Wednesday, November 30, 2011

EARTH PAINTINGS by Eric Whollem/ Natural Earth Pigments Gathered in Nature



THE PRIESTESS
1975
by Eric Whollem
earth pigments in casein on  panel
Collection of the artist
COPYRIGHT BY THE ARTIST

THE SPECTRUM OF COLORS FOUND IN NATURAL EARTHS

The hues in this painting are all from earth pigments that I gathered in various
parts of Northern California. The blue in the sky is from the Feather Falls area
of Butte County, not far from the Enterprise Bridge.

The violet color is from volcanic pumice from Siskiyou County, near Mt. Shasta.
The yellow was also found near Mt. Shasta, as well as the dark brown, which
was found near Wagon Camp on Mt. Shasta.




THE GRANDFATHER TARBABIES
1974
by Eric Whollem
earth pigments, acrylic, casein emulsion on panel
2' x 4'
Collection of the artist
COPYRIGHT BY THE ARTIST

RAINBEETLE

This painting was created to illustrate 'The Grandfather Tarbabies'
in my novel, 'Rainbeetle,' which I began in 1973. This book tells
the story of the travels of a mystic beetle.

The Tarbabies were discovered by Rainbeetle in the Tunnel of the
Glowworm Uncles. They gave Rainbeetle some tablets inscribed with
strange hieroglyphs.

More of my posts that deal with RAINBEETLE may be found here:



EARTH SPRITE
1979
by Eric Whollem
earth pigments on panel
COPYRIGHT BY THE ARTIST

THE GNOMES

This image depicts a gnomish sprite. The gnomes are said in European
folklore to be nature spirits who are in charge of the mineral realm. This,
of course, might be considered a perfect topic for my earth paintings,
which are made from natural mineral specimens.

__________________________

See more of my EARTH PAINTINGS:

THE VIDEO BELOW
GIVES A PRESENTATION OF
MY EARTH PAINTINGS



ERIC WHOLLEM                                           

MANY OF MY EARTH PAINTINGS DEAL
WITH CONCOW MAIDU
INDIAN LORE

ERIC WHOLLEM                                         

*

Tuesday, November 29, 2011

WAITING FOR OSIRIS/ An India ink resist drawing by Eric Whollem/ FIGURATIVE ABSTRACTION/ Mythographic Art: Egyptian Mythology




WAITING FOR OSIRIS
1986
by Eric Whollem
India ink, tempera and parafin on paper
21" x 10"
Collection of the artist
COPYRIGHT BY THE ARTIST

EGYPTIAN MYTHOLOGY

According to Egyptian mythology Isis went in search for her brother and husband
Osiris, after he was dismembered in a battle with Set, the god of darkness. This
drawing is my interpretation of  this story.

Read more about Isis on Wikipedia:

______________________

See more of my posts of MYTHOGRAPHIC ART:

THE DRAWING BELOW
WAS DONE IN
SIMILAR ARTISTIC MEDIA
AS
WAITING FOR OSIRIS

SOROR MYSTICA
by Eric Whollem
mixed media on paper

THE VIDEO BELOW
GIVES A
MYTHOGRAPHIC ACCOUNT
OF
VOLTUMNA
 FROM ETRUSCAN MYTHOLOGY


ERIC WHOLLEM                                          

*



CLICK ON IMAGE TO ENLARGE

Saturday, November 26, 2011

THE PICTOGRAPHIC MILEAU by Eric Whollem/ A figurative abstraction based on styles found in archaic petroglyphs/ FINE ART



THE PICTOGRAPHIC MILEAU
1984
by Eric Whollem
gouache resist on paper
9" x 6"
Collection of Calvin Sandborn
COPYRIGHT BY THE ARTIST

________________________

See more of my PICTOGRAPHIC ABSTRACTIONS:

THE VIDEO
BELOW SHOWS MORE OF
MY PICTOGRAPHIC ART

ERIC WHOLLEM                                      

*

Friday, November 25, 2011

FAUX POSTAGE STAMPS/ 'The Selkie's Transformation' by Eric Whollem/ Cinderella stamps from the micronation of Undinia/ VIRTUAL MERMAID STAMPS/ Notes on Celtic Folklore & Metempsychosis



THE SELKIE'S TRANSFORMATION
Undinian Post Office
2011
by  Eric Whollem
virtual stamps
COPYRIGHT BY THE ARTIST

THE SELKIE'S TRANSFORMATION
Undinian Post Office
2011
by Eric Whollem
virtual stamp
COPYRIGHT BY THE ARTIST

THE LEGEND OF THE SELKIES
Notes on Celtic Folklore & Metempsychosis

A selkie is a Celtic mermaid. According to ancient legends, the selkies
manifest as seals. It is said that they shed their skins from time to time.
This stamp from Undinia, a fantasy mermaid micronation, depicts
such a selkie who is shedding her coat.

