Art Blog/Eric Whollem: 01/01/2010

Sunday, January 31, 2010

A Visionary Journey Into Fairyland/ A Nymph of the Spring/ Digital Art

Fall Canyon

2009

by Eric Whollem

mixed media digital art

Copyright by the artist.

CLEAN WATER, A TREASURE FOR US ALL

This image shows a woodland nymph in ecstasy after the rain.

The cluster of blue forms in the upper left hand corner of the

drawing represents the energy of the rain.

Repose in the Glen

2009

by Eric Whollem

mixed media digital art

Copyright by the artist.

A FEW NOTES ON MIXED MEDIA DIGITAL ART

This is a drawing from 2009, colored with oil

or waterbase inks, (including metallic colors).

Cinderella Art Stamps From Amphora/ The Muse of the Wood

"THE MUSE OF THE WOOD"

Empire of Amphora

2001

by Eric Whollem

edition of 100, plus ten artist's proofs each

Copyright by the artist.

A Set of Four Stamps

A Neohistorical View of the Sacred King of Nemi in

Light of the Vantage of the Micronation of Amphora

This stamp set, entitled The Muse of the Wood, takes a cameo

of my portrait of "The King of the Wood," painted with earth

paints in 1974, and imaginatively recreates a courtship scene

involving his muse. The king with his triangular hat appears in

my earth painting as seen on my post of December 21, 2009.

"LAXMI"

Empire of Amphora

2001

by Eric Whollem

edition of 100, plus ten artist's proofs

48 x 79 mm.

Copyright by the artist.

VOLCANIC PUMICE FROM MT. SHASTA

ON A CERAMIC GODDESS SCULPTURE

This stamp from the micronation of Amphora depicts

a sculpture of Laxmi (Lakshmi) that I created in the

1990's.

The pink volcanic pumice from Shasta symbolizes

bhakti, or divine love.

"SHAKTI"

Empire of Amphora

2001

by Eric Whollem

edtion of 100, plus ten artist proofs

48 x 79 mm.

Copyright by the artist.

GODDESS ART ON THE STAMPS OF AMPHORA

Shakti is a Sanskrit word meaning "goddess energy."

This is variously typified as nature, will, Maya, creative

force, imagination, etc.

"MOTHER OF THE OCTOPI"

Empire of Amphora

2001

by Eric Whollem
edtion of 100, plus ten artist's proofs

79 x 48 mm.

Copyright by the artist.

THE OCTOPI OF AMPHORA

The mermaid nation of Amphora is a great friend

of all sea life. The Octopi, due to their eight legs

and great manual dexterity, are frequently hired as

postal clerks by the Amphoran Postal Service.

This stamp depicts a ceramic sculpture I created

in the 1990's, entitled "The Fish Mother," as she

has a large fish symbol engraved on her skirt.

Octopi are well known from the classical art of

Minoa and often appear on their ceramic pots.

_________________________

See more stamps from AMPHORA:

http://artblogericwhollem.blogspot.com/search/label/amphora

AN AMPHORAN

STAMP VIDEO

ERIC WHOLLEM

Artist stamps, artistamps, cinderella stamps, fantasy stamps, faux postage, mail art, micronation stamps by Eric Whollem.

Ceramic Figurines on a Cinderella Stamp From Amphora

"ASSEMBLY OF THE HOLY ICONS"

Empire of Amphora

2001

by Eric Whollem

edition of 100, plus ten artist's proofs

79 x 48 mm.

Copyright by the artist

FIGURATIVE CERAMIC SCULPTURES

This stamp depicts a group of ceramic figurines

that I created in the 1990's.

"THE SACRED ROCK OF THE SEAHORSES"

Empire of Amphora

2001

by Eric Whollem

edition of 100, plus ten artist's proofs

Copyright by the artist.

A NATURAL STONE TEMPLE OF THE SEAHORSES

In the north of Amphora, near the city of Hippocampus,

there is a natural rock formation in the limestone cliffs

near the sea.

In this outcrop one can clearly see the image of a seahorse.

