Saturday, November 27, 2010

ARTIST STAMPS FROM AMORPHAGOS/ Etruscan fantasy stamps/ CYBERSTAMP CINDERELLAS/ Digital Serial Art by Eric Whollem/ Faux Postage Stamps From the Isle of the God of Dreams



 
The Muse of the Isle of the God of Dreams
AMORPHAGOS
2010
by Eric Whollem
COPYRIGHT BY THE ARTIST



The Muse of the Isle of the God of Dreams
AMORPHAGOS
2010
by Eric Whollem
COPYRIGHT BY THE ARTIST

The Muse of Amorphagos
AMORPHAGOS POSTAL SERVICE

Stamps by Eric Whollem

2010


Faux Postage Stamps From the Isle of the God of Dreams

The stamps of the isle of Amorphagos are from the genre of
cinderella stamps known as micronation stamps. Amorphagos
is the name of the Greek God of Dreams. Insofar as the Etruscan
culture stems from the Greek milieu, this seems appropriate for
these issues.


The Muse of Amorphagos is depicted on these designs, rendered
in a digital serial art format. The script on these stamps is the
Cyrillic alphabet, utilized in Eastern Europe among Slavic and
Greek nations.

________________

Readers interested in more images from AMORPHAGOS should view this link:
http://artblogericwhollem.blogspot.com/search/label/amorphagos

BELOW IS A VIDEO
FEATURING STAMPS OF
AMORPHAGOS

My posts of FAUX POSTAGE STAMPS can be accessed here:

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

*

Thursday, November 25, 2010

MYTHOPOETIC ARTIST STAMPS/ 'Grove of the Naiad' by Eric Whollem/ A cinderella stamp edition from the micronation of Cantharidia/ CYBERSTAMPS/ Faux postage stamps from the isle of the Muse/ VIRTUAL STAMPS




Grove of the Naiad
CANTHARIDIA
2010
by Eric Whollem
COPYRIGHT BY THE ARTIST

CLICK ON IMAGE TO ENLARGE



Grove of the Naiad
CANTHARIDIA
2010
by Eric Whollem
COPYRIGHT BY THE ARTIST

CLICK ON IMAGE TO ENLARGE


Grove of the Naiad
CANTHARIDIA
2010
by Eric Whollem
COPYRIGHT BY THE ARTIST

CLICK ON IMAGE TO ENLARGE

The Grove of the Naiad
Royal Post Office of the Cantharidian Isle

2010


Grove of the Naiad
CANTHARIDIA
2010
by Eric Whollem
COPYRIGHT BY THE ARTIST

Readers interested in my CANTHARIDIAN FAUX POSTAGE STAMPS should see this link:

This link will take you to my posts on the subject of the NAIAD:

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

*

Tuesday, November 23, 2010

CERAMIC SEAHORSE SCULPTURE/ Artist Stamps from Amorphagos/ VIRTUAL STAMPS/ The Story of Voltumna, from Etruscan Mythology/ A ceramic pendant by Eric Whollem/ Oxides on white earthenware clay




Seahorse
2006
by Eric Whollem
oxides on white earthenware clay
Collection of the artist
PHOTO COPYRIGHT BY THE ARTIST

A Ceramic Seahorse Visualized on the Stamps of Amorphagos

Utilizing Cyrillic script I have created another fantasy micronation,
based on Greek mythology. This is the island realm of Amorphagos,
the God of Dreams.

The Etruscans especially venerated the Seahorse, which actually was
their chief God, which went by the name of Voltumna. Voltumna is
related to the Chimaera, a being that is multidimensional insofar as
it partakes of a variety of beings in it's makeup. The seahorse is dragon,
horse, fish, & serpent. It was thus worshipped as a shape shifting God,
who could take any form.

The art of the Etruscans, in the north of Italy, is derived largely from
the arts of the Greeks. My fantasy island of Amorphagos, could thus
be construed as perhaps an isle in the Tyrhennian Sea, off the coast of
Tuscany.


Voltumna
AMORPHAGOS
2010
by Eric Whollem
COPYRIGHT BY THE ARTIST



Faux Postage Stamps by Eric Whollem
AMORPHAGOS

2010




Voltumna
AMORPHAGOS
2010
by Eric Whollem
COPYRIGHT BY THE ARTIST


Below is a selection of more stamps from Amporphagos. These
are entitled: Muse of the Isle of the God of Dreams.





MUSE OF THE ISLE OF THE GOD OF DREAMS
Amorphagos
2010
by Eric Whollem
copyright by the artist


_______________________

See more of my CERAMIC AMULETS & PENDANTS on this link:

THESE ARE SOME OF MY
CERAMIC SEAHORSE
CREATIONS
(Photos
copyright
by the artist)



 CLICK ON IMAGES TO ENLARGE









Readers may be interested in these posts of SEAHORSE ART:

BELOW IS A VIDEO
OF MY SEAHORSE
STAMPS FROM
THE EMPIRE OF AMPHORA

Sea Horse Stamps from Amphora.                           


