Monday, January 31, 2011

CERAMIC AMULETS/ Neoclassical Ceramic Sculpture by Eric Whollem/ CLAY PENDANTS/ Goddess Art/ Figurative Ceramic Sculpture




Erato
2006
by Eric Whollem
oxides on white earthenware clay
PHOTO COPYRIGHT BY THE ARTIST

CLICK ON IMAGE TO ENLARGE

The Muses

The nine Apollonian Muses included Erato, the
Muse of Erotic Poetry.

The ceramic sculpture depicted here is an amulet
rendering my own modern version of Erato in
profile. 



The Centaur
2006
by Eric Whollem
oxides on terracotta
PHOTO COPYRIGHT BY THE ARTIST

 CLICK ON IMAGE TO ENLARGE

The Centaurs

Greek mythology incorporated a variety of imaginary
beings, among which the Centaurs are well-known.

The amulet shown here depicts a Centaur's head with
a stylized helmet, featuring a rendition of a horse's mane.

  

Aurora
2006
by Eric Whollem
oxides on terracotta
PHOTO COPYRIGHT BY THE ARTIST

CLICK ON IMAGE TO ENLARGE

Attic Art Revisited

Attic Art was one of the early phases of ancient
Greek art. The figures on Attic vases often are
shown with highly stylized faces, which often
included oversized triangular noses.

This modern ceramic sculpture recapitulates the
Attic phase of art, which was always highly geometric.




Clio
2006
by Eric Whollem
oxides on white earthenware clay
PHOTO COPYRIGHT BY THE ARTIST

CLICK ON IMAGE TO ENLARGE

Clio

Clio was another of the Muses of Apollo.
She was the Muse of History.



The Griffin
2007
by Eric Whollem
oxides on white earthenware clay
PHOTO COPYRIGHT BY THE ARTIST

CLICK ON IMAGE TO ENLARGE

A Short History of the Griffin

The Griffin was a heraldic animal that originated in Crete.
The Griffin is part eagle and part lion.

The Griffin became popular in Central Asia much later. . .
in places such as Kazakhstan, Persia and Armenia.

It eventually entered into the symbolic language of heraldic
emblems and was utilized throughout Europe.

The image above is my own modern version of the Griffin,
designed as a pendant to be worn on a necklace.

_________________

Check out Wikipedia for more about GRIFFINS:

Those interested in the APPOLONIAN MUSES should see:

See my posts of CERAMIC AMULETS on this link:


Ceramic Sea Horse Pendants and Wallpieces.                      

My general posts of CERAMIC SCULPTURES can be accessed here:



Ceramic Sculpture Video.                                      


Some readers may want to see my posts on MYTHOLOGY:

Also of interest might be my posts on MYTHOGRAPHIC ART:

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Monday, January 10, 2011

THE SEA NYMPH/ 'MERMAID MICRONATIONS'/ Mermaid and Sea Horse Cinderella Stamps by Eric Whollem/ Selkie Artistamps/ CYBERSTAMPS FROM THE JESSAMINE ISLE




The Sea Nymph
THE JESSAMINE ISLE
2010
by Eric Whollem
COPYRIGHT BY THE ARTIST

 CLICK ON IMAGE TO ENLARGE


The Sea Nymph
Eric Whollem
2010


The Sea Nymph
THE JESSAMINE ISLE
2010
by Eric Whollem
COPYRIGHT BY THE ARTIST

CLICK ON IMAGE TO ENLARGE

A Mermaid Micronation

What is a micronation? It is a land that is totally fictional, an
artistic creation. Many hobbyists with a cultural bent develop
micronations, inventing flags, coats of arms, history, maps, as
well as stamps and coins.

I have developed a variety of aquatic micronations over the
years, mostly as an extension of my interest in faux postage
stamps.

The Jessamine Isle is my most recent imaginary mermaid
nation.




THE MYSTERY OF THE MERMAIDS

On the links at the bottom of this post you can find stamps from
mermaid nations such as Merreminde, Undinia, Amphitritonia,
Amphora, and Delphys. My book, 'The Mystery of the Mermaids:
Goddesses and Gods of the Sea'~now out of print~may explain
my interest in the theme.