As the populace of the continent of Amphora is composed

of seafolk: mermaids and mermen, this site is of great signi-

ficance in their holy rites of the sea.

___________________________

See my posts that talk about SEA HORSES:

http://artblogericwhollem.blogspot.com/search/label/sea%20horses

BELOW IS A VIDEO

THAT SHOWS A

SELECTION OF MY

SEA HORSE FANTASY STAMPS

ERIC WHOLLEM

Artist stamps, artistamps, cinderella stamps, fantasy stamps, faux postage, mail art, micronation stamps by Eric Whollem. Collage art.

Tuesday, January 26, 2010

Mermaid Goddess Faux Postage/ Cretan Ceramic Sculptures by Whollem/ Earth Pigments From Nature

"MOERA"

Empire of Amphora

2001

by Eric Whollem

edition of 100, plus ten artist's proofs

48 x 79 mm.

Copyright by the artist.

CYCLADIC AND CRETAN INFLUENCES
IN THE SCULPTURES OF WHOLLEM

On the faux postage stamp above is a sculpture I created in 1992.
Like many modern sculptors, I have been an admirer of the Cycladic

art of the ancient Aegean, and of the related culture of Minoa in

Crete.

Moera is a Greek goddess of foreknowledge. She is related to

Aphrodite. The name Moira is a variation on Moera, which stems

from ancient terms for the Mother.

Moera is a Fate, or Fey, or Fay, an oracular goddess, associated

through Aphrodite to the sea, and as such could be designated a

mermaid. In Europe the Fata Morgana were considered prophetic

spirits of lakes and springs.

EARTH PAINTS

Moera is painted with earth pigments that I gathered in nature. The

red is an iron oxide. The beige is from volcanic pumice from Mt.

Shasta. The ochre color is from a sandstone deposit in the

Sacramento Valley near Pentz, California.

The clay body is terracotta. This sculpture currently is in a private

collection.

SYMBOLS IN THIS STAMP'S DESIGN

Stylized seahorses can be seen in the border elements of the stamp

above. Also a goddess can be seen in a ship with her long hair

flowing. The ship is horse-headed and has a fish-tailed rudder. This

sort of design was common in Phoenician ships of the Mediterranean.

The horse represents the power of the tides, the strength of Poseidon.

The two golden fish at the bottom of the stamp are the Abtu and Ant

fishes out of Egypt. These were considered very sacred. In Tibet

the two golden fishes are considered symbols of enlightenment. Carl

Jung, the modern psychoanalyst, wrote a classic work dealing in large

part with the symbolism of the Fish. Aion is thus one of this thinker's

better books.

My own book, The Mystery of the Mermaids, expands Jung's ideas.

I develop the idea that the mermaid is not just a symbol of the

unconscious, but may represent superconsciousness. Silver is the

symbol of the unconsciousness, according to Paul Foster Case; but

gold, and especially the golden mermaid, is a symbol of higher

awareness and realization.

________________

Readers interested in my GALLERY of Amphoran Stamps should see:

http://artblogericwhollem.blogspot.com/search/label/amphora

Those who wish to view my posts of Ceramic Sculpture should look at:

http://artblogericwhollem.blogspot.com/search/label/ceramic%20sculpture

My posts that deal with the topic of Cycladic Influences in my work should see:

http://artblogericwhollem.blogspot.com/search/label/cycladic%20art

If you wish to view my entire online presentation of Faux Postage Stamps see:

http://artblogericwhollem.blogspot.com/search/label/artistamps

My posts on the subject of Mermaids can be found here:
http://artblogericwhollem.blogspot.com/mermaids

Those interested in Mythology might want to see:
http://artblogericwhollem.blogspot.com/search/label/mythology

Artist stamps, artistamps, cinderella stamps, fantasy stamps, faux postage, mail art, micronation stamps by Eric Whollem.

MYTHOLOGY
Mythographic art.

A Map of the Micronation of Amphora/ Cinderella Stamps by Eric Whollem/ A Metaphor for the Aquarian Age

A MAP OF THE EMPIRE OF AMPHORA

by Eric Whollem

A CONTINENT OF THE FUTURE

Amphora is a term that comes to us from the ancient

Greek language. It means chalice or vessel. Usually

amphorae were used to store water, oil, or wine.

