Artists throughout the ages have used a variety of materials and methods to illustrate various invisible energies. I’ve always loved the gold ‘halos’ around the heads of spiritual avatars in Christian paintings, representing an individual’s divinity or enhanced consciousness. Artists, past and present, use various forms of straight, wavy, or wiggly lines, and color shapes, to represent action, sound, movement, suggesting that which cannot be seen within a flat visual field. The materials too, can have symbolic meaning, like the precious gold used in the aforementioned halos, which deepens the allusion intended.
Ever present in my own artist creations, is a desire to represent what cannot be seen by the human eye; most notable is my interest in depicting the energetic field (aura) around physical subjects. I’m revealing the life force energy emanating from all that exists, whether it be human, flower, planet or even geometric shapes. One might sense energy frequencies in various ways, but as a visual artist, my task is to reveal this in a visual manner. I’ll describe, using 3 exemplary art works, 3 different materials and methods that I use to translate the invisible into visible.
Shedding the Cocoon-detail
The wall shrine ‘Shedding the Cocoon’ uses thin wires to indicate energy emerging from various forms. Wire, inherently a conductor of electricity, can be shaped like streams of energy, reflecting various levels of intensity. Its shiny, metallic nature is akin to the brightness we associate with light. The sun’s heat and light might appear physically as rays or waves, thick/thin and tight/loose undulations; as energy radiates from a secondary source, like a living creature, it might pulse or be somewhat more jagged, depending upon the nature of the source. In this artwork, the wires arise from a ‘seed’ object or a wing shape; they expand into the surrounding environment, suggesting the subtle energies always present within and radiating from what appears to be a static physical form.
I also use metallic transfer foils of differing colors, to illuminate subtle energies. ‘Root Path’ uses gold and red colored foil to create the equivalent of an aura, around a woman in repose; this reveals her subtle ‘light body’. 
She is floating within an eye shaped sea of stars, transforming within a cosmic sea. 
If you look closely at the 2 ‘flowers’ flanking the central crow panel, you will notice shiny orange foil lines emanating from the flower center. These suggest the living energies radiating from plant life. The 4 flowers at each corner, in the side columns, also radiate a halo, in orange metallic foil.
‘Venus Rising’ uses ambient reflective light to bring attention to the heart of each cherry blossom, in the form of a tiny crystal. If you look closely,
each flower center is a crystal; the petals emanate from that radiating light. Life energy flows, against gravity, up the stem, into the heart of each blossom; the crystal brings this to light. 
The wavy, curly lines in golden foil originate from bird throat/beak to planet Venus. It is obvious these ‘lines’ are equivalent to bird love songs.
In summary, wire, metallic foil, and crystals are the materials; wavy 3-dimensional lines, fields of lines, and pinpoints of reflection are the means to express the invisible energies of life.
My intention is to awaken our inner sight to perceive the subtle energies all around us; when we attune, honor and organize these consciously, our psychic perceptual abilities increase, and we become enmeshed within a higher-frequency life. This means more love and compassion, based on unity consciousness. It’s my soul’s reason for creating.
What materials and methods do artist’s you know use, that you especially resonate with? I’d love to know. You can respond by email at debbiemathewart@gmail.com or comment within this blog below.