• About the Author
  • Book: Art and Sacred Sites: Connecting with Spirit of Place
  • Book: Symbols of the Spirit: A Meditative Journey Through Art
  • Oracle Deck: Spirit Cards

Art and Sacred Sites

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

Art and Sacred Sites

Tag Archives: Spiritual in Art

My Interview with Karen Kinney in her Divine Feminine Newsletter

05 Friday Aug 2022

Posted by glenrogers in Sacred Feminine in ARt

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archetypes, Divine Feminine, Glen Rogers, inspiration, Sacred Feminine, Spiritual in Art, spiritual journey

Glen Rogers in her studio
1.) Tell us as little bit about your path with the divine feminine. When were you first drawn to the goddess, and what did that look like for you? 

Reading books in my late twenties like The Chalice and the Blade by Riane Eisler and When God was a Woman by Merlin Stone opened my eyes to a world of early Matriarchal cultures and the Sacred Feminine. I learned of ancient Goddess cultures, where women rulers and priestesses presided and held court in peaceful agrarian societies. Women were honored in each stage of life – maiden, mother, crone and as sacred life-givers, healers, and wise leaders. With these new revelations, I began choosing a spiritual path that honored that Goddess energy via my connection to Mother Earth and La Luna. Through meditation, my stream of creativity, and a connection to nature, I felt Her presence as a guiding light. I began traveling to sacred sites such as Paleolithic cave sites in South of France, representing the womb of the Mother and Newgrange in Ireland, with womb-like tunnels replicating the birth canal. Feeling that Goddess energy and walking in the footsteps of the grandmothers inspired and continues to inspire me.

2.) How would you describe the process of giving birth as a creator?

The act of creating is one of the most beautiful things in my life and I am grateful every day. In the early morning, sitting with my coffee and journal, I receive some of my most inspired ideas. These are just seeds of inspiration that I write or sketch out–and it’s up to me if they germinate and develop into something worthwhile. At this early stage and later in the studio when I’m in the flow, I often feel that I’m co-creating with a higher power which I call the Goddess energy. Listening to Her message and my intuition are part of my art practice. As a visual artist, I follow the writer’s adage “show up at the page.” Which means whether I’m in the mood or not, I go to the studio, because inevitably something happens. (And it is a sure thing that if I don’t show up–nothing will.) I always have a couple of projects going on at the same time to keep my juices flowing. Right now I have a large-scale charcoal drawing on my painting wall, a series of small monoprints in the works and an accordion book called Seed of the Divine that I just completed. The Sacred Feminine and her symbols, like the moon and the spiral, appear throughout–and all are inspired by my recent trip to Ireland. I travel a lot for my inspiration, taking pilgrimages to ancient Goddess sites around the world. My book, Art & Sacred Sites: Connecting with Spirit of Place, is about these journeys and the art inspired by my experiences. Creating art is truly a birthing process for me that requires time, focused energy and love. 

3.) This November, you are offering a divine feminine gathering for women in San Miguel. How did the vision for this gathering initially form and come into being?

The idea for Calling the Circle started to take form as I was promoting my second book, Symbols of the Spirit: A Meditative Journey Through Art in California in 2019. While I was giving book talks and sharing my journey to mainly female audiences, I began looking for more ways to inspire through my stories and artwork. As my friend and mentor, Priestess and Doctor of Chinese Medicine Dr. Ratka Mira Popovic and I were brainstorming ideas, we envisioned a women’s gathering in San Miguel de Allende Mexico where I live. I realized that San Miguel is the perfect location for our Gathering – a beautiful city with a definite spiritual and feminine energy. Even though Covid hit shortly after, the seed had been planted and I began forming an advisory council of women in the community to help birth the event. I think we were all feeling a hunger for this Gathering – as a way to connect to each other and to ancient Goddess wisdom. We join women around the world who are looking for ways to reclaim their spiritual roots and connect to the Sacred Feminine. Especially after Covid, we want to create an event filled with inspiration and empowerment. 