In astrology Amphora is the old name for the sign of

Aquarius. Aquarius is designated as the Water Bearer,

and symbolized by a female figure holding a clay vessel.

"PARVATI"

Empire of Amphora

2001

by Eric Whollem

edition of 100, plus ten artist's proofs

48 x 79 mm.

Copyright by the artist.

PARVATI, DAUGHTER OF THE MOUNTAIN

This stamp depicts Parvati, consort of the Hindu God, Shiva.

The ceramic sculpture shown is painted with volcanic pumice

from Mt. Shasta. This is appropriate as Parvati is called "the

daughter of the mountain." This pumice is one of the many

earth paints that I use in my art.

"MARINA"

Empire of Amphora

2001

by Eric Whollem

editon of 100, plus ten artist's proofs

48 x 79 mm.

Copyright by the artist.

MARINA: MOTHER GODDESS

AND MERMAID

This stamp from the land of Amphora, features a sculpture

I created in 1989. It is ceramic, glazed with a green raku glaze,

but also finished with oxides gathered by the artist in nature.

"ATARGATIS"

Empire of Amphora

2001

by EricWhollem

edition of 100, plus ten artist's proofs

48 x 79 mm.

Copyright by the artist.

ATARGATIS THE STARWHALE

Atargatis, meaning "Starwhale," was a Neareastern Sea Goddess.

She ruled the Zodiac and the fertility of the crops. She was mother

of the dolphins and the whales. She is of major importance in world

mythology.

"SKOGSRA"

Empire of Amphora

2001

by Eric Whollem

edition of 100, plus ten artist's proofs

48 x 79 mm.

Copyright by the artist.

SKOGSRA, A PAINTING BY WHOLLEM

ON THE STAMPS OF AMPHORA

The Amphoran Postal Administration celebrates the

painted works of Eric Whollem, their postmaster general,

in this stamp issue.

"BASTIS"
Empire of Amphora

2001

by Eric Whollem

edition of 100, plus artist's proofs

48 x 79 mm.

Copyright by the artist.

THE CAT GODDESS

This stamp from the Empire of Amphora depicts

Bastus, or Bast, the cat goddess of ancient Egypt.

This whimsical rendition relates to the styles of art

seen in the ceramic folk art of the Mediterranean,

of Sardinia and elsewhere.

Vessel of the Flame

2009

by Eric Whollem

mixed media digital art

Copyright by the artist.

An Allegory of Hope for Our Time

Here the Muse bears a rose, a symbol of love. The vessel of flame

represents our spiritual aspirations in the Aquarian Age.

Sunday, January 24, 2010

Mermaid Artist Stamps/ Queen of the Dolphins

"QUEEN OF THE DOLPHINS"

Delphys Royal Post Office

2001

by Eric Whollem

edition of 100, plus ten artist's proofs

Copyright by the artist.

THE QUEEN OF THE DOLPHINS

This commemorative stamp from the Delphys Postal Administration

shows Persephone XIth, the Queen of the Dolphins, noble Empress

of the Empire of Delphys. The stamp was issued in 2001 to hallmark

the 1000th anniversary of her birth.

She was famous for bringing peace to the various tribes of fish that

live off the shores of the Isle of Abaton, the main island in the Delphys

Archipelago. (See the map of Delphys on my post of January 18,

2010).

Among the fish who revere the memory of Persephone XIth are the

Blue Hatted Cadfish, the Pink Puffer, and the Blue Spotted Bo Fish

(an ocean-going Dolphin related to the River Dolphins of Brazil).

Artist stamps, artistamps, cinderella stamps, fantasy stamps, faux postage stamps, mail art, mermaid stamps,

micronation stamps by Eric Whollem.

Mermaid Faux Postage Stamps/ Poseidon and His Trident: A Mythographic Study/ INITIATION/ Mermaid Mysteries/ With an inquiry into the meaning of the 'Upper and Lower Waters' in Mesopotamian and Hebrew legend/ An explanation of the Hebraic 'Firmament'

"THE SEA KING"

Amphitritonian Royal Post

2005

by Eric Whollem

Edition of 100, plus ten artist proofs

86 x 63 mm.

