A blind frog-like creature wearing a dark hooded robe sits a top of a mushroom rising amongst a jungle of ferns. The creature is holding a sewing needle with its both hands, ceremoniously presenting it to someone; A human, from whom only a hand can be seen reaching out with the forefinger and thumb extended to receive the item. There is a light emitting from the needle that is reflected on the fingers.
Like many of my works this is inspired by nature experience that is mixed with imagination and the result entwined with symbolism. For a patient seeker there is much to interpret.
Seeker´s Resolve
digital drawing
2021
Seeker´s Resolve is my latest digital drawing. As mentioned in the description the drawing it is inspired by nature experience. In recent years I have started to spend more time outdoors and appreciate what nature has to offer, While I did grow up with video games there was more of a balance with outdoor activity, we used to scurry around in the sub-urban woods building huts or chasing for butterflies. When I’d visit my father and grandparents in the countryside, we did a lot of fishing. Most of my adulthood I’ve lived in the city and a lot of my time has been locked up inside and way too much of it in front of a computer screen, thankfully the area where I live is very much em-braced by nature. Now days I do I enjoy taking walks in the woods, going foraging for mushrooms or berries, taking pictures. it is also good just to forget the camera and phone and simply be there and ob-serve. While at times there has been disconnect, nature has always been fundamental to my art, though not trying portray it, I see the way I paint and draw is very much reflecting on the idea of nature as a force. How things are constantly growing, evolving, chaotic and dangerous.
Seeker´s Resolve is something of a sequel to a work from 2018 called King´s Dilemma. In that drawing there is a creature, something like a fat bumble bee with antlers, who is sitting on a bottle cap also holding a needle while ponderously looking at it. It was made at a time when I was stuck in an office task with the artist association.
In that one I initially thought the needle to be simply like a replacement for a stinger, a potential for development and while at it a threat. Like what is the actual “King’s Dilemma” that has to do with modernization of society and how that might diminish the ruler’s power over their people.
King´s Dilemma
digital drawing
2018
In Seeker´s Resolve the needle is accepted, there is no question any-more. Its meaning is opening along with the rest of the imagery, the fern, the frog, the mushroom. ordinary things that you come across on a walk in the woods, but when looked at in a certain light, they become symbols and carry meaning, and so can reveal something about our-selves.
The needle is said to represent creativity, healing as it is for making and repairing things. It could potentially hurt you, it is easy to lose and hard to find, as in the proverb of finding a needle in a haystack. It is an ancient tool; it would be hard to imagine how our life would look if it wasn’t ever invented. Even more ancient are the frogs and the fern who have been here for hundreds of millions of years, while the earliest forms of fungi going back a billion building the foundations for our habitat. First known primates are about 65 million years old and homo sapiens appeared just three hundred thousand years ago in Africa, from which us modern humans evolved in just hundred thousand or so. World view may differ, but in any case, we are quite young, and I believe it might to try and learn from our elders. Besides studying it for extracting material resources.
I suppose making art and trying to look at through symbolism is one way. Symbols of course vary from culture to culture, and I have no de-sire to set an absolute, universal meaning to my art, it is of course open for interpretation. However, we can look at some of the possible meanings to start the process, though it is perfectly fine to just look at it and feel whatever you feel.
I´m picking these meanings from various sources so there may be some missing or contradicting, importance is in finding own meaning what ever it is to you.
The frog can symbolize change, transformation, fertility, potential, even purity, prosperity and good luck, or the opposite. My memories with them are from springtime, waiting when the frog eggs appear in little ponds and observing them every day until eventually grow into tadpoles, how their little legs start to develop until they someday make their way out of the pond. Sometimes you would come across a huge toad in the woods, that was exciting like finding a treasure.
Mushrooms can be a symbol for creativity, longevity, prosperity, also good luck. They make their networks underground and for a short while they produce their fruit that can be picked for sustenance or as psychedelic use as been with shamans of old. they can be also lethally toxic so must be very knowledgeable of what you pick up. the one in the drawing is a bolete, delicious mushroom that is one of my favorites. We used to go hunting for mushrooms with my parents while they were still together, and it is an activity I have started to greatly en-joy again.
Fern is an ancient plant with a distinct look. It reproduces via spores instead of flowers like typical plants. It can symbolize new life and new beginnings, eternal youth, family, hope for future generations. They have been used as medicine for various ailments
Here in Finland, there is a species of fern that in folklore is said to flower only once a year on the midsummer’s night and the seed from the flower to grant knowledge of all secrets along with keys to all locks and understanding of all languages. That would be quite good for a treasure seeker. Similar myths about this mystical plant are spread all around abundant like the fern it itself.
So, the pieces of canvas are laid out, and what is left is to pick up the needle and start stitching everything together. Remembering though the meanings offered are just few of the many possible. Like I said I don’t want to give an closed interpretation of the art and will gladly the leave final conclusions to the viewer, as my work with this one, apart from private reflections, is done.
Seeker's Resolve is tokenized as 1/1 NFT on kalamint.io
Seeker's Resolve on Kalamint