone other then my parents.  Bon voyage old friend, I will miss you.

 

 

 

Design for a Divination Deck

Before I left on my Around-the-World journey, I worked on a Divination Deck for Jody Bergsma Press.  I took me three months to complete all the design work and has a total of 44 cards plus the back-cover image.

There are 11 different background colors which make 4 images on each color.  The main design for the layout follows that of a Mandala, which is a circle from the center point.  The center images are made by Jody Bergsma while I used a mixture of painting with watercolor by hand, and the two computer programs Photoshop and Illistrator to create all the effects for each card.  The last image is the backside for all the cards and the pattern represent the 4 directions and the manifestation grid.

Rebirth
No matter what happiness you can find new wings.
Rise from the past.
Accept the positive change that is coming.

Kindness
Live with compassion.
Open your hearth to all life forms.
Be an angel with hands.

Dance
Find your heart's rhythm.
Step lightly and swing with the melody.
Close your eyes and let joy lead the way.

Pilgrimage
You are on a journey to your own greatness.
Your soul is longing to find the way.
Only you can choose your path.

Strength
You have courage.
You can endure.
Find your center and spiral into your power.

Quest
Be bold and mighty forces will aid you.
Take action,
Good luck favors the brave.

Happiness
Immense delight can be found
In the smallest of things.
Cultivate fluttering moments of joy

Change
You are transforming.
Let go of the past.
Embrace the light and joy of this new day.

Prosperity
Focus on the positive, more good will come.
Give thanks for blessings, they will multiply.
Prosperity begins in the mind.

Expectation
Be open for whatever comes next.
It might just be the music
your heart's been waiting to hear.

Elegance
It is rarely found today.
It is a lotus waiting to bloom.
Be the swan on the waves and glide.

Background image on every card.

The Idea

Hidden elements in this deck are that of the four directions, chakras, Plato's ethics, and manifestation.  If you are highly educated in Geometry or Occult Philosophy then a lot of these elements will appear obvious.  For those less informed it will appear to the viewer on a different level.  To enjoy this deck you do not need to be aware of any of this!  But the deck does act as a great starting point to learn about these ideas.

Like all mandala paintings, the purpose of the image is to help the viewer focus their attention.  Each card acts as an encouragement to aid you in your decisions with which path to take.  Using ideas of manifestation and being, the deck helps individuals choose virtuous actions in their personal reality.  Everybody has control over the way they choose to live, either believe in the miracle or live in the darkness.

The Creation

How I went about designing these cards took multiple steps  Most designers work in a group, I however work by myself and have to get "okayed" by the Artist.  This means I have to come up with many ideas on my own and slowly work it back to one final look.  

The first step for me was to create the background image.  This element is mostly forgotten about but a very critical part of the image for me.  I made several watercolor paintings using salt washes to create a gritty texture that would add contrast.  After they dried I worked in Photoshop to create mirrored 4 directional images so that any way they face it will reflect each other.  This not only gives it symmetry, but it follows the regulations of most card decks so you cant tell one side from the next.  Next I created the 4-directional circle grid in Indesign and worked with many different options until I found a composition that worked best.

Next I used the same background for the inside of the cards behind the image, but had to alter the colors.  We went though several different drafts and ended up with these 11 combinations.  It had gone from the 7 colors of the rainbow/chackras, then to the 12 zodiac colors, and finally rested on choosing 11 colors so that we could follow the 4-directions pattern by having 4 colors for each image.  The word and images on each color have been matched based on energetic meaning.  Thus all the words on the red cards are masculine such as Action, Confidence, Energy, and Rebirth.  Whereas the words for the light purple are feminine such as Elegance, Healing, Partnership, and Sacred Space.  If you look up the meanings behind the different chakras, a greater understanding behind the words can be found.

For every painting I worked with, different measures had to be taken depending on the image itself.  Some images cropped into a circle perfectly, while others had to be altered.  Such as the card called Rebirth, I needn't take any extra energy to alter the image in any way other then cropping and cutting out the wings for the bleed over the background.  Whereas Elegance was too rectangular and I was forced to rearrange the image and recreate areas to still look like a watercolor image but using Photoshop.  The ratio for this was about 1:1, so much more effort was taken then originally expected.

The words to go along with the images took much revising.  It was a mixture of bouncing back and forth between the artist and I to revise each other's work until we came to a resolution.  If you know visual artist's, you may have noticed writing is not their strong suit.  That's one of the reasons I do this blog, to keep up the ability to write well.  So in other words, the writing alone took many weeks.  There is also a book that will go along with these cards.

The Product

The product will be sold by Jody Bergsma Press and the company who has licenced her work for this deck.  Other popular divination decks from this company include Medicine Wheel by Jamie Sams.  Overall I'm happy with the final product, and find this is my most professional looking work yet.  I spent many hours staring at a computer screen to complete it and it is what funded my wonderful journey around the globe!  I appreciate the opportunity to be part of such an amazing experience.

Free Hand Mandala Drawing of Dragons

I know that not everybody believes in reincarnation, but I'm pretty sure that in my last life I was a Buddhist sand mandala painter. I had been getting a sneaking suspicion that I was Asian, but I couldn't tell where, when, or what. The signs were everywhere. When I was born I couldn't pronounce my 'L's, they instead came out as 'R's which eventually forced me to change my name from Lily to Sky. As a little kid my mom would chant along with her Tibetan bowls, while she did this I would try to approach without being herd and crawl into her lap cross legged. There I would sit in silence while she did her ritual. Around my teens I adopted my signature clouds that appear in almost every picture I made, which is very reminiscent of the clouds found in Japanese landscape paintings. As time goes on, I've accumulated many trinkets that are part of Asian culture, leaving my living space as a life sized shrine. One of my favorites is a carved green jade necklace I bought in China Town in Vancouver BC of a Dragon and a Phoenix intertwined. Some people wear crosses, other people wear crystals.