See my posts of ARTIST STAMPS here:

Read more about the ETRUSCANS here:

In the year 2001 I privately printed a variety of STAMP BOOKS, among which was THE SEAHORSES OF AMPHORA, now out of print; a copy is available through a bookseller on Amazon.com:

*

ARTIST STAMPS

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

*

Sunday, November 21, 2010

CERAMIC BOAT SCULPTURE/ An ancient sculptural traditon/ 'Boat of the Argonauts'/ Clay Art by Eric Whollem/ White earthenware with oxides/ Flax cord with sculpted ceramic shields




Boat of the Argonauts
1995
by Eric Whollem
oxides on white earthenware clay
with flax cord
PHOTO BY DONNA PIOLI
CLICK ON IMAGE TO ENLARGE

The Ancient Tradition of Ceramic Boats

Historically Europe has numerous examples of ceramic sculptures
that represent boats and ships.

My sculpture, depicted above is one of many boat sculptures that
I have created through the 1990's and 2000's. One will readily note
the shields tied to the railing. These are fanciful interpretations of
the practice of the Norse.

The Argonauts are famed from ancient Greek mythology. Jason
lead the Argonauts past Scylla, the whirlpool off the southern
coast of Italy, past the pillars of Hercules, into the unknown
reaches of the Atlantic Ocean to the realm of the Cimmerians
in search of the Golden Fleece.

____________

See more of my CERAMIC SCULPTURES on this link:
http://artblogericwhollem.blogspot.com/search/label/ceramic%20sculpture



Ceramic Sculpture video by Eric Whollem     

BELOW ARE A
SELECTION OF MY
CERAMIC SCULPTURES
(Photos copyright by
the artist)




CLICK ON IMAGES TO ENLARGE




  

*

Tuesday, November 16, 2010

QUEEN OF THE FAIRIES/ Faux postage/ Micronation of Cantharidia/ ARTIST STAMPS by Eric Whollem/ A Cyberstamp edition/ With a short discourse on the relation of the stamps of Cantharidia to the phenomenon of Scottish Island Stamps




The Queen of the Fairies
CANTHARIDIA
2010
by Eric Whollem
COPYRIGHT BY THE ARTIST


Fairy Stamps From the Isle of the Muse

My muse dwells eternally in the realm of Imagination.
From the vantage of the earthly plane she seems to dwell on
the Isle of Cantharidia, where she reigns as Queen of the Fairies.

I first discovered the word 'cantharidian' in the poetry of Bobbie
Burns, the Scottish poet. In my early years, back when I was in
my twenties, I developed literary ideas around the term, which
relates to a type of beetle. My Muse I referred to as Madge, a
Scottish maiden, whose namesake is found in the arts of
Imagination.


MADGE PLANTS A TREE IN CANTHARIDIA

Among my early acrylic paintings is the work entitled, 'Madge
Plants a Tree in Cantharidia.'  See this work and more about
Madge on this link:




The Queen of the Fairies
CANTHARIDIA
2010
by Eric Whollem
COPYRIGHT BY THE ARTIST


A Map of Cantharidia
WITH A LOOK AT THE GENRE OF SCOTTISH ISLAND STAMPS

One cannot find the Isle of Cantharidia on a map of the
real world. There actually exists a genre of stamps referred to
as Scottish Locals, among which are the stamps of Pabay, an
island that is said to have been authorized by the crown of England
to issue 'carriage labels,' or stamps for a private postal delivery
system. Originally the mail of Pabay was delivered by a small
boat to the Island of Skye, as a small group of artisans in a 
community on the island required regular postal service for their
pottery and knitting business. 

A host of other Scottish islands have produced stamps, the
status of which I am not expert enough to determine, having
only perused the subject for a day or two before writing this
blog post. The names of Bernera, Flannan, Inchmarnock,
St. Kilda, Taransay, Eynhallow, Staffa, Roma, Summer Isles,
Strova, Davaar and Easdale Island appear online. 

It could be that many of these stamps are faux postage issues,
which never have served any actual postal function. My own
fantasy Scottish island of Cantharidia, of course, is not an actual
Scottish island, but a literary fiction.




The Queen of the Fairies
CANTHARIDIA
2010
by Eric Whollem
COPYRIGHT BY THE ARTIST


THE STAMPS OF CANTHARIDIA

The stamps of Cantharidia could thus be considered as fantasy
Scottish stamps. One might call the stamps of Cantharidia 'Scottish
phantoms.' But they are in not by any means to be confused with those
'local posts' that may have been mandated by the British government.
The islands of Hern and Lundy are two of the most well known British
local posts.

A 'phantom' is a stamp from a fantasy land. I began creating my Cantharidian
stamps only this year, not knowing until only very recently that a large
number of real Scottish islands, some purportedly unpopulated, have
stamp issues bearing their names.