Karen Kinney is a writer, visual artist, and teacher and has recently published her 2nd book Doorways to Transformation: Everyday Wisdom for the Creative Soul.  I am honored to have Karen on our Advisory Counsel for the Calling the Circle Gathering in November. If you would like to sign up for Karen’s Divine Feminine Newsletter, contact her through her website.  karenkinney.com

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In Her Power: Images of the Sacred Feminine

18 Saturday Dec 2021

Posted by glenrogers in Uncategorized

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archetypal symbols, Sacred Feminine, Spiritual in Art, spiritual journey, women in power

Solo Exhibition at La Huipilista Artspace, San Miguel de Allende. December 2021.

In this exhibition, I honor women and the sacred feminine in my paintings, monoprints and drawings. These figurative works radiate independence, as they acknowledge the arbitrary barriers and obstacles that women encounter in their lives. In this visionary world, women hold a shared wisdom as divine creators and through ritual, reclaim ancient rites of passage. Disparaged figures from the Bible like Lilith and Mary Magdalene take their power back while the Celtic-based goddess imagery of Maiden, Mother, Crone comes alive in a mural sized charcoal drawing. Calling on the mystery of the moon to use their magic, they commune with birds and snakes and such – symbols of the ancient goddesses.                                                                                                                  

In my early work as an artist, I portrayed the female figure from a feminist perspective – in all her strength and sensuality. However, in graduate school, the female nude was seen as objectifying women and became off-limits as subject matter. At that point, my work shifted to a symbolic approach as I began discovering early Matriarchal cultures where priestesses ruled. I began taking pilgrimages to sites such as Newgrange in Ireland and Knossos in Crete, studying artifacts and symbols. My symbolic abstraction of the divine feminine can be seen in my books,Art & Sacred Sites: Connecting with Spirit of Place, and Symbols of the Spirit: A Meditative Journey Through Art.                      

The return to the figure in my art began while working at an artist residency in Morocco a couple of years ago. Now combining both the figure and symbols on paper and canvas, my visual vocabulary tells a story of women in their power.

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The Sacred Feminine Trilogy. Watch as a Large Charcoal Drawing develops in the Studio.

19 Thursday Nov 2020

Posted by glenrogers in Art, Artist studios, Sacred Feminine in ARt, Spiritual symbols, Uncategorized

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Tags

charcoal drawing, Covid 19, figurative prints and paintings, in the studio, Sacred Feminine, Spiritual in Art

Sometimes you create a piece of art because of the materials you have available to you. This is especially true during the Covid-19 lock down. I had this beautiful large sheet of amate paper, a hand-made paper made in a village near Puebla, Mexico, rolled up in a corner and nearly forgotten. I bought the paper for the size, 45″ x 97″ – finding paper that size isn’t easy – so you grab it when you can. But the sheer beauty of it also attracted me. I bought a couple of sheets from the maker who was traveling through Mazatlan a number of years ago.

The Beginning

In June, I unfurled and tacked the huge paper up on my sheetrock wall in my studio (in San Miguel de Allende) not knowing what I was going to do – without a plan. That’s my normal modus operandi: show up at the page and see what happens. I’d thought I might cut it into 3 pieces after I got started. And since I’ve been working figuratively, I began in the center – sketching in a rough figure with charcoal.

Three Figures emerge

I love working with charcoal, although it is very messy. It’s a very sensual medium, one you have to get your hands into. A push/pull of black and white, adding and subtracting, making marks and erasing. Smearing, rubbing, softening with fingers, rags, and erasures. As the figures took form, the symbols began to emerge from the page as well – the moon, the circle, the bird, wings, the spiral, the ouroboros (snake), and flowers.

The final piece!

I began to see the power in the full size paper – no way was I going to cut it into three pieces! It won’t be easy to frame or exhibit, but art is not practical and we don’t make practical choices in the studio.