According to the lore, a human finding the selkie's coat, can take her into
his power, and wed her if he will.

The term 'selkie' literally translates as 'shifter.' Such shape shifting occurs,
during reincarnation, when the selkie soul can take on any form it wills,
whether a tree, a stone, a wave, a seal or any animal or human.

The legends of the shedding of the selkie's skin seem to be one of the
embellishments of folklore to the truths of metempsychosis or reincarnation,
according to many observers.

______________________________

See my posts on SELKIES on these links:

See more stamps from my fantasy country of UNDINIA:

BELOW ARE SOME VIDEOS
SHOWING A FEW
STAMPS FROM
UNDINIA

       FAUX POSTAGE STAMPS Undinia ERIC WHOLLEM      

A New Stamp Video                                      


 
POSTER STAMPS FROM UNDINIA                   

ERIC WHOLLEM                                            


                                       
See my posts on CELTIC MYTHOLOGY:


*
Artistamps, artist stamps, cyberstamps
cinderella stamps, fantasy stamps, faux postage stamps, virtual stamps
micronation stamps.

*

Wednesday, November 23, 2011

PICTOGRAPHIC EXPRESSIONISM/ 'The Tracks of the Peacock' by Eric Whollem/ Mixed media abstraction on paper




THE TRACKS OF THE PEACOCK
1986
by Eric Whollem
mixed media on paper
21" x 15"
Collection of the artist
COPYRIGHT BY THE ARTIST

________________________

See more of my posts of EXPRESSIONISTIC paintings:

BELOW IS A VIDEO
WITH MORE
ABSTRACT
ART


CONTEMPORARY ART BY ERIC WHOLLEM                   

*

Monday, November 21, 2011

HOUSE OF THE SHAMAN by Eric Whollem/ Earth paints with watercolor on paper/ A whimsical mixed media abstraction


HOUSE OF THE SHAMAN
1973
by Eric Whollem
earth pigments, casein, & watercolor on paper
Collection of the artist
Copyright by the artist

THE PALEOLITHIC ROOTS OF SHAMANISM

This painting, one of my early works, incorporates earth pigments
with milk glue, or casein, in conjunction with watercolor.

The storybook imagery takes us into that fairyland to which many
shamans are accustomed. The figure with the antlers is the shaman.
This sort of antlered figure has been found in Paleolithic art from
Europe, and hence is quite ancient.
_________________________

See more of my posts on SHAMANISM:

THE VIDEO BELOW
PRESENTS A SELECTION OF
MY WHIMSICAL ABSTRACTIONS

ERIC WHOLLEM                                            

This link will take you to my posts of EARLY WORKS:

Those interested in the development of my EARTH PAINTS may want to see:

*

Saturday, November 19, 2011

SHAMANIC ICONOGRAPHY/ 'Among the Spirit Nodes' by Eric Whollem/ A pictographic abstract painting/ FIGURATIVE EXPRESSIONISM




AMONG THE SPIRIT NODES
1985
by Eric Whollem
mixed media on paper
15" x 10"
Collection of the artist
COPYRIGHT BY THE ARTIST

SHAMANIC ICONOGRAPHY

Shamans in various cultures believe that certain places in nature
are imbued with special spiritual powers.

Adrian Smith, a Concow Maidu Indian, and former head of the Butte
County Tribal Council, personally took me to various rock art sites
in California...in Plumas and Siskiyou County.

I have also seen petroglyphs in the Middle Fork Canyon of the Feather
River.

When I was a boy, my father took me on his mining trips to the high
Sierras. We saw a large petroglyph site in Plumas County. This inspired
my interest in rock art, which has lasted all my life.

