Jacques de Beaufort: Interviewed by Anthea Joy Simpson
Demons & Deities | Kelli Bickman Art
"Buddhist teachings say life is suffering. They also say there is a way to eliminate suffering and meditation is the key. Painting is a form of meditation. Peace is often found in the pure moments of unfolding creation. Through discipline and hard work, magic happens and beauty manifests.
A wise artist friend once told me that in order to create great art one must do three things. First, one must throw out their friends. Second, one must throw out their lovers. And third, one must throw out themselves. Then, he said, there will be room to make great art. This is the challenge of any artist and the study of the great teachers helps us achieve this.
As I have dedicated my life to the creation of art and expression of spiritual truth, many of these images were born through my search for light. Demons & Deities are a part of all of our lives, yin & yang, light & dark, and because of the nature of duality, we can't have one without the other.
It is my hope that thru the creation of these images in a 'Pop Art' style that they will be easily accessible to a wide audience. I invite people from all walks of life, and all traditions, to explore sacred imagery and awaken to their own divine self."
via kellibickman.net
Jacques de Beaufort: Psychopomps
Psychopomps (from the Greek word ψυχοπομπός (psychopompos), literally meaning the "guide of souls") are creatures, spirits, angels, or deities in many religions whose responsibility is to escort newly deceased souls to the afterlife. Their role is not to judge the deceased, but simply provide safe passage. Frequently depicted on funerary art, psychopomps have been associated at different times and in different cultures with horses, Whip-poor-wills, ravens, dogs, crows, owls, sparrows, cuckoos, and harts.
In Jungian psychology, the psychopomp is a mediator between the unconscious and conscious realms. It is symbolically personified in dreams as a wise man or woman, or sometimes as a helpful animal. In many cultures, the shaman also fulfills the role of the psychopomp. This may include not only accompanying the soul of the dead, but also vice versa: to help at birth, to introduce the newborn child's soul to the world. This also accounts for the contemporary title of "midwife to the dying," which is another form of psychopomp work.
List by mythology or belief system
Anglo-Saxon
Celtic
Christianity (Roman Catholicism)
- Saint Barbara (a virgin martyr and one of the Fourteen Holy Helpers; said to bring Holy Communion to the dying)
- Our Lady of Mount Carmel
- St. Michael (an archangel)
- St. Peter (an apostle of God)
- John the Baptist (a prophet of God)
- Azrael (an angel of death)
- Angels
Egyptian
Greek
Hinduism
Inuit
Islam
Japanese
Judaism
Korean
- Jeoseung Saja
Mayan
Mesopotamian
Native American
Norse
Persian
Polynesian
Roman
Vodun
Zoroastrianism
Marcel Duchamp - Jeu d'échecs avec Marcel Duchamp (1963)
Marcel Duchamp (1887-1968)Jeu d'échecs avec Marcel Duchamp (1963)
This film records an in-depth interview with Duchamp which took place five years before his death, at the time of his first ever one-man show (at the Pasadena Art Museum). It records for posterity Duchamp talking about his life, his ideas on art, why he chose to continue living in America after fleeing France in 1915, and why he virtually abandoned his work as an artist in 1923. An engaging dialogue takes place between Duchamp and film-maker Jean-Marie Drot as they go around the Pasadena show, with the artist commenting on the exhibits and using them to explain the various stages of the development of his work. This is punctuated by the games of chess, which were for Duchamp a passion and a metaphor for the mental discipline he applied to his art. In this film we gain a rare glimpse of him talking with humour and insight about his ideas, and living up to the myth of the artist-philosopher that has grown up around him.
Jeu d'échecs avec Marcel Duchamp was filmed late 1963 in Pasadena and New York for the Radio Télévision Franaise (RTF); first broadcast on 8 June 1964 and then shown at the International Festival of Artistic Films and Films of Art (Bergamo, 19 September 1964). The English version was presented in a television broadcast in September 1964 in the 'Art and Man' Series.
"The goal of chess is to mate. We can thus see this picture as the record of a tableau vivant of a word play. Since Freud, vulgar theorists have held that chess and art, to pick two examples, are sublimations of sex. Given Duchamp's attitude towards wordplay versus theory, it is better to see his life long interest in chess and eroticism as a sublimation of this picture's wordplay! Given that the double meaning of "mate" does not exist in French, at last we have a satisfactory explanation of why Duchamp had to emigrate to America. In other words: in the beginning was the word; in the center the pun." From: A Pun Among Friends by Steven B. Gerrard
via ubu.com
Autumn Skye Morrison – Language of Light
Autumn Skye Morrison has become renowned for creating paintings of great power and elemental richness. Spending her youth between the majesty of the mountains and the serenity of the ocean and lush forest, Autumn Skye developed a deep appreciation for natural beauty, and a sense of wonder at life and the world around her.
