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Art and Sacred Sites

~ Glen Rogers shares her artist's journey of travel, inspiration, and creating art.

Art and Sacred Sites

Tag Archives: monoprints

The Flowering – Re-birth and Renewal

25 Thursday Mar 2021

Posted by glenrogers in ancient symbols, archetypal symbols, Spiritual symbols

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archetypal symbols, contemporary prints, Divine Feminine, Goddess imagery, monoprints, monotype printing, Sacred Feminine, spring, Symbols of Birth

The Flowering I, II, III – Monoprints, 7″ x 5″
The Flowering V, IX, X – Monoprints, 7″ x 5″

Spring is synonymous with terms like re-birth, renewal, and regeneration. With the Vernal Equinox which occurred on March 20, our days have started to become longer and there is more available light each day – buds have begun to emerge, flowers have begun to blossom. Spring is a time of hope and new beginnings.

In this new series of ten small monoprints The Flowering, 6″ x 5″, there are many metaphors to be found. Yes – seeds, flowers, opening, re-birth and renewal – all the images of Spring. The colors are bursting forth with a certain exhilaration – magentas and oranges, and various shades of reds. I use stencils of flowers, vines and mandalas to enhance and marry the images of nature. All of these prints celebrate an explosion of new life.

The Flowering also speaks to the Sacred Feminine and her role as Giver of Life. The focal point of these prints is an ancient fertility symbol, the rounded pubic triangle from which new life blossoms. As far back as the Paleolithic era, there are examples of the simplified vulva depicted on figurines and cave walls. These early markings point to fecundity and the miracle of life. Early ceramics from the Minoan and Cycladic cultures also use this motif to honor the birth-giving aspect of the Goddess. In this case, the female symbol was often flanked by sprouting seeds and young plants as the vulva was associated with the seed of wild fruit. (Sourced from Language of the Goddess by Marija Gimbutas)

In The Flowering, I borrow from a universal visual language to carry on an ancient tradition of honoring women in their role as Life-Giver. The vulva is an archetype, a vessel to hold new life. There is a promise of magic in the process of birthing something new…

If you would like to see more, or are interested in these prints, contact me: glen@glenrogersart.com

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The ‘Lady of the Cave’ at Niaux Grotto, France

04 Friday Oct 2019

Posted by glenrogers in Uncategorized

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ancient art, cave paintings, Caves in South of France, Glen Rogers Art, inspiration and creativity, monoprints, Niaux Grotto, paleolithic cave art, Sacred Feminine

On a recent visit to France, I visited one of the last prehistoric caves sites open to the public where one can see authentic paintings from the paleolithic era. The Niaux Grotto is located in the northern foothills of the Pyrenees, just south of the French town of Foix. I made us a reservation months in advance for 1:30 in the afternoon – enough time, I thought, to drive from the small village of Sauve. We booked a rental car and set off – GPS said 3 1/2 hours to get there. It took 4 hours and we barely made our tour! Driving in a foreign country, sometimes on small windy roads, not knowing where we were going or if we would make it on time, added to a slightly stressful adventure.

But we did make it (at 1:15) and it was worth the stress! Like my traveling companion said, this was a once in a lifetime experience. (Actually, this was my third cave visit (See my blogs), but equally exciting. Ofcourse, no photography was allowed and veryone was given a flashlight to maneuver the unlit cave.

Once inside the cathedral like space, I felt a serenity and a connection to the ancients who walked this space 15,000years before us. On the left, a figure of a woman (not a painting- a spirit) greeted me. (This is not in the guide books, folks!) She was there to the left outlined in the gold and white granite rock. I pointed her out to my friend and she saw her as well. This sign of the sacred feminine spoke to me and let her presence known. Perhaps she created some of these drawings and wanted me to know it. Thats my story and Im sticking to it!

‘Lady of the Cave III”, Monoprint, 10″ x 8″
‘Lady of the Cave II’, Monoprint, 10″ x 8″

As we moved further into the cave, our guide pointed out the beautiful drawings made with black carbon – horses, bison, mountain goat, ibis etc. There was often a layering of images – implying motion and one could tell many hands created these images over time. One never knows what will inspire the artist – in my case it was something even more mysterious and ethereal than the ancient cave drawings themselves. It was the spirit of the cave and perhaps a whisper in my ear…

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Aboriginal Rock Art and Sacred Inspiration