See this Wikipedia article to get a more complete story:



The Sea Nymph
THE JESSAMINE ISLE
2010
by Eric Whollem:::
COPYRIGHT BY THE ARTIST

CLICK ON IMAGE TO ENLARGE

_________________

The links below will take you to posts of stamps from more of my MERMAID MICRONATIONS:




THE GREAT CLAM
a stamp from Undinia
by Eric Whollem

My general posts of MERMAID ART may be of interest:

BELOW IS A SAMPLE
STAMP VIDEO
WHICH SHOWS
MERMAID
ARTISTAMPS
FROM
MERREMINDE

ERIC WHOLLEM                                


More stamps from the JESSAMINE ISLE may be accessed here:

A VIDEO ABOUT
STAMPS OF THE JESSAMINE ISLE

MAKARI AND THE MYSTERIES OF THE MERMAIDS   


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ARTIST STAMPS
Artistamps, cinderella stamps, cyberstamps,
fantasy stamps, faux postage,
mail art, micronation stamps,
virtual stamps; digital art.

*

Sunday, January 9, 2011

CERAMIC MASKS/ Shamanic Clay Sculpture by Eric Whollem/ 'The Lore of the Aquatic Shaman'/ MEDICINE ANIMALS/ 'The Divers'/ 'Woctolly'/ 'The Shaman's Mask'/ Figurative ceramic wallpieces





Moon Cat
2004
by Eric Whollem
oxides on white earthenware clay~
flax cord
Private collection
PHOTO COPYRIGHT BY THE ARTIST

CLICK ON IMAGE TO ENLARGE

Ceramic  Masks by Eric Whollem

Many readers, familiar with the ethnic arts of the Eskimos,
will notice design parallels with a number of the wall pieces
displayed on this blog post. The Eskimos are well-known for
a distinctive style of mask, which incorporates smaller fetishes
attached around the periphery of the piece.

I have attached clay fish and clay moons to a few of these works.
I utilize flax cord, which is a strong material, having been used
for centuries by sailors as a cord for patching canvas sails at
sea.


Feline Mask
2004
by Eric Whollem
oxides on white earthenware clay
Private collection
PHOTO COPYRIGHT BY THE ARTIST

CLICK ON IMAGE TO ENLARGE






Animal Mask
2004
by Eric Whollem
oxides on white earthenware clay~
flax cord
Private collection
PHOTO COPYRIGHT BY THE ARTIST

CLICK ON IMAGE TO ENLARGE

Medicine Animals

Many cultures have the concept of the medicine animal.
Not just shamans, but normal individuals, may identify
with certain animals out of a feeling of harmony with the
habits and characteristics of the respective animal.

I designed the above animal masks when I had my studio
in the remote reaches of the forests of the Sierra Nevada
Mountains. My nearest neighbors were a quarter of a mile
away. And to the north of my cabin, there were forty miles
of unpopulated forest before one would emerge on the Lake
Almanor area.

Many animals would come near my studio. A bear trail
ran next to the north wall. I would hear and see bobcats
repeatedly. I once viewed a lynx. And I have seen mountain
lions~ twice~very close to my cabin; and I heard their calls
quite often in the woodlands nearby.

I had a cat, Keetah, who was very sensitive to the proximity
of the animals that would come close. She would run upstairs
and growl near the window, if she sensed any danger. In this
respect she was an excellent guard animal. Dogs, as you know,
often bark, attracting attention. The cat is more discreet. In
Thailand, Buddhist monks have used Siamese cats for centuries
to guard their temples.




Fish Man
2004
by Eric Whollem
oxides on white earthenware clay~
flax cord
Private collection
PHOTO COPYRIGHT BY THE ARTIST

CLICK ON IMAGE TO ENLARGE

Fish Man
THE LORE OF THE AQUATIC SHAMAN

This mask is a fanciful interpretation of the concept of the
merman shaman. Historically the first mershaman was Ea, who
was a fish man who rose from the waters of the Persian Gulf.
He was a teacher of ettiquette and civilization to the peoples
of Mesopotamia. Ea's name means 'wisdom.' 'Ea' is related
etymologically to the Sanskrit word, 'jnana,' which means
knowledge.


THE DIVERS

The Eskimo shaman is called Angakok, which designation
means 'diver,' as the shaman's powers are symbolized by the
diving duck. The duck can fly high, but also dive deep into the
water. This symbolizes the penetration into all dimensions.