Copyright by the artist.

POSEIDON, GREEK GOD OF THE SEA

POSEIDON'S TRIDENT

Poseidon is known for his trident, a three pointed spear

that he carries in his hand. This spear is more than a

fisherman's tool. It has special meaning in the ancient

mysteries.

The three prongs represent the Triple Goddess. For

the Greeks this may well represent the three aspects

of Aphrodite: the maiden, the matron, and the crone.

The Maiden is Pandemos. The Matron is Marina.

And the Crone is Urania.

In the Eleusinian Mysteries of Delphi the trident was

"the rod of initiation" carried by the hierophants.

This rod was considered to grant to the neophyte

the inspiration of illumination, which is to say

initiation into the mysteries.

GREEK SEA GODS AND GODDESSES

There were many sea gods for the ancient Greeks.

Oceanos, the great progenitor of the sea, and Tethys,

his sister, were father and mother of many of the sea gods

and goddesses, which together with the sea nymphs and

Naiads of the springs, were called the Oceanids.

Uranos (Ouranos) was god of the Sea Sky or Ether.

His wife was Gaia. This couple were the primordial

progenitor divinities of beings on land and sea.

Uranos and Gaia were the parents of Oceanos, a Titan.

The Greeks conceived the Titans to be giant gods and

goddesses.

Tartarus was the god of the subterranean waters, the

River Styx and the Abyssos (the sea). He is equated with

Charon. Tartarus fathered with Gaia a number of Titans.

Thus: 1) the Ether or waters of the Sea Sky, 2) the material

plane of the oceans and earthly waters, and 3) the waters of

the lower worlds were ruled by a triad of oceanic gods and

goddesses: Uranos and Gaia, Oceanos and Tethys, and Tartarus

with Gaia.

Poseidon comes later in Greek mythology, but summarizes

the mermaid and merman gods of the ancient Aegean. (In one

sense his trident might symbolize the three-fold division of

the waters described above; this is speculative.) Poseidon

was the offspring of the Titans, Cronos and Rhea.

THE UPPER AND LOWER WATERS

The idea of the upper and lower waters is found in ancient

Mesopotamian mythology, also in Gnosticism. In the Bible

the waters "above the firmament" are mentioned in Genesis.

I speculate that the firmament represents the foundation of

the material world. The waters above the firmament could

correspond to archaic notions of the Ether or Sea Sky. In

ancient astronomy the constellations are filled with aquatic

symbolism. The night sky is seen as an ocean.

This quotation from Genesis will throw some light on how

the ancients viewed notions of the cosmic waters:

"And God said, Let there be a firmament in the midst of

the waters, and let it divide the waters from the waters.

And God made the firmament, and divided the waters

which were under the firmament from the waters which

were above the firmament: and it was so. And God

called the firmament Heaven."

The term firmament seems to indicate the physical earth.

The waters below the firmament would correspond to archaic

notions of the subterranean waters such as the Greek River

Styx or the Abyssos. The waters above the firmament would

be the Ether of the Sea Sky. The phrase, "God called the

firmament Heaven," could be explained to indicate how at

this point in creation Eden was a paradise on earth.

BELOW IS A VIDEO

WHICH PRESENTS MORE

OF MY AMPHITRITONIAN STAMPS

ERIC WHOLLEM

THE MYSTERY OF THE MERMAIDS

Thus mermaid and merman symbolism is quintessential in

understanding human intellectual history, our mythology,

our astronomy, our astrology, and our metaphysics. In the

Bible the tribe of the priests of Israel was that of Levi, which

relates to Leviathan, the great whale. And later in the Talmudic

teachings it is said that when one enters heaven one dons the

scales of fish. This fish symbolism carries over to Christianity.

But the Buddhists regarded their heaven as an ocean. And

major Hindu gods like Vishnu and Shiva either carry the

trident or have fish tails (as in Vishnu's second or Matsya

--"fish"--incarnation).

