GODDESS AMULETS/ Ceramic Sculptures by Eric Whollem/ Notes on Marija Gimbutas/ MYTHOGRAPHIC ART/ Miniature pendants in clay/ WEARABLE ART

Goddess With a Leaf

2006

by Eric Whollem

oxides on white earthenware clay

2.5"

PHOTO COPYRIGHT BY THE ARTIST

CLICK ON IMAGES TO ENLARGE

Earth Goddess Amulet

TWO VIEWS

2006

by Eric Whollem

copper carbonate and oxides on white earthenware clay

2.5"

PHOTO COPYRIGHT BY THE ARTIST

Ocean Mother

2006

by Eric Whollem

oxides and found earth on white earthenware clay

2.5"

PHOTO COPYRIGHT BY THE ARTIST

Goddess Amulets in Clay

The Goddess has been represented in art for thousands of years.

Marija Gimbutas, author of the book, Language of the Goddess,

which came out in the 1980's, is one of the world's leading authorities

on Goddess art. Her work was highly praised by Joseph Campbell

and Ashley Montague. I had the good fortune to have met her

at a convention of the Society for California Archaeology in the

early 1990's. She viewed an exhibit of my clay amulets there,

remarking that some of my work had an archaic Romanian flavor.

It will be obvious to many that my work also treats of the

iconography of the Venus of Wollendorf, as well.

Clay amulets, or pendants, are among the art forms known in

abundance from antiquity. The Goddess is featured prominently

among them.

Agape

2005

by Eric Whollem

oxides on white earthenware clay

2.25"

PHOTO COPYRIGHT BY THE ARTIST

Agape

Agape means 'understanding' in Greek.

This miniature sculpture has been enlarged considerably for

viewing on the computer screen. Having been a 'rock hound'

since I was a child, I have always attempted to give my

sculptures a rough appearance similar to that found in

natural minerals.

_______________

Read about Marija Gimbutas on this link:

http://www.en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marija_Gimbutas

See my posts about the GODDESS here:

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

*

BIRD MAN AMULET/ Figurative Ceramic Shamanic Sculpture by Eric Whollem/ Oxides on white earthenware clay/ Mythographic Abstraction

 Bird Man

2004

by Eric Whollem

oxides on white earthenware clay

2"

PHOTO COPYRIGHT BY THE ARTIST

Textures in Groggy Clay

As I most frequently utilize 'sculpture mix' clay to create my

ceramic sculptures, I find that the rough texture of the clay

can often add an interesting surface to the final work.

The brands I use most are Laguna or Imco Clay. . .either

white or terracotta. Other red clays, such as Laguna Hawaiian

Red has proven interesting to work with.

This piece was colored with ceramic oxides, burnished to

bring out the texture of the clay body.

BIRD MAN

Mythically Bird Man is represented in the Japanese figure

called the Tengu. He is also found in the petroglyphic arts

of Easter Island.

Basically my Bird Man is a shamanic figure. The shaman

is traditionally attributed with the powers of magical

flight. . .penetration into the astral dimension.

Bird Woman is well known as a shamanic archetype in the

Goddess traditions of Europe.

________________

Readers intersested in my posts on SHAMANISM can find them on this link:

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

See my CERAMIC AMULETS here:

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

My posts on MYTHOLOGY can be accessed here:

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

*

MERMAID AMULET/ Abstract Ceramic Goddess Sculpture by Eric Whollem/ WEARABLE ART/ Oxides on white earthenware clay

Undine

2005

by Eric Whollem

oxides on white earthenware clay

2.5"

PHOTO COPYRIGHT BY THE ARTIST

CLICK ON IMAGE TO ENLARGE

The Undine

An undine is an aquatic nature spirit or a mermaid.

This sculpture renders the theme in a decidedly abstract

manner. I find that frequently my miniature sculptures

are quite freeing. Done quickly and informally they often

provide me with surprises, whereas a larger sculpture

can frequently be more limited, insofar as the weight

and drying time involved in clay work gives the artist

many more limitations. Smaller work has it's limitations

as well. No size factor is ultimate. Everything has it's

purpose, intentional and unintentional.