Having been born in 88, I identify myself with the Dragon proudly. Now, in 2012, as we approach the Chinese New Year I anxiously await to see what crazy adventures it will bring. On January first as a pranced around the streets of Vancouver with a most beloved friend, I stumbled across my favorite magazine, Common Ground. This months title being "Year of the Dragon." Once I had arrived back home and settled in, I opened the magazine to figure out what wisdom I could find, this is what I read;

On January 23rd, 2012, we move out of the Chinese Year of the Rabbit into the prosperous and fertile Year of the Dragon. Dragons represent potent and benevolent power as the ultimate ruler of all the elements, embodying primordial power as a catalyst for change and transformation, wisdom, infinity, longevity, and movement through space.

It is critical that we adopt our way of living to eliminate out-of-date practices that hinder the brilliant future of our planet, our Galaxy and the entire universe. Research undertaken by cosmologist and inventor Nassim Haramein has created a "Unified Field Theory." (I have posted the video below) This information can change our lives on earth dramatically, as it unlocks deep levels of understanding of human existence through an exploration of the geometric structure of the universe and human consciousness.

The unified field is the space we occupy. No matter how big or small, all matter we observe is made of atoms and all atoms are of 99.99999999% space. Physicists use math to describe the universe and the nature of relativity through the language of equations. We can improve our understanding of the fundamentals of our universe when we understand the geometry of the fabric of the vacuum and the dynamics of space-time within that structure.

This is a critical period of our evolution where we can come into coherency and harmony with nature instead of destroying our environment as we interact with it and transform our society from scarcity consciousness to abundance.

We live in the perfect organization of a holographic and non-linear fractal universe structure. We are a reflection of the abundance of mother earth; like her , we are self sustaining. The anxiety we feel as human race is a direct result of the stress of living within the confines of a box of a closed system. Stress can be better defined as the misinterpretation and misrepresentation of misinformation and acceptance of living within the confines of a mistaken identity as limited beings confined within a limited structure. There are no closed systems in nature. What appears to be an isolated system is actually connected to an infinite potential of the entire universe.

Our society, as a whole, tends to embrace looking out-side of ourselves for answers, based on expansion and radiation instead of contraction - exploding fuel-filled rockets instead of floating hot air balloons.

The Year of the Dragon is a perfect opportunity to break out of the box in our search for creative solutions by going towards the center and using our intuition to find answers from within. We are invincible if we harness our collective power to command our energies toward the inevitability of a peaceful harmonious existence, through breakthroughs in enlightenment rather then disaster.

When most people read articles, I'm sure they take in the words for what they are. But the morning that I read this an image flashed into my head. A mandala to be more precise. I've painted two Mandalas in my life. One of the painting I still have, the other was given away to two wonderful friends for their wedding. Both contained the Shri Yantra. I never got to document the one I gave away, but I do have this picture as evidence.

This time the Mandala I envisioned did not contain the Shri Yantra, but instead the Cuboctahedron, with four dragons in each corner to represent the four elements/directions. Now, I know that in the last month I posted this video a few times, but if you have not seem it, now is the time. This is the video Nassim Haramein made about his "Unified Field Theory," and it has been influencing me this whole year. I've always had a love for geometry, but this video is what justified my obsession.

Nassim Haramein - Black Whole from Milo on Vimeo.

If you want to skip forward to the geometrics, start the video from 51 mins in. When I was 13, I drew the star tetrahedron inside seven consecutive circles, the "seed of life." I had to wait until I was 18 to get this tattooed on my back. 8 of these star tetrahedrons combined create a larger cubeoctahedron structure. When I watched this video, it defiantly blew my mind.

So when this image appeared in my head, I immediately put down the magazine and went a grabbed one pencil, an eraser and a stack of cheap paper. From there, I sat at my kitchen counter, and free handed this:

Later that night I enlarged the image on a photocopier. From there I traced the image on a light table with a black extra fine rolling ball pen. No rulers, no measuring, just a really steady hand and a good eye. This was what it looked liked:

I then took the liberty to fill in some details:

So today I spent my time typing this, and trying to color the image. I havn't really moved from the kitchen counter in 10 hours. My first love was Primsacolor pencils, I think they still might be. For most people, they don't have the patience to deal with color pencils. It takes a long time to slowly shade all the colors together and complete an area. I love it. I don't care for the instant gratification that painting brings, big brushes and paint strokes seem sporadic and sloppily done. There is a type of controlled perfection that comes with a well done color pencil drawing, its just the way I am. And this is what you can do with it if you have the patience:

Now that you've seen the result, lets go back to the beginning. I think in my last life I was a Buddhist Sand Mandala Painter. All the pieces make sense, the obsession with these images, my urge to paint them repeatedly, and the ability to gracefully create them without the use of measuring tools. I know that this isn't something I can put on my resume, and I'm sure very few people really even care. But the fact that I can spend my time being happy to create something that bring joy and fulfillment to my life is a unique gift that only artists have. And I use the tern artist loosely to encompass anyone that has the urge to make something. Whether it be cooking, writing, singing, doodling, building, anything! I urge every single person to find something that fills their heart with something golden, because now is better then ever to make yourself happy.

Mandala Painting