Cantharidia is a bit different. It, for one, is an 'independent kingdom,'
which is governed by fairy royalty and populated entirely by literary
figures from my imagination. The stamps of Cantharidia are 'Artist
Stamps' or 'Artistamps.'



The Queen of the Fairies
CANTHARIDIA
2010
by Eric Whollem
COPYRIGHT BY THE ARTIST



MY SCOTTISH AND NORWEGIAN ANCESTRY

My mother always used to remind me when I was a boy that
'you are Scottish.' But I also have Norwegian blood, my mother
having named me, thinking of Lief Erikson, the Viking explorer.
Many of my ceramic sculptures have been of dragon boats that
recall in a degree the boats of the Vikings. Some of my figurines
in clay recall Viking chess pieces. But my sculptures incorporate
a broad range of influences--from Celtic to ancient Greek to
Mesoamerican.

Several years ago I wrote a monograph entitled, 'The Voyages
of St. Brendan,' in which I explored the topic of the Norse discovery
of the New World and how they utilized Irish seamen as scouts
aboard their expeditions. It is no secret today that the Irish had
colonies in America long before Lief Erikson's visit. The remains
of Irish colonial sites are numerous in New England. See Barry
Fell's book, 'America, B.C.'


The Voyages of St. Brendan
2006
by Eric Whollem
illustrated cover
PHOTO COPYRIGHT BY THE ARTIST

CLICK ON IMAGE TO ENLARGE


THE HEBRIDES AND THE APPLE ISLANDS

Many of the islands off the coast of Scotland are populated by
folk of Norse ancestry, who have intermarried with the Scots
who were composed originally of Irish Gaelic, Belgic, and Pictish
stock. The Hebrides are known today for retaining the Gaelic
language of old.

The Hebrides are named after the Hesperides from ancient Greek
legend. The Hesperides were conceived of as 'Apple Islands.' The
apple appears in Celtic lore as a symbol of the soul. Mananaan
McLer, the son of the Sea King from Irish lore, drove his chariot
across the sea, entwined with silver apples. The island of Avalon,
from Arthurian Romance, means 'Apple Island.' 


THE LANGELEIK

I play a Norwegian folk instrument, called the langeleik. This
instrument has a version popular in the Appalachian Mountains,
where it is called the Mountain Dulcimer. This is a type of zither
that often has the shape of a boat. Scandinavian immigrants
brought it to America long before the guitar took hold as the
leading popular musical instrument, having been introduced
orginally through the Spanish colony in St. Augustine, Florida,
from whence it was taken up by the colonists from Britain and
Ireland in the American colonies to the north.

The dulcimer is quite good for interpreting Scottish music, as
it readily can be tuned to the Mixolydian Mode, which is favored
by the Scots.



The Royal Post Office of Cantharidia
The Queen of the Fairies

2010



The Queen of the Fairies
CANTHARIDIA
2010
by Eric Whollem
COPYRIGHT BY THE ARTIST



The Queen of the Fairies
CANTHARIDIA
2010
by Eric Whollem
COPYRIGHT BY THE ARTIST




The Queen of the Fairies
CANTHARIDIA
2010
by Eric Whollem
COPYRIGHT BY THE ARTIST




The Queen of the Fairies
CANTHARIDIA
2010
by Eric Whollem
COPYRIGHT BY THE ARTIST



____________________

Readers interested in my GALLERY of ABSTRACT PAINTINGS should check out this link:
http://artblogericwhollem.blogspot.com/search/label/abstract%20paintings

BELOW IS A VIDEO
THAT PRESENTS SELECTIONS OF
MY STAMPS FROM
CANTHARIDIA


Video by Eric Whollem                                     

See more stamps from CANTHARIDIA on this link:

This link will take you to my posts on FAIRIES:

See my CERAMIC SCULPTURES on this link:

BELOW ARE IMAGES OF MORE
STAMPS FROM
CANTHARIDIA

The Selkie
2010
by Eric Whollem
COPYRIGHT BY THE ARTIST



Penny Post
2010
by Eric Whollem
COPYRIGHT BY THE ARTIST




Aphrodite's Emergence
2010
by Eric Whollem
COPYRIGHT BY THE ARTIST


Penny Post
2010
by Eric Whollem
COPYRIGHT BY THE ARTIST


Penny Post
2010
by Eric Whollem
COPYRIGHT BY THE ARTIST


The Allegory of the Orange
2010
by Eric Whollem
COPYRIGHT BY THE ARTIST


Protecting Our Pollinators
2010
by Eric Whollem
COPYRIGHT BY THE ARTIST


Love of Night
2010
by Eric Whollem
COPYRIGHT BY THE ARTIST



Grove of the Naiad
2010
by Eric Whollem
COPYRIGHT BY THE ARTIST



The Whale Women
2010
by Eric Whollem
COPYRIGHT BY THE ARTIST


The Whale Women
2010
by Eric Whollem
COPYRIGHT BY THE ARTIST


The Fay of the Arroyo
2011
by Eric Whollem
COPYRIGHT BY THE ARTIST
*

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

*