As the figures emerged, a story developed and The Sacred Feminine Trilogy came to life. On the left is ‘Strength’ – a young woman turns towards center one hand in a fist, in defiance – “a don’t mess with me stance”. A bird sits on her shoulder, another hovers nearby, possibly her Spirit Guides. In the center is ‘Spirit’ – one hand upturned to receive, the other to give back, a sacred mudra or hand gesture. She stands in front of the Full Moon, a sacred feminine symbol if there ever was one, her wings fully in place – suggesting she is a spiritual entity. The Ouroboros, the snake eating its tail, encircles the moon, an ancient symbol for renewal and the cycle of life. On the right is ‘Abundance’ – the Mother, pregnant and abundant with life. She holds white Cala lilies in front of her stomach – a symbol for fertility – and looks towards ‘Spirit‘ for guidance.

The viewer’s interpretation is as valid as the artist’s. What do you read into the Trilogy? Enjoy!

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Anatomy of a Painting

19 Tuesday May 2020

Posted by glenrogers in Artist studios, Uncategorized

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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!

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Breaking Through the Boundaries of Patriarchy for CrossingBorders Exhibition

07 Wednesday Aug 2019

Posted by glenrogers in Art, Sacred Feminine in ARt

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archetypal symbols, CrossingBorders, Global Art Project, Mary, retablos, sacred art, Sacred Feminine, Spiritual in Art, Spiritual symbols, votive

“Retablo for the Sacred Feminine”, oil on canvas with gold leaf & wood, 25.5″ x 18″

I’m honored to be participating in The CrossingBorders exhibition in Ghent, Belgium, August 31 thru September 15, a group exhibition of artists from the Global Art Project (GAP). We were invited to create an artwork that reflects a border or boundary and what it means to cross it – (political issues, globalisation, (im)migration, climate change, gender, race, culture, religious racism, terrorism, genocide, war, misogynist behavior, feelings of fear or superiority etc.)

I chose to use a retablo format and focus on how women have been marginalized, tortured, terrorized, and abused for thousands of years in the name of religion. Through time, matriarchy was erased from memory as myths were appropriated and symbols were stolen. With this votive, a prayer is lifted for women to break through patriarchal boundaries around the world and share the bounty of the planet equally and peacefully with men.

Traditionally, retablos were a votive offering in the form of a religious painting with a solemn request or a show of gratitude for a miracle. They were specifically important in Mexican folk religion in the 19th century where workshops would paint a favored scenario on a piece of tin or wood and write a request to God at the bottom of the image.

Using this retablo format as the basis for my piece, I chose to focus on Mary as she represents the divine feminine in the Catholic Church. For many indigenous cultures who were forced into the religion of the Opressor, Mary is a symbol for their goddess from ancient times.

This image has an empty alt attribute; its file name is img_42011.jpg
Traditional Mexican-style retablo

In “Retablo for the Sacred Feminine,” Mary is crowned in all her glory with a golden halo and a hint of angels wings behind her. She is truly Divine. Her breasts are bared, challenging the status quo and breaking through the shame that the Church imposed on her body. One hand open signifies her love and caring for all humanity and the other, a tight fist, represents her anger for the suppression of women and her readiness for their defense. Incorporating the spiral and the lozenge design at the top, symbols of renewal and fertility from the Neolithic goddess culture, signifies her role as life-giver.

The CrossingBorders exhibition will take place at the Sint-Amanduskapel – Campo-Santo – Visitatiestraat 2 – 9040 Sint-Amandsberg – Ghent – Belgium. It is organized for Global Art Project GAP by 10dence and curated by Ron Weijers and Carl Heyward.