______________________
This link will take you to my posts about ROCK ART:

THIS VIDEO PRESENTS MY
APPROACHES TO ROCK ART
AND CALLIGRAPHY


ERIC WHOLLEM                                   


*

THE FACE OF THE VOID by Eric Whollem/ FIGURATIVE EXPRESSIONISM/ An abstract mixed media painting




THE FACE OF THE VOID
1985
by Eric Whollem
mixed media on paper
15" x 10"
Collection of Jessica Strock
COPYRIGHT BY THE ARTIST

__________________________________

View more posts of EXPRESSIONISTIC PAINTINGS:

SEE MY VIDEO
ABOUT FIGURATIVE EXPRESSIONISM

ERIC WHOLLEM                                         

*

Monday, November 14, 2011

'CONTEMPORARY ART Eric Whollem'/ A fine art video/ featuring 'ETHERIC ORGANIC' an abstract painting from 1985~plus a cross section of works from over the years



ETHERIC ORGANIC
1985
by Eric Whollem
mixed media on paper
9" x 6"
Collection of the artist
COPYRIGHT BY THE ARTIST

Etheric Organic is just one painting featured in my new fine art
video on Youtube: 'CONTEMPORARY ART Eric Whollem.'

                                        Contemporary Art Video

___________________________

See more ABSTRACT ART on these posts:

*

Sunday, November 13, 2011

MAIDEN IN A BANDANA/ Visions of the Muse/ DIGITAL ART by Eric Whollem




Maiden in a Bandana
2009
by Eric Whollem
mixed media digital art
Copyright by the artist.


THE MUSE

This digital art image is a vision of my Muse. Usually I typify my
muse by the name of Madge, for Imagination. See the links below
for more posts on the subject.

Below are some selections of digital art images of my muse in her fairy
form from my image gallery on Picasa Web Albums...from my Digital
Fairy Art album specifically.



THE TURQUOISE GARDEN
2010
by Eric Whollem
digital art
COPYRIGHT BY THE ARTIST


PRINTEMPS
2010
by Eric Whollem
digital art
COPYRIGHT BY THE ARTIST

________________________

Read more about the MUSE on these posts:

THE VIDEO BELOW PRESENTS
A SELECTION OF MY PAINTINGS

Contemporary Art by Eric Whollem      
                
See more of my CONTEMPORARY ART on these posts:

*

Thursday, November 10, 2011

ALCHEMICAL MOTIFS IN MODERN ABSTRACTION/ Homeopathy in Art/ 'The Alchemist's Table' by Eric Whollem, 1982, a mixed media work on paper incorporating natural earth pigments/ Introducing a new video from Eric Whollem's Youtube Channel: MIXED MEDIA PAINTINGS



THE ALCHEMIST'S TABLE
1982
by Eric Whollem
mixed media on paper
12" x 10"
Collection of the artist
COPYRIGHT BY THE ARTIST

HOMEOPATHY IN ART

Homeopathic approaches to art, wherein natural pigments are offset
with painting media from industrial sources, could be interpreted as
an alchemical approach to art. Homeopathy is considered as an aspect
of the healing arts. Mixed media painting could be construed as a form
of homeopathic art.



THE ALCHEMIST'S RETORT
1986
by Eric Whollem
9" x 6"
gouache resist on paper
Collection of the artist
COPYRIGHT BY THE ARTIST

The painting above, entitled, The Alchemist's Retort, is an example of
the sympathetic approach to art, wherein ideas are expressed through
images or symbols. The symbols in the image above are pictographic.
Sympathetic approaches to art are another aspect of alchemy.

______________________

See more of my posts on ALCHEMY:

THE VIDEO BELOW PRESENTS
MY APPROACHES TO MIXED MEDIA
OR HOMEOPATHIC PAINTING

                                                     Mixed Media Paintings                       

  
                 *                     

Monday, November 7, 2011

DIGITAL ART PHOTOGRAPHY/ 'Symphony of the Prima Materia'/ ALCHEMICAL SYMBOLISM/ An abstract photograph by Eric Whollem 2011



SYMPHONY  OF THE PRIMA MATERIA
2011
by Eric Whollem
digital photograph
COPYRIGHT BY THE ARTIST


MODERN ART PHOTOGRAPHY

This modern art image is a digital photograph taken in 2011. It is part of
a series of texturologies taken in an urban mileau.

