Saturday, April 28, 2012

GODDESS FIGURINE/ Figurative Ceramic Sculptures by Eric Whollem/ TERRACOTTA



GODDESS FIGURINE
1994
by Eric Whollem
oxides, earth pigments and glaze on terracotta
Private Collection
6"
PHOTO COPYRIGHT BY THE ARTIST

TERRACOTTA

Terracotta, or red clay, is one of the world's most abundant clay bodies.
When pigments are overlaid upon terracotta, a rich surface treatment is the
result.

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See more blog posts about my CERAMIC SCULPTURE:

CLICK ON IMAGE TO ENLARGE

CERAMIC FIGURINES
earth pigments on white clay
by Eric Whollem


THE VIDEO BELOW
SHOWS A VARIETY OF MY
CERAMIC SCULPTURES FEATURED
ON SOME FAUX POSTAGE STAMP
DESIGNS

ERIC WHOLLEM                                     

View my online image gallery of FIGURATIVE CERAMIC SCULPTURES:

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Saturday, April 21, 2012

GARDEN OF THE SYBILLINE NEOPHYTES/ Notes on Oracular Priestesses of the Ancient World/ A Whimsical Figurative Abstraction by Eric Whollem/



GARDEN OF THE SYBILLINE NEOPHYTES
1985
by Eric Whollem
mixed media on paper
Collection of the artist
9" x 6"
COPYRIGHT BY THE ARTIST

ORACULAR PRIESTESSES OF THE ANCIENT WORLD

This fanciful image shows a group of initiates to the circle of the ancient
oracular priestesses of the Mediterranean world.

Each neophyte is seen seated on a tripod, or three legged stool. Such a  stool
was used in the Eleusinean Mysteries at Delphi.

The orcular priestess would answer the queries of people with inspired poetry,
which was interpreted by a group of priests.

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See my posts on DELPHI:

CLICK ON IMAGE TO ENLARGE

ORPHIC NEOPHYTE
by Eric Whollem

Readers may also be interested in my posts on INITIATION:

BELOW IS A VIDEO THAT
SHOWS MORE OF MY WHIMSICAL
ABSTRACTIONS

ERIC WHOLLEM                                              

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Thursday, April 19, 2012

IDYLLIC/ Figurative Abstraction by Eric Whollem/ CONTEMPORARY ART



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

MIXED MEDIA

This pictographic work was created by resist technique.
See more of my mixed media paintings on the link below.

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Readers interested in my posts about MIXED MEDIA PAINTINGS should see:

CLICK ON IMAGE TO ENLARGE

THE DIVINE EXPRESSION
by Eric Whollem

THE VIDEO BELOW
SHOWS MORE OF MY
ABSTRACT PAINTINGS

FIGURATIVE PAINTINGS by Eric Whollem                    

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Tuesday, April 17, 2012

ESSU/ A Mixed Media Painting by Eric Whollem/ FIGURATIVE ABSTRACTION



ESSU
1985
by Eric Whollem
mixed media on paper
Collection of Robert McKee
10" x 15"
COPYRIGHT BY THE ARTIST

ESSU

Essu means 'old woman' in the Concow Maidu Indian language. This work
is a fanciful rendering of an elderly lady with her baskets.

I have lived in close proximity to many Maidu people over the years. The
language and culture has penetrated my art.

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See more of my posts about the CONCOW MAIDU INDIANS:

BELOW IS A VIDEO
THAT PRESENTS MORE OF
MY ABSTRACT PAINTINGS

ERIC WHOLLEM                                     

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Sunday, April 15, 2012

A SURREALISTIC PICTOGRAPHIC PAINTING/ 'Innate Night Garden' by Eric Whollem/ FIGURATIVE EXPRESSIONISM




INNATE NIGHT GARDEN
1985
by Eric Whollem
mixed media on paper
Collection of the artist
6" x 4.5"
COPYRIGHT BY THE ARTIST

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See more of my posts of PICTOGRAPHIC ART:

CLICK ON IMAGE TO ENLARGE

DANCE OF THE KUKSU
mixed media on paper
by Eric Whollem

THE VIDEO BELOW
RELATES MORE ABOUT
MY APPROACHES TO PICTOGRAPHIC
ABSTRACTIONS

ERIC WHOLLEM                                           

See my complete online image gallery of ABSTRACT ART:

Friday, April 13, 2012

FIGURATIVE ABSTRACTION/ 'Rhu Hut' by Eric Whollem/ Contemporary Expressionistic Painting



RHU HUT
1986
by Eric Whollem
mixed media on paper
Collection of the artist
15" x 10"
COPYRIGHT BY THE ARTIST

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See more of my posts of FIGURATIVE ABSTRACTIONS:

CLICK ON IMAGE TO ENLARGE

THUNDER PRAYER
by Eric Whollem

THE VIDEO
BELOW SHOWS MORE OF MY
FIGURATIVE ABSTRACTIONS

WHIMSICAL ABSTRACTIONS by Eric Whollem            

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Wednesday, April 11, 2012

MENHIRS/ A Pictographic Abstraction by Eric Whollem/ FIGURATIVE EXPRESSIONISM




MENHIRS
1986
by Eric Whollem
mixed media on paper
Collection of the artist
32" x 20"
COPYRIGHT BY THE ARTIST

MENHIRS

A menhir is a megalithic form of art characterized by the use of
rows of upright stones. Usually granite is used. Such menhirs are
found across western Europe in particular. But examples exist
in the Caucasus and Central Asia as well.