_________

See more of my CERAMIC SCULPTURES on this link:

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

SEAHORSE & MERMAID AMULETS/ Figurative Ceramic Sculpture by Eric Whollem/ 'Hippocampus' and 'Kore of the Ancient Sea'/ WEARABLE ART/ Copper carbonate and oxides on white earthenware clay/ Goddess Art: a Nereid of the Sea

Hippocampus

2004

by Eric Whollem

oxides on white earthenware clay

2.5"

PHOTO COPYRIGHT BY THE ARTIST

CLICK ON IMAGE TO ENLARGE

Kore of the Ancient Sea

2007

by Eric Whollem

oxides on white earthenware clay

2.5"

PHOTO COPYRIGHT BY THE ARTIST

Amulets of the Sea

Hippocampus is the Latin name for the Sea Horse. I have

created many sea horse pendants over the years. They have

proven one of my most popular ceramic items.

'Kore of the Ancient Sea' is a haunting image of a mermaid

Goddess. 'Kore' is Greek for maiden. The Greek mermaids

are of two main categories: Nereids, of the salt sea; and

Naiads, of the freshwater springs.

This sculpture is a Nereid. The Nereids were the daughters

of Nereus and Doris. They were considered by the Greeks to

be very beneficent, the saviours of sailors lost at sea.

See more ceramic amulets and also figurines and sculptures

on the links below.

_______________

Sea Horse

2004

by Eric Whollem

oxides on terracotta

Collection of the artist

PHOTO COPYRIGHT BY THE ARTIST

See more CERAMIC AMULETS on this link:

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

BELOW ARE A FEW

OF MY CERAMIC GODDESS AMULETS

(Photos copyright by the artist)

CLICK ON IMAGES TO ENLARGE

THE VIDEO BELOW

DEPICTS A SELECTION OF

MY SEAHORSE CERAMICS

                                            'Ceramic Seahorse' video.                                

See my posts about the GODDESS here:

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

BELOW ARE A COUPLE OF

MY MERMAID SCULPTURES

My complete archive of posts on CERAMIC SCULPTURES can be found here:

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

*

LITTLE RED DOG/ Ceramic Sculpture/ 'CERAMIC TEXTUROLOGY'/ An amulet by Eric Whollem/ A miniature amulet/ Oxides and earth pigments on white earthenware clay

The Little Red Dog

2005

by Eric Whollem

oxides on white earthenware clay

2.5" x 2"

PHOTO COPYRIGHT BY THE ARTIST

CLICK ON IMAGE TO ENLARGE

Ceramic Texturology

This ceramic miniature, designed as a pendant, displays the sort

of textures found in stones in nature. Burnished oxides evoke the

striations found in natural mineral samples.

This piece, designed to stand on 'all fours' as well as serve as a

centerpiece in a necklace, depicts a dog, stylized along the lines

of ethnic arts.

They say there are two sorts of ceramic sculptors: those who began

by work in stone, and those who began as potters. I never was a

potter, but worked in soapstone back in the 1970's when I was

living in Feather Falls, California.

______________

Those interested in my posts on CERAMIC SCULPTURE should see:

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

*

AMPHITRITE/ Mermaid Faux Postage Stamps/ VIRTUAL STAMPS & CYBERSTAMPS/ 'The Sea Queen,' a cinderella stamp set by Eric Whollem/ DIGITAL SERIAL ART

The Sea Queen

MERREMINDE POST

2010

by Eric Whollem

COPYRIGHT BY THE ARTIST

Amphitrite the Sea Queen

The mermaid micronation of Merreminde is ruled by Queen

Amphitrite. The links at the bottom of this post will take you

to more stamps from Merreminde. This particular issue is

denominated at 1000 Shells. The Merreminde Ocean Mail

delivery system has an Express Mail Service, where parcels

are trucked by dolphins to mermaids living in sea caves in

remote areas of the coast.

Merreminde lies in the Southeast portion of the Continent

of Amphora, and has the most rugged terrain in all of Amphora.

THE SEA GODDESS

Amphitrite was originally the name of the bride of the Greek

God Poseidon, a divinity both of the salt sea and of springs.

Amphitrite was a dolphin mermaid Goddess.

The Greeks used to call themselves the Pelopidae, or People

of the Porpoise, after their King Pelops. The Peloponnesian

Peninsula is named for Pelops.

The rites of Delphi are named for the dolphin, as delphys means

dolphin in Greek.