Autumn lives and paints in her home North of Powell River, overlooking a sweeping expanse of ocean, islands, mountains, and sky. She considers herself among the blessed of the blessed, and lives in gratitude and joy of being able to share her art and inspiration.
In this exclusive interview with Autumn Skye Morrison, we hear in depth about the spiritual process of staying present and bearing witness to the spiritual energies and elements at play within the creation of Art. “I aim to share honesty and awakening. To celebrate this fantastic adventure. To inspire and be inspired.”
Beloved by Autumn Skye Morrison
Daniel Mirante
Your work is full of the themes of interconnectedness with a sentient and intelligent natural world, where ecosystems and animals are seen in their mysterious and magical light. What major gateways and initiations have lead you into contemplation of these mysteries?Autumn Skye
Painting is in itself a celebration and exploration into the mystery and magic of life and creation. As I paint, the imagery evolves and takes me on a journey. I begin each piece with a seed of an idea, and by watching and listening the piece comes into being. While painting, animals, plants and other elements come to me.The Seer by Autumn Skye Morrison
Daniel Mirante
Has your creativity been unbroken since a child or did you rediscover it at some point ? Are there any passages in your life which have particularly inspired and unfolded your craft as an artist?“While painting, animals, plants and other elements come to me.”
Autumn Skye
I was blessed with total support of my creative exploration while growing up. There was never a doubt of what I would do with my life, and even before I knew the concept of “Artist” I knew who I was and what I was here to do.I have not completed an academic training, but I have been painting since I was old enough to hold a brush. Drawing before I could walk or talk. I believe paint runs in my veins, and every color and texture I lay my sight on is translated by my imagination into ideas for new paintings. I am a “young” artist, at 27 years old, but I feel an ancient calling stir every time I open my eyes in the morning. I have known no more humbling and empowering teacher than art.
Queen-Be by Autumn Skye Morrison
Daniel Mirante
Do you develop the idea of what you are painting and render it, or do the themes and symbols reveal themselves through exploration with the act of painting itself ?Autumn Skye
As I mentioned in response to your first question, I usually begin each piece with only a loose idea, a seed of a concept, or a few fragmented elements. With such an open starting point, the possibilities are boundless of where the piece will take me. Sometimes it is a little clearer when I begin, and there are only slight surprises as it develops, other times I think I have it “figured out” and suddenly it will shift and flow in a totally different direction, and sometimes i just begin by getting splashy with colours and energetic brushstrokes and the imagery gradually comes clear.“As a painting develops and evolves, often new animals, objects, figures, or symbols come to mind intuitively.”
As a painting develops and evolves, often new animals, objects, figures, or symbols come to mind intuitively. I trust this as guidance and most often they will fit perfectly into the composition and concept of the piece. That being said, I also do not cling to what is already on the canvas, and often will spend many hours working on something, only to then suddenly paint over it or change it into something else. Only when I am able to step back from the painting after it is complete, am I able to witness it from a fresh perspective, and see that everything is in it’s perfect place and it all “makes sense”. The piece tells a story, far beyond what I consciously imagined it ever would.
Each painting truly is a journey, and it never ceases to amaze and delight me.
The Grace Of Mer by Autumn Skye Morrison
Autumn Skye Morrison
Daniel Mirante
What do you envision or hope for in terms of the future of visionary and sacred art within America, Canada, and the world?Autumn Skye
I feel a deep stirring, a potent blossoming of creativity. It is all around us, more and more, in our own lives, in those of our family and community, and the collective experience. I trust in this blessed journey.It is our divine duty and our spiritual responsibility to create and to share inspiration, especially at this time of change. As we honor our personal creative paths, we contribute vitally to the whole through our own well-being, by inspiring those around us and encouraging them to create as well, and by manifesting visual mirrors to the light, potential, and divinity of each viewer.
As in any form of art; dance, painting, music, healing, cooking, gardening, etc; as we release judgment, move past our mind, breathe deep into the process, and find bliss in each step; we realize that we are boundlessly assisted in our expression. We are able to see that the art is not born of us, but through us, and in this knowing we are humbled yet profoundly empowered.
In regards to the specific “movement” of “Visionary Art”, I feel that all of this is honored and tapped into to a huge extent. Each artist’s tool or vehicle may be different in how we find that flow of spiritual inspiration; through meditation, dance, shamanic journeys, etc; but the language of light is what we have in common. Each creation is an offering: a positive reflection of ourselves and humanity, a celebration of evolving consciousness, an opportunity for healing and deepening, a vision of a bright future and Now.
Remembering Eternity by Autumn Skye Morrison
via lila.info