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Book Review for my new book, ‘Symbols of the Spirit’ by Dianne Hofner Saphiere

12 Friday Jul 2019

Posted by glenrogers in ancient symbols, archetypal symbols, Art

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archetypal symbols, archetypes, art books, Carl Jung, Language of the Goddess, Meditative art, Sacred Feminine, Spiritual in Art

Book Review—Symbols of the Spirit: A Meditative Journey Through Art
By Glen Rogers, ©2019 Luna Arte Contemporáneo
Paperback, 104 pages, US$30 or 500 pesos plus US$5 shipping from glen@glenrogersart.com

You will want to savor your time with this gorgeous volume created with love and wisdom by very talented printmaker, painter and sculptor, Glen Rogers. The book is filled with Glen’s beautiful artwork expertly laid out and printed in rich colors, accompanied by short text and guided meditation.

Glen’s work has long been grounded in archetypal imagery—metaphysical symbols from the collective unconscious. As a young feminist artist, Marija Gimbutas’ insights in The Language of the Goddess spurred Glen to walk in the footsteps of early goddess cultures. Over the next several decades Glen made spiritual and artistic pilgrimages to sacred sites around the world. On these journeys and in her art and life in between, Glen discovered and nurtured an internal resonance with sacred archetypal symbols, which then became a focus of her work. When she began authoring this latest volume, she set out to write a book about two of her favorite symbols: the bird and the lotus. Once she began, however, she quickly realized there were eight key symbols that appear again and again throughout her body of work.

In Symbols of the Spirit Glen writes a two-page essay on each of these eight symbols that have imbued such meaning and beauty into her art and daily life: the bird, circle, lotus, moon, seed, spiral, vessel and vesica piscis. She covers the symbols’ historic use and meaning as well as how they came to speak to her personally. Glen includes a short meditation or experiential activity inviting the reader to connect with the energetic properties of each of the symbols: to “experience it with your heart and allow the images to become part of your visual and spiritual vocabulary.” Click on any photo to enlarge it or view a slideshow.

book page the seed sm
book page the lotus sm
ec3bc5_dd650b87811d432fbc746fb1154c5399~mv2

The effect is one of pure joy and thoughtful contemplation. If you are looking for reading that nurtures the spirit, the heart, one’s creativity and authenticity, you will find it here. Merely touching the rich pages deepens and calms one’s breath. Keeping this book near you in your home or work space provides a quick escape from the harried world we live in.

Most Mazatlán residents have much to thank Glen for, including the First Friday Art Walks in Centro Histórico and the OMA Gallery at the airport. She owned Luna Art Gallery in Mazatlán, and currently splits her time between our city on the bay and San Miguel de Allende. Born in Mississippi, Glen holds an MFA from San Jose State University and has a long and esteemed art career. For decades she worked in public art and as a community leader. Glen has had solo exhibitions throughout the USA and Mexico plus several in Peru, and group exhibits on four continents.

Glen feels that these eight archetypal symbols offer a promise of healing and transformation, a spiritual and artistic anchor to the Sacred Feminine. She views the creation of art as meditation—a communing with a higher power. Working with ancient symbols provides a bridge to our ancestors and a heart connection to the past. Glen’s experience tells us that these symbols provide healing on a subconscious level, and that once we’ve healed ourselves we can heal the world, because archetypes allow us to go deeper inside to find new truths to the dilemmas we face individually and collectively. Do we really need reasons more powerful than these to invest our time and talent?

Glen’s record of giving back to the community and trying new things is evident in this book. Making such personal works available to everyone—artist and non-artist alike—allows us a peek into what pushes someone as amazingly talented as Glen, and in doing so inspires us to look inward as well. Meditating with Glen via these precious pages is a truly therapeutic endeavor.  Contact Glen to start enjoying your copy.

“The man who speaks with primordial images speaks with a thousand tongues.”
—Carl Jung

Visit Dianne’s blog: https://vidamaz.com about life in Mexico!