In Celtic lore the heavenly Otherworld is in the sea. In

cultures across the world the dimension of the waters

is conceived as Heaven.

It is no mistake that on so many archaic churches in Europe

mermaids are carved in great number. Often mermaids are

sculpted or painted with wings. Though this is not commonly

known, mermaids have been regarded as angels for thousands

of years.

COVER OF THE BOOK

MYSTERY OF THE MERMAIDS

***

Ideas outlined here are summaries of material presented in

my book, " The Mystery of the Mermaids: Goddesses and

Gods of the Sea." Questions on these matters can be addressed

to me by email or in the comments section below.

______________

My posts on INITIATION may be of interest to readers:

http://artblogericwhollem.blogspot.com/search/label/initiation

This link will take you to my posts on MERMAIDS:

http://artblogericwhollem.blogspot.com/search/label/mermaids

Those interested in my FAUX POSTAGE STAMPS should check out:

http://artblogericwhollem.blogspot.com/search/label/artist%20stamps

BELOW ARE

A FEW SAMPLE

STAMPS FROM

AMPHITRITONIA

(Copyright

by the

artist)

CLICK ON IMAGES TO ENLARGE

THE LOTUS POOL

HIPPOCAMPUS

My posts on MYTHOLOGY can be accessed on this link:

http://artblogericwhollem.blogspot.com/search/label/mythology

Artist stamps, artistamps, cinderella stamps, fantasy stamps, faux postage, mail art, micronation stamps by

Eric Whollem.

MYTHOLOGY/ MYTHOGRAPHIC ART/ INITIATION

Mermaid Artist Stamps/ Botticelli's Venus Reinterpreted

"VENUS"

Amphitritonian Royal Post

2005

A Set of Four Stamps

by Eric Whollem

editions of 100, plus ten artist's proofs each

63 x 87 mm.

Copyright by the artist.

A NEW VISION OF THE GODDESS VENUS

Botticelli's Venus is a very well-known image. In my
version there is no clam shell, but rather a cowrie, which
is regarded as a shell especially sacred to the feminine
principle.

"APHRODITE"

Amphitritonian Royal Post

2005
A Set of Four Stamps

by Eric Whollem

editions of 100, plus ten artist's proofs each

64 x 88 mm.
Copyright by the artist.

APHRODITE, BORN OF THE SHELL

These stamps depict one of my renditions of Aphrodite,

the Goddess of Love. Her Latin name was Venus.

Fantasy Stamps From the Mermaid Micronation of Amphitritonia

"AMPHITRITONIAN MERMAID"

Amphitritonian Royal Post

2004

by Eric Whollem

edition of 100, plus ten artist's proofs

64 x 87 mm.

Copyright by the artist.

A Video of the Stamps

AMPHITRITONIA

A Video by Eric Whollem, 2011

View my posts about stamps from AMPHITRITONIA on this link:

http://artblogericwhollem.blogspot.com/search/label/amphitritonia

BELOW ARE A FEW SAMPLE

STAMPS FROM

AMPHITRITIONIA

(Copyright by the artist)

Those interested in MERMAID FANTASY STAMPS may also wish to see:

http://artblogericwhollem.blogspot.com/search/label/undinia

BELOW IS A VIDEO ABOUT

THE MERMAID STAMPS OF

MERREMINDE

'Mermaid Stamps from Delphys'

My stamps of DELPHYS also feature mermaid themes:

http://artblogericwhollem.blogspot.com/search/label/delphys

MERREMINDE is another of my fantasy mermaid micronations:

http://artblogericwhollem.blogspot.com/search/label/merreminde

ANOTHER OF MY

MERREMINDE

STAMP

VIDEOS

'Mermaid Stamps from Merreminde'

My general posts of MERMAID ART contain yet more material, including sculptural works:

http://artblogericwhollem.blogspot.com/search/label/mermaids

Artist stamps, artistamps, cinderella stamps, dolphin stamps, fantasy stamps, faux postage, mail art, mermaid stamps, micronation stamps byEric Whollem.
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