Art on the Wall

Magic Mama's most recent visual art will be on display for the month of May at
Tangled Up In Hue
downtown Eau Claire, WI

A look behind the scenes....in Magic Mama's studio. Creating cast paper banners "10 cm Circle Yantras" and other mixed-media art inspired by Nature, Sacred Geometry and the art of waste stream diversion. Some pieces are collaborations with my own children. At the foundation of all my actions is the intention of feeding the Children's Fire.

Unless you were born via c-section, you entered the world through a 10 cm portal. These meditations and mandalas may awaken something deep within our cells and psyches that transcend race, class, religion, sex and all other illusions of separation that are at the root of all violent conflict in the world.

10 cm circle Mandalas made using colored pencils, markers, 35mm photos of flowers I grew. Circles are then adhered in various ways to cast paper forms.
Using earthenware clay, I created a variety of forms which I cast in plaster. Then I made slurry (paper pulp) out of junk mail, discarded art and writing, natural fibers like cattail fluff etc. The plaster molds are then filled with the slurry to create the cast paper forms I incorporate into much of my artwork.

My daughter created the under-painting for an acrylic on canvas "Kuan Yin"
Her assignment: Think about he number 5 and your connection with the hibiscus flower. I gave her the color palette and did a bit of painting with her as well.
Here she is with the hibiscus:The number 5 resonates deeply within the divine design of our own bodies: 5 digits on each hand and foot, 2 hands + 2 feet + 1 head = 5. The flower of every edible fruit has 5 petals (though not every 5-petaled flower produces and edible fruit). Fives are about regeneration!
Here is her painting:

I brought the painting home and "journeyed" into it until I found Kuan Yin, Goddess of Mercy and Compassion. Her left foot is firmly rooted and channels earth energy. Her crown is somewhat transparent, like a crystal, channeling and radiating divine cosmic energies. Like the Mona Lisa, her gaze follows you. The greatest challenge for me was to pull Kuan Yin out of the painting without disturbing the integrity of my daughter's original design.

My son's task was to reconnect with the Honu (sea turtle) and the number 6. I gave him a palette of greens to create an underpainting. Here he is, greeting a Honu in person for the first time:
Here he is in the studio, living deeply into the experience of the Honu and the number 6. Six is the seed of life and expresses the archetypes of structure-function-order. It is the strongest and most efficient architectural form. At the core of our sustain-ability is our connection to nature!
I brought the painting home, turned it on it's side and felt the Sri Yantra. I pulled from my own direct experiences swimming with the Honu and the ancient, archetypal feelings that were evoked within me.

One of my specialties is the art of waste stream diversion. Before throwing anything away, I always ask, "What else could be done with this? What can I make that gives new life and creates some form of beauty out of something that would otherwise be buried or incinerated?" We do our best to reduce and reuse but there always seems to be an over-abundance of plastic bags. I used over a hundred bags to create "fabric" by fusing six or more layers together with a warm iron. We donate most of our used clothes to local thrift stores and give them to friends and family, but there are always a few items that are too worn out to be used as clothing. Using my kids old jeans, some of the fused bags and old pieces of canvas, I created the following "DNA" series:

Printed on the top banner are lyrics from the title track of my third album
Renegade Spade
"Our DNA is undomesticated and our wild animal nature highly underestimated"

Visually connecting with sacred geometric designs like the 10 cm circle and sri yantra, meditating on the spiral-twisting ladder of the double helix may re-awaken a timeless and fundamental wisdom within our bodies.

The banners are a combination of cat hat scraps, cast paper pieces, fused bags, recycled canvas and used clothing.
Art Smock made of recycled clothing pieces and fused plastic bags.

Cast Paper Hands and Peace Dove Banner