Stonehenge is an example of an architectural structure, erected in
much the same manner as the menhirs. But properly speaking such
an edifice is a dolmen. Dolmens are defined as megalithic stone
structures that incorporate balanced stones, one on the other. 

The above painting fancifully treats the archaic theme of the menhir,
incorporating pictographic images. Many menhirs are engraved with
emblems, Ogham script, runes or other writings.

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See more of my posts of ABSTRACT ART:

CLICK ON IMAGE TO ENLARGE

PICTOGRAPHIC TABLEAU
by Eric Whollem


To view an image gallery of my art, see my PICASA WEB ALBUMS:

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Thursday, April 5, 2012

EARTH PAINTS WITH BEESWAX/ Earth Paintings by Eric Whollem/ 'Honey of the Earth' 1987/ FIGURATIVE ABSTRACTION/ Encaustic Painting



HONEY OF THE EARTH
1987
by Eric Whollem
earth pigments, beeswax, on a panel prepared with
gesso and earth pigments in acrylic emulsion
Collection of the artist
10" x 8"
COPYRIGHT BY THE ARTIST

ENCAUSTIC PAINTING
PAINTING WITH HOT BEESWAX

In my creation of paints made from natural earths, charcoal,
and ash I have also included such materials as wood chips,
small ant-gathered quartz crystals, mica flakes and other
materials from nature.

Binders that I have used over the years include casein, or milk
glue, acrylic emulsion, polyvinyl emulsion, and beeswax as you
can see in the case of the painting seen here.

Encaustic painting is a name given to the art of painting with
hot wax. The murals at Pompeii are famous examples of wax
paintings. This medium has a high longevity, as wax acts as
a natural preservative. Greeks and Egyptians were also well
known for their encaustic paintings.

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Readers interested in learning more about my EARTH PAINTS should see these posts:

THE VIDEO BELOW
TELLS MORE ABOUT MY
EARTH PAINTINGS

ERIC WHOLLEM       

See my online image gallery of EARTH PAINTINGS:

CLICK ON IMAGE TO ENLARGE 

BROTHERS
by Eric Whollem
                             

Tuesday, April 3, 2012

MENTAL ELECTRICITY/ Figurative Expressionism by Eric Whollem/ A mixed media resist painting



MENTAL ELECTRICITY
1985
by Eric Whollem
mixed media on paper
Collection of the artist
11" x 8.5"
COPYRIGHT BY THE ARTIST

THE FIRE OF MIND

The functions of the mind are considered to be electrical phenomena by a
number of metaphysical thinkers. For example, Alice A. Bailey, in her
book, 'A Treatise on Cosmic Fire,' expounds at great length on the
electricity of the mind. She is a Theosophical thinker who was one of
the mothers of the New Age movement.

Much of Abstract Expressionism from the 1950's was based on Zen Buddhist
art. But in understanding figurative expressionism, it is possible to take other
approaches in appreciating the philosophical basis of the art.

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See more of my posts that talk about THEOSOPHY:

See my posts on FIGURATIVE EXPRESSIONISM:

CLICK ON IMAGE TO ENLARGE

THE GUNAS
by Eric Whollem

Monday, April 2, 2012

CONCOW MAIDU TRADITIONS/ With Fantasy Stamps by Eric Whollem/ A Youtube Video Presentation/ FAUX POSTAGE STAMPS BY ERIC WHOLLEM



THE VOICE OF THE TURTLE
Maidem Kodom
2010
by Eric Whollem
virtual stamp
COPYRIGHT BY THE ARTIST

The Voice of the Turtle

The Concow Maidu Indians are divided into a number of tribal groups,
which include the Tyme, the Mooretown Rancheria, the Enterprise
Rancheria, the Konkow Valley Band of Maidu and the Mechoopda.

Turtle is one of the most important figures in traditional Maidu legend.
His name is Ultrama. He sailed on a raft in an ocean at the beginning of
time accompanied by Wonomi, the World Maker, and Henokano, the
Trickster.

Turtle dove into the sea where he brought up mud from the bottom. This
mud became the earth and all the beings that inhabit it today.

The video below uses faux postage stamps created by myself to tell us
a bit about the culture of the Maidu.


CONCOW MAIDU TRADITIONS
by Eric Whollem

Among the cultural topics addressed in this video is that of
'The Doctor at the Center of the World' which is my own
designation of Wonomi, the World Maker, or Earth Initiate,
who lives at Histayami.

Also Kuksu, the first man, who is the focus of the tradtitional Maidu
dream religion is included. Also 'Netdim Kakinim' or dream spirits~
and Ultrama, the Turtle. And 'ooti' the acorn. Plus the 'hemeni' or
sacred roundhouse.

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See my posts that tell more about each of my MAIDEM KODOM stamps:

CLICK ON IMAGE TO ENLARGE

DREAM SPIRITS
by Eric Whollem

The posts below present my art that relates to CONCOW MAIDU CULTURE: