I’m following up from the last newsletter (December 2024), wherein I spoke of the New Year Seeds I’m Planting. I’ll flesh out what I’ve done with respect to the 1st Intention, which is: “I will complete the New Zealand Series of works with descriptions and reflect more deeply on the aspects that help expand my vision, and narrow down the scope of images for future pieces.”
Here are a three additional pieces I’ve completed from the New Zealand prints, including descriptive meanings from my perspective. These verbal analogs always arrive after the visuals come into being. The creative process is so non-rational and primarily visual for me.
©Debbie Mathew Title: Surfing To Ascension 22”h x 15”w Silkscreen Print & mixed media on paper. Date: September, 2024
A woman, with lotus wings, balances gingerly on a thin strip of physical matter; is it a tightrope? a surf-board? Regardless, re-balancing, moment to moment is required. She continually attunes to the higher frequencies present. Aware of the heart portal she is aspiring to, she balances the challenges of remaining heart-centered and grounded. She is guided by the illustrious butterfly, beckoning her evolutionary trajectory upwards, and through the violet portal. Here floats a heart, made of the vegetation she is immersed in below, only now more intense in its vibrant hues. The heart is anchored with a cross, a promise. Its’ spiral antennae, akin of the butterfly’s, continually emit and draw in frequencies. She must ground in faith, and diligent focus to gain access to this higher frequency realm of heart-initiated action, devoid of fear and judgement. The ascension process is a shifting of consciousness into a heart-centered frequency, while remaining in our physical body.
©Debbie Mathew Title: Pouring The Heart Out 22”h x 15”w Silkscreen prints, mixed media on paper. Date: September, 2024
A portal opens into a new life, only when you pour out the pain, grievances and wounds from your heart. How do we let all that go? We’ve all been scarred (betrayal, abandonment, persecution), and likely done the same to others, whether in this and/or other life times.
The universe supports us in our desire to be free of suffering; it brilliantly reminds us of our innate powers of transformation. Butterflies, lotus flowers, the heart and ancient doorways are all redolent of opportunities to choose a path of love. Pure acceptance of what is, dropping victim consciousness, allows our heart to pull us forward into its’ essential rhythm with the evolutionary beat of Gaia herself. We exist within and are made of heaven and earth; watching the cycles of change and merging with compassion frequencies, enables us to transform.
©Debbie Mathew Title: Nourishing the Super-Human
26.7”h x 16.3”w Silkscreen prints, mixed media on paper. Date: September, 2024
Interwoven within the physical and spiritual planes are symbols to guide the evolution of consciousness. Flowers attract our attention with their beauty and fragility; why/how does their presence activate awe within? Similar to such earthly phenomenon, humans visualize spiritual power in the form of hand gestures, deities and tools of ascension. Regardless of your specific religious beliefs, all spiritual traditions provide humans with methods to combat fear, release negative emotions/habits and overcome egoic reactions that arise. Symbols are reminders to aspire to evolve our consciousness, with an aim to experience peace, contentment and love. Here, a deity with 3 faces and 10 arms/hands, holds various tools to maintain a peaceful center, grounded on Earth. The heart, open hands, and trinity of lotus flowers presents a balanced energetic vessel, nourishing our inner superhuman qualities, harmonizing our egoic & spiritual Natures.
In searching to understand the aspects that better help share my vision, I intend to explore how to integrate the most profound, yet inclusive symbols I’ve used in this Series, into the context of a more ‘natural’ landscape. So, I’m going to hone in on the portal/door, heart, lotus, and find the edges of how to engage the nature lovers and the spiritual enthusiast in equal measure. I believe that will be an engaging field to play in.
I’d love to hear the images that speak to you the most. I’ve posted the more ‘Natural’ imagery art pieces on my Instagram account, and in the November and December 2024 newsletters. More artwork focused on ‘spiritual symbolism’ in this newsletter, can be found in the March through August newsletters. You can search in the side-bar on this page to explore those.
Would you be so kind as to give me an idea of the natural and spiritual symbols that resonate most with you? My desire is to create imagery that initiates feelings of nature’s spiritual essence, and that same essence within the human, you/me.