The Song of Creation

Artist's Statement

I'm interested in symbols.  Not mainstream cultural symbols but personal images as they come to me in dreams or intuition when I'm sitting at my drawing table. 

I am influenced by North American Aboriginal art, Medieval art, the Symbolist movement, Celtic design, Jungian psychology (or my understanding of it) and many other art movements and artists.

My work often revolves around spiritual issues. I'm trying to find God but not in the traditional sense of being saved from my sins. I try to capture the resurgence of the Divine Feminine as She appears to me. 

I use oil pastels.  They look like crayons but consist of pigment mixed with a non-drying oil and a wax binder.  They are clunky, can be very messy and don't allow for too much detail.  

Before I use the oil pastels I prime water colour paper with India ink and a clear polymer glaze.  I start each picture with a single line or 'thread'.  Eventually an image comes to mind and I build the picture from there, section by section.  I cover the finished work with another glaze.

My art is a joy to me.  It is the first time in my life I've been free to investigate the inner landscape of my own mind.  I believe my mind is joined to all of humanity in what Carl Jung called "the collective unconscious" and so even though my symbols may seem obscure and personal they often resonate with other people. 

Francie

Is There Life After Church?

As Christians watch more and more mainstream churches stagnate or close their doors it appears that some of them aren't prepared to go down with the ship in the traditional patriarchal manner.

Some really good and decent people are trying to grapple with the baffling question of what went wrong by incorporating rock music, multi-media, female pastors etc, etc. into their churches hoping to resurrect a dead horse.

My personal opinion is that we won't really be able to understand Christ's message of peace, compassion and equality until every Christian church is closed.

We need to start again.



In the image the divine feminine has surfaced from the deep waters under the church (symbolized by the fish).  The people in the water would rather drown than accept the milk she provides.

But there is hope - symbolized by the new birth that is happening.





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You Can't Get Here From There, Francis

Pope Urban II at the Council of Clermont of 1095, given a late Gothic setting in this illumination from the Livre des Passages d'Outre-mer, of c 1490 (Bibliothèque nationale de France) (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

You will not find the Divine Feminine through Christianity.

 Christianity is a rigid patriarchy that at best tolerates its

'lunatic fringe', (currently Rev. Matthew Fox and his followers),

at worst defrocks, excommunicates and burns them at the

stake.

There has been a lot of wonder this week because Pope

Francis said he doesn't judge gay people.

 

Piffle.

 There have always been gay priests.

 

If Pope Francis had said, "I think women should be equal

partners in the church and I think the Godhead should reflect

the fact that we are all children of the Spirit," then there would

be cause for wonder.

 

But he didn't.

And he won't.

 

You just can't get here from there.