The seed of the idea for these paintings was planted twenty years ago while I was studying theology. I longed to paint contemporary images of Mary that would speak to a late 20th century audience. For many reasons, that seed lay dormant until the very recent past.
In 2008, I became aware of the possibility that drilling for natural gas might happen, literally, in my own back yard. I became an outspoken critic of the destructive fracking enterprise. After several years of activism, I had an increasing sense of despair about the degradation of the earth caused by our unsustainable way of living. I also felt profound sadness over the conflict and division that I experienced in my own community over the gas drilling controversy. I found I was actively seeking to find a way towards reconciliation, one that could be experienced both internally and externally.
This transcendent “third” way would provide a path through the polarization I was feeling and I envisioned that it could assist the larger issue of how we as a species understand our relationship with Mother Earth. In the midst of my despair and paralysis I turned to the primary thing in my life that that offers me a sense of agency: my creative voice. I have an abiding intuition that the problems we are confronted with at this point in history must be addressed at the depth level of archetype and symbol. As an artist, I speak through the language of archetype, symbol and metaphor.
I made a conscious decision to turn inward and allow my art-making to speak of deeper truths, and become the voice of my activism. Contemporary Icons of the Feminine Divine is the flowering and fruit of my creative contemplative sabbatical from a more public environmental activism. Each painting in the series is multilayered and referenced with symbols that connect Mary with expressions of the sacred feminine from many cultures, spiritual perspectives, and historical epochs. Much of the imagery is inspired by poetic titles ascribed to Mary in several ancient litanies in praise of her, including the Gaelic Litany to Our Lady (mid 8th century) and the Litany of Loreto (c. 1200).
The oval canvases are familiar forms, which came to me in a dream as I was preparing to begin. The shape reflects the egg, a perennial symbol of female fertility and the mirror, a symbol of reflection, vision and clarity. Mary’s face is intentionally mask-like, presenting a more universal and archetypal appearance than is typical in more traditional representations of her. These deeply personal images and prayers are offered in a spirit of reverence and humility. May you receive them graciously,and ponder them in your heart (Luke 2:19)
In 2008, I became aware of the possibility that drilling for natural gas might happen, literally, in my own back yard. I became an outspoken critic of the destructive fracking enterprise. After several years of activism, I had an increasing sense of despair about the degradation of the earth caused by our unsustainable way of living. I also felt profound sadness over the conflict and division that I experienced in my own community over the gas drilling controversy. I found I was actively seeking to find a way towards reconciliation, one that could be experienced both internally and externally.
This transcendent “third” way would provide a path through the polarization I was feeling and I envisioned that it could assist the larger issue of how we as a species understand our relationship with Mother Earth. In the midst of my despair and paralysis I turned to the primary thing in my life that that offers me a sense of agency: my creative voice. I have an abiding intuition that the problems we are confronted with at this point in history must be addressed at the depth level of archetype and symbol. As an artist, I speak through the language of archetype, symbol and metaphor.
I made a conscious decision to turn inward and allow my art-making to speak of deeper truths, and become the voice of my activism. Contemporary Icons of the Feminine Divine is the flowering and fruit of my creative contemplative sabbatical from a more public environmental activism. Each painting in the series is multilayered and referenced with symbols that connect Mary with expressions of the sacred feminine from many cultures, spiritual perspectives, and historical epochs. Much of the imagery is inspired by poetic titles ascribed to Mary in several ancient litanies in praise of her, including the Gaelic Litany to Our Lady (mid 8th century) and the Litany of Loreto (c. 1200).
The oval canvases are familiar forms, which came to me in a dream as I was preparing to begin. The shape reflects the egg, a perennial symbol of female fertility and the mirror, a symbol of reflection, vision and clarity. Mary’s face is intentionally mask-like, presenting a more universal and archetypal appearance than is typical in more traditional representations of her. These deeply personal images and prayers are offered in a spirit of reverence and humility. May you receive them graciously,and ponder them in your heart (Luke 2:19)