The Sea Queen

MERREMINDE POST

2010

by Eric Whollem

COPYRIGHT BY THE ARTIST

CLICK ON IMAGES TO ENLARGE

Faux Postage Stamps

MERREMINDE POST

2010

The Sea Queen

MERREMINDE POST

2010

by Eric Whollem

COPYRIGHT BY THE ARTIST

Ocean Mail

The Sea Queen

MERREMINDE POST

2010

by Eric Whollem

COPYRIGHT BY THE ARTIST

A Cinderella Souvenir Edition

The Sea Queen

MERREMINDE POST

2010

by Eric Whollem

COPYRIGHT BY THE ARTIST

Virtual Stamps From Merreminde Post

These stamps from the Merreminde Post are issued in two

sheets, for eight designs altogether. They are Virtual Stamps,

which is to say, Cyberstamps, which by one definition indicates

that they exist only in cyberspace. Read more about Virtual

Stamps in my post on Sheet B from the 'Sea Queen' series.

These sheetlets of stamps are among my digital serial art

faux postage stamps, where each stamp is toned and

saturated in color varieties generated on computer software.

__________________

Readers interested in viewing more stamps from MERREMINDE should look at:

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

BELOW ARE SOME OF MY

VIDEOS FEATURING

ARTISTAMPS

FROM

MERREMINDE

SAVE THE SEALS STAMPS                        

MERMAID STAMPS FROM MERREMINDE            

Those interested in SERIAL ART might want to read:

http://www.en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Serial_art

My posts about MERMAIDS can be found here:

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

CLICK ON IMAGES TO ENLARGE

AMONG THE STARFISH

by Eric Whollem

digital art

My complete image archive of FAUX POSTAGE STAMPS is on this link:

https://picasaweb.google.com/earthpaint/EricWhollemSArtistamps#

POST RIDER

faux postage stamp from Delphys

by Eric Whollem

*

ARTIST STAMPS

Cinderella stamps, cyberstamps, fantasy stamps,

faux postage, artistamps,

mail art, micronation stamps;

digital art.

*

'VIRTUAL STAMPS'/ Mermaid Goddess Cyberstamps/ 'The Sea Queen' or 'Amphitrite' by Eric Whollem/ CINDERELLA STAMPS FROM MERREMINDE/ Faux postage from a mermaid micronation

The Sea Queen

MERREMINDE POST

2010

by Eric Whollem

COPYRIGHT BY THE ARTIST

Virtual Stamps

The expressions 'virtual stamps' and 'cyberstamps' appear

with differing meanings in their general use online today.

One definition of a virtual stamp is a stamp that exists only

as a computer image, not having actually been printed on

paper. The perforations seen in such a stamp are computer-

generated details.

Another general definition of a virtual stamp or a cyberstamp

is to indicate any stamp depicted on the computer monitor.

Confusion could arise in the minds of some due to these

broad definitions which carry very different meanings. Those

artists who create artistamps or faux postage stamps viewable

only online are making something very different from a Penny

Black from 1840. The latter is a famous legitimate postage

stamp from Britain; when seen on the computer, it could be

said to be a 'Virtual Stamp.'

BELOW IS A VIDEO

FEATURING VIRTUAL STAMPS

FROM THE MICRONATION OF

AMPHORA

                    ERIC WHOLLEM

Yet in accord with the loose definitions that are generated in

today's computer scene, a faux postage cyberstamp created

as a fantasy work of art is also a 'Virtual Stamp.'

Definitions of words are created by people. Those of us who

would like to have a limited and special meaning for a term

must bow to general useage.

The Sea Queen

MERREMINDE POST

2010

by Eric Whollem

COPYRIGHT BY THE ARTIST

CLICK ON IMAGES TO ENLARGE

Faux Postage Stamps

MERREMINDE POST

2010

The Sea Queen

MERREMINDE POST

2010

by Eric Whollem

COPYRIGHT BY THE ARTIST

Ocean Mail

The Sea Queen

MERREMINDE POST

2010

by Eric Whollem

COPYRIGHT BY THE ARTIST

A Cinderella Souvenir Edition

The Sea Queen

MERREMINDE POST

2010

by Eric Whollem

COPYRIGHT BY THE ARTIST

See more stamps from MERREMINDE on this link:

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

CLICK ON IMAGES TO ENLARGE

SAVE THE SEALS

Merreminde artistamps

MERREMINDE STAMP VIDEO by Eric Whollem           

See my posts of CYBERSTAMPS here:

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

For access to my compete archive of FAUX POSTAGE STAMPS see:

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

To see more of my DIGITAL SERIAL ART STAMP SHEETS check out:

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

MUSE OF THE ISLE OF THE GOD OF DREAMS

stamps from Amorphagos

by Eric Whollem

*

ARTIST STAMPS

Artistamps, cinderella stamps, cyberstamps,

faux postage, fantasy stamps,

mail art, micronation stamps;

digital art.