The shamans of Central Asia are also called divers. The
Huttorarie is one such shaman from the remote reaches of
Asia. Ethnologists have long noted that the peoples of Central
Asia are the ancestors of the Native American peoples.

Odin from Scandinavian lore is an example of a diety whose
transformative powers include taking on the form of a fish.
Odin could easily be interpreted as a shamanic being.


WOCTOLLY

Woctolly is the name of a merman shaman from Northern
California. The Maidu and Cato Indians of the Sierra Nevadas
and the Coast Range have tales of Woctolly. See my links at the
end of this post for my account of the legend of Woctolly.





Shaman's Mask
2004
by Eric Whollem
oxides on white earthenware clay~
flax cord
Private collection
PHOTO COPYRIGHT BY THE ARTIST

CLICK ON IMAGE TO ENLARGE

The Shaman's Mask

Mircea Eliade has one of the best accounts of the lore of the
shaman. His book, 'Shamanism,' is a classic and should not be
missed by those seeking an interesting and comprehensive
overview of the role of the shaman in world cultures.

Eliade made an excellent anthropologist, as he never deprecated
the cultures that he described. He was always respectful in his
observations.

The Central Asian Altai word, samana, is the basis of the English
word, shaman.





A video by Eric Whollem, 2011

___________________

My post about WOCTOLLY THE SALMON MERMAN can be found here:

Readers interested in my CERAMIC SCULPTURE should see:

CLICK ON IMAGES TO ENLARGE 


GREEN FISH
ceramic wallpiece
by Eric Whollem

MANCO PAPAC
ceramic sculpture
by Eric Whollem


This link will take you to my articles on SHAMANISM:

This link will take you to my posts on ANTHROPOLOGY:

Those who enjoy MYTHOLOGY may want to see:

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Saturday, January 8, 2011

TWO SELKIES/ Mermaid cyberstamps from the Jessamine Isle/ Cinderella stamps by Eric Whollem/ VIRTUAL STAMPS/ Faux postage cyberstamps




Two Selkies
THE JESSAMINE ISLE
2010
by Eric Whollem
COPYRIGHT BY THE ARTIST

CLICK ON IMAGE TO ENLARGE

Stamps From the Jessamine Isle
by Eric Whollem
2010


Two Selkies
THE JESSAMINE ISLE
2010
by Eric Whollem
COPYRIGHT BY THE ARTIST

CLICK ON IMAGE TO ENLARGE


Two Selkies
Cinderella Stamps by Eric Whollem



Two Selkies
THE JESSAMINE ISLE
2010
by Eric Whollem
COPYRIGHT BY THE ARTIST

CLICK ON IMAGE TO ENLARGE



Two Selkies
THE JESSAMINE ISLE
2010
by Eric Whollem
COPYRIGHT BY THE ARTIST

CLICK ON IMAGE TO ENLARGE

Selkies

According to Celtic Mythology, a Selkie is a mermaid.
They are considered to be shape shifters. The term
'Selkie,' in fact means 'shifter.'

A Selkie can manifest as a deer, a rock, a tree, a wave,
or any natural object.

Shape shifting for a being such as a mermaid represents
her empowerment as a spirit being to manifest in a form
appropriate for her purposes. Mermaids are considered
to be angels in many cultures. Hungarian churches, for
example are filled with images of mermaids.

Mermaids, as the Fays of France, are protectors of the
wells and fields.

In India, many of the Gods and Goddesses are aquatic
beings. Matsya, the Merman, was the first incarnation
of Vishnu. He also manifested as a Turtle and a Lion
in other incarnations. These are examples of the shape
shifting characteristics of the mermaid or merman.

Each culture gives us a little different picture.


RABBIT MAN OF THE SEA

See my posts on Celtic Mythology for more stories about
the Selkies. I especially recommend my very first post for
Art Blog/Eric Whollem, entitled 'Rabbit Man of the Sea'
for an interesting account of my meeting up with a
spiritually realized Irishman who referred to himself as a
selkie. He related many points of great interest that are
not of common knowledge concerning the mysteries of
the mermaids.

Not only may selkies manifest as seals, but as hares
or other animals, according to traditional Irish lore.
The story of Liban from Ireland tells us of a salmon
mermaid who was a protector of wells.

The Irishman I talked to said that the hare manifests as a
protector of the people.

