All the possibilities of your human destiny are asleep in your soul.
You are here to realize and honor these possibilities.
~John O’Donohue. Anam Cara: A Book of Celtic Wisdom.
A new direction in my ephemeral artwork has been 'in the ether' for the past 6 years now.
I've had a natural affinity with the Flower of Life and Seed of Life for eons and have known my new work in both ephemeral art and drawing would somehow incorporate this ancient symbol.
I finally started playing with the Seed of Life as the centrepiece of a new series of flatlays a few months ago and immediately envisaged developing a multitude of series in different colours, tones, and patterns.
On one hand, I feel hesitant to show this new work as it is so new. On the other hand, I like the idea of sharing this journey with everyone here at Steemit. And I feel the nudge of 'Now is the time.'
Final stage of my first piece using the Seed of Life design.
SONY Mark2 A7: ISO 160: 35 mm: f/4.5: 1/60 sec.
Seeking cohesion.
In illustrating the stages of The Crimson Seed of Life #1 I'll attempt to bring several of the influences to cohesion.
When I sense the nebulous ideas for new creative work are at last starting to bubble up to the surface of my mind, the best thing I can do to assist their passage is to 'go bush.'
'Going bush' for me means just going for a walk in the local bushland, enjoying the feeling of the earth and rocks beneath my bare feet, listening to the whispering of warm summer breezes through the angophoras and eucalypts, talking to my tree friends like the old man banksia and then sitting quietly in the shade, waiting for the water dragons to come out and play.
At times like these with fresh ideas in the forming, I sometimes draw my 'preliminary sketches' in the earth. I know these 'sketches' will be returned to the earth: Wind and rain, leaf litter and animal scuffling will obscure them.
However the ideas will be crystallizing, to later emerge as new art pieces.
I'm trying to link a few different topics here as I know there is a thread between them. So let me now tell you about a dream I had several years ago.
Creative euphoria and vacuum.
It must have been early 2012 ~ As I had recently disassembled a sculpture that had taken two years to complete ~ When I had a most significant dream.
I was in a creative euphoria: The sculpture had been installed for Sculpture by the Sea at Bondi, an international environmental sculpture exhibition that had attracted over 500,000 visitors and I had received some fantastic responses.
At the same time I felt physically, emotionally and mentally depleted ~ I was in a total creative vacuum.
Yet one thing I've come to understand is that states like this are temporary. And in order to regain my energy all I needed to do was to work with the earth.
I spent the next three months, reclaiming a relatively small area in the far corner of our backyard, which had been a dumping ground for tiles and bottles, plastic and wire, and was now covered with an invasive plant called Wandering Jew.
I documented this 'project' because for me it exemplified what one person on a minimal budget, can do to help restore the beauty of the earth while replenishing their own energy. Eventually I hope to share more about this magical Mini-Rainforest.
The dream.
I went to bed asking for guidance on the direction my art needed to take.
The dream: I was overlooking an expansive landscape of undulating green fields
As I looked down onto an area of vibrant green grass, I noticed a bare patch in it that was starting to spread out. I felt a ripple of disconcertedness.
As I looked closer I could see that this browned area was formed by the earth being pushed up by something that was below the earth. Apprehension turned to curiosity.
Closer again and I could see that the earth was being shaped into fine lines forming a pattern. I could then see that the earth 'pushers' were hundreds of bees.
The form the bees were making was a PERFECT Seed of Life.
For me now there is a connection between the Seed of Life and the life of the bees. And I wonder ~ But for another time.
First stage of 'The Crimson Seed of Life #1.'
In the middle of the Flower of Life are seven interconnected circles which, if you take them out and draw a circle around them, would create the image called the Seed of Life. ~Drunvalo Melchizedek: The Ancient Secret of the Flower of Life.
Photograph: ©Alison Lee Cousland.
SONY Mark2 A7: ISO 100: 35 mm: f/3.5: 1/60 sec.
Pattern of the design.
Usually there's is an underlying structure in my ephemeral pieces. It can be the 11:11, two single columns, a six-pointed star, triangles or circles.
The foundation of: 'The Crimson Seed of Life #1' was a design of the Seed of Life which had been made by cutting out the individual segments from a Japanese wrapping paper and carefully pasting them into position.
A friend had given me a set of pure beeswax tea light candles wrapped in this paper. Inspiration struck a chord the moment I saw it.
Second stage of 'The Crimson Seed of Life #1.'
A circle of six small starshells was placed towards the centre of the design. Six spiral shells were placed as an outer circle in the spaces between the petals of the rosette. Six everlastings were placed on the petals, forming another circle.
The Flower/Seed of Life is found all over the world: Egypt, Israel, Greece, Turkey, England, Ireland, Tibet, China and Japan. Source: Drunvalo Melchizedek: The Ancient Secret of the Flower of Life.
Photograph: ©Alison Lee Cousland.
SONY Mark2 A7: ISO 100: 35 mm: f/3.5: 1/60 sec.
The Seed of Life.
The Seed of Life has been called a universal symbol of creation. I've had the hard copies of both volumes of Drunvalo Melchizedek's 'The Ancient Secret of the Flower of Life' for longer than I'd like to admit ~ Waiting for me to find the time to read them. Now's the time to dust them down, as I feel I'm finally ready to be able to absorb some of the valuable information within their pages.
Returning to the final stage of 'The Crimson Seed of Life #1.'
The six spiral shells and six everlastings were removed from the design. The six small starshells at the centre of the design remained and six white roses were added with a sprinkling of tiny white flowers.
The Flower of Life is also known as Language of Silence and the Language of Light. It’s the source of all language. It’s the primal language of the universe, pure shape and proportion. Source: Drunvalo Melchizedek: The Ancient Secret of the Flower of Life.
Photograph: ©Alison Lee Cousland.
SONY Mark2 A7: ISO 160: 35 mm: f/4.5: 1/60 sec.
New work.
In this piece I've continued to incorporate much the same natural materials as my other ephemeral pieces ie shells and roses and other small flowers.
I sincerely hope you like what I've been able to share with you so far. I do have a few special Christmas pieces that I hope to share before Christmas Day. Till then. Au Revoir.