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Inspired by The Lotus – A Symbol of Renewal

17 Monday Dec 2018

Posted by glenrogers in archetypal symbols, Spiritual symbols

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Tags

archetypes, Lotus, Spiritual in Art, spiritual journey, Spiritual symbols

Golden Lotus Triptych

“Golden Lotus”, triptych, 17 ¾” x 41”, Oil on panel with gold leaf, , 2018

Some say the origin of all art is spiritual; it was a way for early humans to commune with a higher and unseen power through mark-making.  Many ancient cultures embraced the lotus as a powerful image and spiritual symbol. The Egyptians used it in their art and architecture to symbolize rebirth and regeneration. They considered it a sacred flower and used it in rituals, ceremonies and medicines for its restorative qualities. In the Kamasutra, an ancient Hindu text about human sexuality, the lotus is a symbol of the source from which all life arises.

My spiritual journey has coincided with my infatuation with the lotus. It was in Bali that I first saw the pink lotus in its full glory—the most sacred color of the lotus flowers. Floating on a small pond, the lotus blossoms in various stages of unfolding captured my heart. This had a profound effect on me, as if I was seeing the Buddha himself reincarnated. In both Buddhism and Hinduism, the lotus is a sacred flower and refers to spiritual awakening and purity of heart. It’s the cycle of the lotus that provides the metaphor for rebirth—with the bud emerging from muddy waters each morning and gradually opening with perfectly clean petals. Each lotus bud represents potential, and with the fully formed blossom comes Nirvana. In my meditations, the image of the lotus unfolding is my heart opening to Spirit.

Golden Lotus

Golden Lotus, 42” x 53”, Monotype, 2013

The image of the lotus continues to be popular in our contemporary culture. Graphic logos offering tranquility and peace can be found on candles, yoga mats and clothing. The simplicity of form and power of idea elicits a universal message.

Incorporating the lotus into my artwork is meant as a spiritual metaphor, not just the image of a beautiful flower. Using simple graphic strokes, I try to capture the hidden aura of the plant and reveal an ethereal side of nature. Carl G. Jung said that the symbol (any symbol) is the psychological mechanism for transforming energy. Through this simple form, I attempt to transform a blank canvas into something mystical, giving the viewer a spiritual connection through my art.

Allegory of the Spirit

Allegory of the Spirit, 56” x 56”, Oil on canvas, 2016

Jung in his book, Man and His Symbols, referred to certain symbols as archetypal—images that all of us can tap into through our unconscious mind, dream states and the creative process. He believed that “the greatest and best thoughts of man shape themselves upon primordial images,” and that archetypes—symbols from the collective unconscious – are metaphysical in nature. On my travels to sacred sites around the world, I learned firsthand that there truly is a universal visual language that connects us all.

Floating Lotus I

Floating Lotus I, 27” x 27”, Oil on canvas with gold leaf, 2015, Collection of Dana Amarisa

This text is an excerpt from my upcoming book, Symbols of the Spirit: A Meditative Journey Through Art due to be published in January.

Contact me at: glen@glenrogersart.com to reserve your copy.

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Friday Art Post

26 Friday Aug 2016

Posted by glenrogers in Uncategorized

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Tags

contemporary painting, Glen Rogers Art, inspiration, oil painting, painting commissions, Spirit Birds, Spiritual in Art

A Painting Commission Ready to Fly

IMG_6656 (1)

This is a commission that I worked on last season in Mazatlan – It’s ready to hang!

“Two in Flight”, A triptych, oil on canvas, 20″ x 60″.

A commission is always a challenge – with certain parameters such as size, colors and imagery – which of course I wouldn’t take on if it didn’t fit into my already established style.  I enjoyed this one, and expect it to look fantastic in the intended home. Gracias, amiga for the opportunity! See you back in Mazatlan when we will hang your new work of art.

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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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  • About the Author
  • Book: Art and Sacred Sites: Connecting with Spirit of Place
  • Book: Symbols of the Spirit: A Meditative Journey Through Art
  • Oracle Deck: Spirit Cards

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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