The 'prima materia' or 'primal matter' is a term from alchemy. The search
for the prima materia was one of the goals of many alchemists.

This photo seems to symbolize sulphur, arsenic and mercury, the three
primary elements in ancient alchemy.

___________________

Readers may be interested in my posts of painted GEOMETRIC ABSTRACTIONS:


Geometric Abstractions Video

                                      See more of what I have to say about ALCHEMY on these posts:   

Sunday, November 6, 2011

ORPHIC INITIATION by Eric Whollem/ Mythographic Art: the Ancient Mysteries/ FIGURATIVE ABSTRACTION/ Notes on the Eleusinian Mysteries




ORPHIC INITIATION
1981
by Eric Whollem
wax emulsion on paper
10" x 8"
Collection of the artist
COPYRIGHT BY THE ARTIST

MYTHOGRAPHIC ART
The Ancient Mysteries

Orpheus is said to have brought the rites of the Egyptian mystery religion to
ancient Greece. He brought the cult of Demeter, the Mother Goddess from the
realm of the Nile north to Greece, where at the time the cult of Dionysius was
in full sway.

The image above depictss the Abaton, or Pit of Initiation. The Hierophant with
his rod of initiation ministers to an inititate, who envisions the Goddess as part
of the initiatory process.

The Eleusinian Mysteries were just one of a number of mystery schools that
developed in Greece over the years. The Eleusinian Mysteries, from their
center in Delphi, were famous for their oracle to which people from all across
the Mediterranean world came for insight.


ORPHIC NEOPHYTE

An earlier post of mine, 'Orphic Neophyte' gives a good account of the
Eleusinian Mysteries. Below is the lead image for this post:


ORPHIC NEOPHYTE
1983
by Eric Whollem
mixed media on paper
Collection of the artist
COPYRIGHT BY THE ARTIST

See my post:

________________________

See my posts on INITIATION for more insight into the ancient mysteries:

THE VIDEO BELOW
PRESENTS MORE OF MY FIGURATIVE PAINTINGS

Figurative Paintings by Eric Whollem                       

See more of my posts of ABSTRACT ART:

*

Friday, November 4, 2011

'CONCOW MAIDU RELIGION Kuksu in the Art of Eric Whollem'/ A video from Eric Whollem's Youtube Channel/ Yongkodom, Hipiningkodom, and Kakinimkodom/ THE THREE LEVELS OF THE MAIDU SPIRITWORLD




HIPININGKODOM
The Valley of Heaven
1985
by Eric Whollem
mixed media on paper
21" x 15"
Collection of the artist
COPYRIGHT BY THE ARTIST

CONCOW MAIDU RELIGION

The Concow Maidu Indians of Northern California divide their Heavenworlds
into three zones. Hipiningkodom, or the Valley of Heaven, is the second level.

The painting above shows the spirit of Aki the duck.  Aki is a leading symbol of
the Kuksu Religion, as traditionally practiced by the Maidu. In the upper left hand
corner is seen Hiki, the great snake whose movements created the valleys and
canyons of the world.

See my video below for an overview of Maidu traditions in regards to religion.


                         A video about the religion of the Concow



Yongkodom

The first level of the Maidu heavens is the Flowerland. The painting
below shows Aki in the flower country.

In the Flowerland each person becomes a flower after death. Good
people get the best places in Yongkodom, while the bad people get
places of inferior beauty, but everyone becomes a flower.





AKI IN YONGKODOM
1985
by Eric Whollem
mixed media on paper
9" x 6"
Collection of the artist
COPYRIGHT BY THE ARTIST

Kakinimkodom

Kakinimkodom, the Country of the Spirits, is the highest level
of the Maidu heavens. The heavenworlds manifest in the realm of
Wonomi, the Earth Initiate, who lives at Histayami, the Sutter
Buttes, a small mountain range in the center of the Sacramento
Valley.



KAKINIMKODOM
1985
by Eric Whollem
mixed media on paper
21" x 15"
Collection of the artist
COPYRIGHT BY THE ARTIST


_________________________________________

See more of my posts about the MAIDU INDIANS on this link:

See more about KUKSU:

*