*

VILA/ Figurative Ceramic Sculpture/ Mermaid Goddess of the Adriatic Sea/ A contemporary figurine by Eric Whollem

 Vila

2006

by Eric Whollem

oxides on white earthenware clay

PHOTO COPYRIGHT BY THE ARTIST

CLICK ON IMAGE TO ENLARGE

Mermaids of the Adriatic Sea

Vila is the name given to the mermaid in that oceanic realm

that separates Italy from the Balkan region north of Greece.

'Vir' means 'pool' in the Balkans. Lepenski Vir, for example, is

the oldest city site on the European mainland. There are large

stone sculptures found there with fish-like eyes that recall the

disc-eyed aquatic Goddesses of Mesopotamia. Vir literally means

'whirlpool.' A whirlpool is found at Lepenski Vir and also many

large fish skeletons, which archaeologists such as Marija Gimbutas

conjecture to be remains of special offerings to the spirits of

the spring. 

Students of Eastern European archaeology will probably note the

distinctive ancient Eastern European flavor to my Vila sculpture.

See Marija Gimbuta's book, 'Language of the Goddess.'

'Morska vila' means 'little mermaid.'

VILA AND BIRD WOMAN

Some readers may note that my image of Vila partakes of the

iconography typical of Bird Woman, the Eastern European

Goddess archetype. Her pinched beaked nose is an ancient

symbol of Bird Woman, seen on innumerable old sculptures.

           This video shows some of my Bird Woman sculptures.

Mermaids have always been linked to the birds. For example,

Aphrodite in her three aspects of Pandemos, Marina, and Urania,

has three corresponding birds for each of her Triple Goddess

functions: the dove for her Virgin aspect, the swallow for her

Matron aspect, and the crow for her Crone aspect.

Naiad

2004

by Eric Whollem

oxides on white earthenware clay

Private collection

12"

PHOTO COPYRIGHT BY THE ARTIST

CLICK ON IMAGE TO ENLARGE

The Sirens from Homer's Odyssey, though actually Naiads, or

freshwater spirits, are linked in many interpretations to the

Nereids, or Greek mermaids of the salt sea. This interpretation

may be off a bit, as the Sirens were birds with women's heads,

at least in artistic conventions over the centuries. In this we

see the Sirens linked more to birds than to fish.

The Selkies of Celtic lore are shape shifters, and can take on

any form of animal body. Morrigan, the Queen of the Sea, for

example was linked to the crows, insofar as she was a psycho-

pomp, or shamaness of the deceased.

The Greek God Hermes was said to fly as a cormorant above the

sea. He is also attributed with having had wings on his ankles.

Were these wings actually his merman fins? This interpretation

is not totally far afield as mermaids in their depictions in art for

many centuries and in many cultures, have both wings as well as

flippers. This is true of both Celtic and Indonesian traditions.

Water, symbolic of the plane of emotional vibrations, and air,

the symbol of the plane of spiritual flight, are thus brought

together in my image of Vila, who is both Bird Woman and

Mermaid Goddess.

BELOW ARE A SOME VIDEOS THAT

DEAL WITH THE TOPIC OF MERMAIDS

 

A mermaid stamp art video by Eric Whollem, 2011

A video that presents more of my Mermaid and Goddess art

in faux postage stamp format.

See my posts on ANTHROPOLOGY on this link:

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

Gray Seated Figure

2010

by Eric Whollem

POSTER STAMP COPYRIGHT BY THE ARTIST

My CERAMIC SCULPTURES may be found here:

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

Intuitive Beings

1987

by Eric Whollem

mixed media on paper

COPYRIGHT BY THE ARTIST

Many of my paintings, such as 'Intuitive Beings,' shown above, are among my two dimensional FIGURATIVE ABSTRACTIONS. See more of my figurative expressionism here:

http://artblogericwhollem.blogspot.com/search/label/figurative%20abstraction



Check out this link on MERMAIDS if you would care to peruse my artistic approaches to this universal subject:

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

Those interested in the topic of the GODDESS should see:

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

*

MYTHOGRAPHIC ART

Metaphysical art

Mermaids

Mythology

*