________________

See more of my stamps from the JESSAMINE ISLE on this link:

A VIDEO ABOUT
STAMPS FROM THE
JESSAMINE ISLE

MAKARI AND THE MYSTERIES OF THE MERMAIDS    

My post entitled RABBIT MAN OF THE SEA is on this link:

My posts about SELKIES can be found here:

Those interested in MERMAID ART should view:


Mermaid stamps from Merreminde.           


My posts on the subject of CELTIC MYTHOLOGY can be accessed here:

*
ARTIST STAMPS
Artistamps, cinderella stamps, cyberstamps,
fantasy stamps, faux postage,
mail art, micronation stamps,
virtual stamps; digital art.
*

Friday, January 7, 2011

URANIA/ Faux Postage Stamps From the Jessamine Isle/ THE MYTHOLOGY OF APHRODITE'S BIRTH/ 'The Triple Goddess'/ Mythopoetic stamps featuring Aphrodite Urania/ VIRTUAL STAMPS/ CYBERSTAMPS FROM A MERMAID MICRONATION/ Cinderella stamp editions by Eric Whollem




Urania
THE JESSAMINE ISLE
2010
by Eric Whollem
COPYRIGHT BY THE ARTIST

CLICK ON IMAGE TO ENLARGE

Aphrodite Urania: the Crone Aspect of the Triple Goddess

Urania is the name given to the third aspect of Aphrodite,
the Crone. Aphrodite Urania was anciently concieved as a
Goddess of universal love and beneficence. As the Crone she
exemplified wisdom. The bird of the Crone is the swan.

The three aspects of Aphrodite were the Virgin, the Matron,
and the Crone. Pandemos was the virgin; Marina the Matron;
and Urania the Crone. The three aspects of Aphrodite represent
the Triple Goddess concept. The three colors of the Triple Goddess
are white, red, and black.

The bird of Pandemos was the dove. The bird of Marina was the
swallow.


URANIA AND URANOS

Ura was an ancient name for Urania. The Greeks designated the
primordial male God as Uranos. Uranos represented the Ether,
or cosmic space; basically he was the sky God. His mate was Gaia,
the Earth Goddess.

Ura is said by some commentators to have been the original name
of the Sphinx, which as an androgynous being, was male/female.
Much of the Greek mysteries came out of Egypt as well as Sumeria.

In one account of the birth of Aphrodite, she is said to have been
born of the mutilated form of Uranos, who manifested as the sea
foam. Another mythic account of the birth of Aphrodite sees her
born of a sea shell. A third account, from the Neareast, has her
born of duck's eggs on the rivers of Mesopotamia. And she is
said also to have been born of Zeus and Dione in yet another
classical account from Greek mythology.


THE HORAE AND THE MORAE

As the three Horae, Aphrodite was known as Tyche, Dike, and
Nemesis. As the Morae (or three Fates) she was designated as
Clotho, Lachesis, and Atropos.



Urania
THE JESSAMINE ISLE
2010
by Eric Whollem
COPYRIGHT BY THE ARTIST

CLICK ON IMAGE TO ENLARGE


Faux Postage Stamps From the Jessamine Isle
by Eric Whollem

2010


Urania
THE JESSAMINE ISLE
2010
by Eric Whollem
COPYRIGHT BY THE ARTIST

CLICK ON IMAGE TO ENLARGE


This stamp shows Aphrodite in her Crone aspect; as Aphrodite
Urania, the Goddess was anciently worshipped as a Goddess
of Universal Love.


Urania
THE JESSAMINE ISLE
2010
by Eric Whollem
COPYRIGHT BY THE ARTIST

CLICK ON IMAGE TO ENLARGE

This stamps shows Aphrodite as Pandemos, the Virgin.
As the Virgin she was conceived of as the White Goddess.

______________

Readers interested in viewing more stamps from THE JESSAMINE ISLE should see this link:

A JESSAMINE ISLE
STAMP VIDEO

MAKARI AND THE MYSTERIES OF THE MERMAIDS    

My posts on the topic of the GODDESS can be accessed here:

This link will take you to my general posts of FAUX POSTAGE STAMPS:

See the article on APHRODITE in Wikipedia for more information:

*
ARTIST STAMPS
Artistamps, cinderella stamps, cyberstamps,
fantasy stamps, faux postage,
mail art, micronation stamps,
virtual stamps; digital art.
MYTHOLOGY
*