03 Monday Aug 2015

Posted by glenrogers in Uncategorized

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Aboriginal elder, Australia, Birthing cave, Cave paintings in Australia, Cooktown, drypoint, drypoint printing, Glen Rogers, inspiration, monoprints, mother earth, Nugal-Wara, petroglyphs, printmaking, rainbow serpent, rock art, sacred land, Willie Gordon, writing on the Wall

The Rainbow Serpent

On my first trip to Australia, I visited Cooktown north of Cairns on the Cape York Peninsula.  I specifically sought out rock art since I knew the indigenous culture dated back thousand of years. I had scoped out an area about 25 miles out that was protected by park lands, but then noticed a message on a bulletin board advertising a walk thru the bush with an aboriginal guide. I jumped at the opportunity to visit the ancestral lands of the Nugal-wara normally closed to the public. There were 5 or 6 of us who signed up to walk into the bush with Willie Gordon, an Aboriginal guide and tribal elder. He led us through a landscape of towering sandstone rock formations that we experienced from above, and then into the gorges.

Wille Gordon, Aboriginal guide and tribal elder

The rock art was in small overhangs that formed a series of caves. We saw the “cave of reconciliation”, where clan would meet to resolve issues with outcasts from the tribe. Then we entered the birthing cave, with drawings of a pregnant woman, a child, and an upside-down image of a man (because men weren’t allowed inside the cave.)

The Birthing Cave

In another cave, images of a rainbow serpent, their image of Mother Earth, were drawn on the wall with pigments  from the earth. When we stopped, Willie would draw images in the sand, sharing tribal myths and symbols, but what most touched me was his sharing from the heart. He explained, ‘It is our spirituality that determines our survival.” He spoke of the ‘light’, the Aboriginal basis for their connection to Spirit, and explained how the rainbow serpent is their connection to Earth, the practical. Water and light are their two most important spiritual elements, and he described how the cave paintings represent a pathway through life. Even today, the tradition of painting on the walls continues, as each generation adds their own marks leaving a legacy for the next. This was such a blessed opportunity to spend time with Willie Gordon as he shared with us his ancestral history and spiritual connections.

Back in the studio, I was moved to capture the essence of these cave paintings, so I began a suite of small monoprints called “Writing on the Wall.” Layering the images from my mind’s eye and from photos I’d taken, my intention was to create a rich surface that sparkled with the mystery I’d felt on this sacred land. I interwove images of the Rainbow Serpent with nature imagery such as spirals and textures carved into the caves. Scratching into the plate using the drypoint process, I created a rich surface before applying the ink to the plate. Subtle layers of transparent color were rolled on or added by hand (a la poupee) after the initial dark umber matrix. Each print is unique, a one of a kind image. Some of the prints are still available, contact me to view more images.

‘Writing on the Wall’ series of monoprints

     

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Recent Posts

  • My Interview with Karen Kinney in her Divine Feminine Newsletter August 5, 2022
  • Calling the Circle A Sacred Feminine Women’s Gathering, San Miguel de Allende, Mexico, November 7-9, 2022 May 22, 2022
  • In Her Power: Images of the Sacred Feminine December 18, 2021
  • Sedona – Visiting a Spiritual Vortex August 10, 2021
  • The Flowering – Re-birth and Renewal March 25, 2021
  • Bernie Meme – being embraced in my ‘Throne for a Goddess’ sculpture. January 24, 2021
  • The Priestess – Feminine Energy in the Time of Insurrection January 13, 2021
  • Revisioning the Venus: San Miguel de Allende to Austria December 17, 2020
  • The Sacred Feminine Trilogy. Watch as a Large Charcoal Drawing develops in the Studio. November 19, 2020
  • ‘Throne for a Goddess’ sculpture in Austria launches Benefit for Rural Girls in Mexico October 6, 2020

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  • Book: Art and Sacred Sites: Connecting with Spirit of Place
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About Glen Rogers

An artist who approaches life with an adventurous spirit and a reverence for Mother Earth. One of my favorite quotes, "Leap and the net will appear", has propelled me on a life journey of art and discovery. Visit my website: GlenRogersArt

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Art gallery

Blue Spirit
Blue Spirit
Notes from Monte Alban II
Notes from Monte Alban II
Notes fr Monte Alban V,
Notes fr Monte Alban V,
Phoenix, oil on canvas, 5' x 7'
Phoenix, oil on canvas, 5′ x 7′
Ancient Secrets II
Ancient Secrets II
Writing on the Wall
Writing on the Wall
Spirit of Place
Spirit of Place
Three Wings
Three Wings
Written in Stone
Written in Stone
Spirit Gate
Spirit Gate
Writing on the Wall series

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