Anatomy of a Painting

19 Tuesday May 2020

Posted by glenrogers in Artist studios, Uncategorized

Tags

archetypal symbols, contemporary artist, contemporary painting, Lotus, oil painting, Oil paintings by Glen Rogers, painting commissions, Spiritual in Art

Here, my painting, Lotus Unfolding, literally unfolds before your eyes, layer by layer.

In a previous Blog https://artandsacredsites.com/2020/03/18/life-and-art-in-the-time-of-covid-19/ I talked about the painting commission I had during the first couple of months of the Covid Pandemic while I was sheltering in place. I loved having the opportunity to create something special and focus on this large-scale oil painting, 39″ x 77″.

The transformative lotus is an image that I’ve used in my work many times over the years. The petals unfolding never fail to soothe me, to embrace me and to help me transcend the ordinary. You can read more about the Lotus in my book, Symbols of the Spirit: A Meditative Journey Through Art. (https://www.glenrogersart.com/copy-of-books-1)

While working on the painting, I began photographing each step to document my progress. It was meant as a tool for me to study as I went along. So it literally shows how I built the painting – the layering of colors – easing my way towards completion. I hope you enjoy the sequence.

Let me know what you think!

The Vessel, The Chalice, The Cauldron An ode to the Divine Feminine

29 Sunday Jul 2018

Posted by glenrogers in archetypal symbols, Sacred Feminine in ARt, Uncategorized

≈ 6 Comments

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Cauldron, Divine Feminine, Glen Rogers, Oil paintings by Glen Rogers, Sacred Feminine, Sacred Symbols, The Chalice, The Vessel

The Chalice, Oil on Canvas, 40″ x 34″

The vessel, a simple utilitarian object, is layeredwith metaphorical meaning. At its essence, the vessel is a symbol for the human body – specifically the female body, which carries and nurtures the child within. Mimicking a pregnant woman, the vessel bulges out at the center into a curvilinear shape. In pagan societies, the cauldron was a symbol for the womb of the Great Goddess and offered the power of rebirth.

The famous Chalice, some scholars believe, was actually Mary Magdalene, the sacred vessel that held the Christ child. According to Barbara G. Walker in her book, The Crone: Woman of Age, Wisdom, and Power, the vessel was the source of life, wisdom and inspiration in pagan religions. At its most primal level, it is a sacred container that will forever be connected with magic and the act of creation.

Even the simplest hand-made pot can transcend the ordinary and reflect the spirit of those who came before us. I gather these images around me and draw from them in the studio. The shape emerges and becomes the focal point of a painting or print often filled with a liquid golden light signifying its sacred nature.

Excerpts from my upcoming book, Symbols of the Spirit, A Meditative Journey Through Art.