Spirit of Place

Red Fox Totem by DoAn

As I prepare to move from Central NY to Vermont, I cannot help but reflect on the importance of place in relation to my art.  I have enjoyed my time in Central NY, it has allowed me to discover a love for fiber, a talent for needle-felting and interest in spinning. Living in Central NY has confirmed that living a quieter, less urban life, one with fewer distractions and easier access to nature and living more simply is right for me.  So now, for the third time in my life, I find myself heading to Vermont.  It seems I cannot stay away...maybe the third time is a charm?  Who knows? The only thing I know is not to count on any certainty!

A few weeks ago, before I packed up my paints and paper and canvas, I completed a painting of a fox.  I had been exploring my relationship to animal totems, not based on any particular tradition, but solely through my own experiences in meditation and vision work.  The Fox is a prominent animal in my life, it often appears to me at times of great change, usually in relation to a change in location.  This time has been no exception.  During the time I was considering to move to Vermont I frequently saw a fox running in the fields behind my house or along the road as I drove.   The Fox, serves as a guide for Spirit of Place.  I know, when I see a fox, it means I am in the right place, at the right time, or, as in this case, as I contemplated moving, it reassured me that my decision was the right one.

So to honor the Fox and deepen my connection, I worked on some sketches. I explored the Fox in a less representational way, something more symbolic. The image here was the end result.  When I worked on the painting, I used paint made from the gemstone Serpentine.  I chose the paint as a way to further my meditation as I painted. Serpentine is used to help ground one's energy, clearing away blocks from chakras.  It helps in meditation and draws healing energy to problematic areas, often easing mental or emotional imbalances.   It seemed the right kind of stone to work with at the time. And working on the painting helped give me a sense of control over my situation once more.

I will connect with the Fox again after I arrive in Vermont...as a way of settling into my new space and to honor my good friend, the Fox, who has stayed with me through these many many many moves.

DoAn

Prints and Greeting Cards of Red Fox Totem are available by visiting my Gallery page.

Help in the creation of art, please consider donating! Just click on the link below:
DoAn Art is a sponsored project of Fractured Atlas, a non-profit arts service organization. Contributions for the purposes of DoAn Art must be made payable to Fractured Atlas and are tax-deductible to the extent permitted by law.  
 
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All artwork, photos and text © Copyright 2005-2011 DoAn Art (Antony Galbraith) unless indicated otherwise. All Rights Reserved. Any downloading, copying or use of images on this website is strictly prohibited without express written consent by Antony Galbraith.

What is Needle-Felting?

I have been talking for most of the year about making wool sculptures using a technique called needle-felting.  What is needle-felting?  It is a process of felting (fusing the fibers of wool together) using a special needle that has tiny barbs on it.  By repeatedly poking the wool with the needle, the fibers of the wool compress and lock together.  With the needle, I am able to shape the wool into just about anything I like.  I can fuse different colors or pieces of wool together without the use of glue or sewing. 

Needle-felting began as a craft form in the mid-eighties, starting primarily as a way to create flat applique on fabric.  Since then, it has grown into making three dimensional sculptures and even wall art.  Stephanie Metz has been one artist who has turned needle-felting into a fine art.  Her work is large, highly detailed pieces that are developed from a theme and are shown in gallery shows. Her work really pushes the boundaries of how needle-felted sculpture can is viewed.

I am interested in similarly pushing the boundaries of needle-felting.  Right now I am exploring the natural world by creating sculptures of birds and animals, some with little micro-settings.  My work will soon be shown publicly at several shows I have lined up this summer, later to be made available for purchase online through my website and my Etsy shop. As I develop the sculptures, experimenting with complexity and technique, I plan to create more pieces with a theme, perhaps considering gallery shows of the sculptures as well.

In the meantime, I will show some sneak peeks of my sculpture.  Today, I will share a little overview of my needle-felting process:

Step 1: I take wool roving, which I purchase from Beth Marcellus of Warm n' Woolie Farm, a local wool farmer, who raises the sheep, processes the wool and dyes the wool by hand.  (I also buy my free-range eggs from her.  If you haven't had free-range eggs, you don't know what REAL eggs taste like!)

Step 2: Using the special barbed felting-needle, I felt the wool roving into various shapes, which will eventually be fused together to make the whole sculpture.  Each pieces can take several hours to felt into shape.  That's thousands of individual pokes of the needle!

Step 3: Once the separate pieces are made, I fuse them together using the needle.  (No glue or sewing involved)  Then I begin the shape the overall piece.  In this case, I am smoothing the line between the wing of the cardinal and where it meets its body. Then I will add the beak, felting more wool onto the head to smooth the transition between the beak and the head.  That's several more thousands of pokes of the needle.

Step 4: Now I begin to add the fine details.  Here I add the black mask on the face of the cardinal. I add some black details on the wing and tail feathers.  More shaping of the head, adding cheeks, and body, adding a puffy chest, takes place as this stage.  Yet more thousands of pokes of the needle.

Finished Piece: Once the final details are added. I sew the glass eyes on and the sculpture is finished.  In this case, the sculpture is an ornament, so I sew a string on as well.  This is a small sculpture (about three inches high) and takes between six and eight hours to make.  Sculptures larger than four inches, and those that have legs or other more complex features can take from 15 to 35 hours to complete.  I don't even want to imagine how many thousands of needle pokes that is!

DoAn
Help in the creation of art, please consider donating! Just click on the link below:
 
DoAn Art is a sponsored project of Fractured Atlas, a non-profit arts service organization. Contributions in behalf of DoAn Art may be made payable to Fractured Atlas and are tax-deductible to the extent permitted by law.  
 
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All artwork, photos and text © Copyright 2005-2010 DoAn Art (Antony Galbraith) unless indicated otherwise. All Rights Reserved. Any downloading, copying or use of images on this website is strictly prohibited without express written consent by Antony Galbraith.

12th Annual Great Swamp Spring Migration Nature Art & Craft Festival

Please join me for featured acclaimed wildlife artists, environmental displays, “Talons” Birds of Prey, live music, children’s activities, crafts, food, and more!!

I will showing and selling my needle-felted wool sculptures and taking orders for personal pet portrait sculptures. 

The Great Swamp Conservancy's 12th Annual Spring Migration Art and Craft Festival.
8375 North Main Street, Canastota, NY 13032
May 1st and 2nd 10am - 4pm

Suggested donation: $3/adult, $1/child

I have been working very hard since the start of this year on these needle felted sculptures, I will be pleased to have the opportunity to show them to you! I hope to see you there.

DoAn 

Help in the creation of art, please consider donating:
   DoAn Art is a sponsored project of Fractured Atlas, a non-profit arts service organization. Contributions in behalf of DoAn Art may be made payable to Fractured Atlas and are tax-deductible to the extent permitted by law.  
 
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All artwork, photos and text © Copyright 2005-2009 DoAn Art (Antony Galbraith) unless indicated otherwise. All Rights Reserved. Any downloading, copying or use of images on this website is strictly prohibited without express written consent by Antony Galbraith.

The Green Man

 The Green Man archetype is found in many cultures throughout the world.  It is symbolized by the face or head of a man (Green Woman are very rare) made of leaves, often with leaves sprouting out from the mouth, nose and ears of the face.  The Green Man is commonly thought to symbolize fertility or rebirth, but I believe the symbol of the Green Man is more complex than that.

Though the true purpose of the Green Man may forever remain unknown, I believe the it represents the intermediary between the chaos of creation and the order of nature.  The Green Man serves as the Guardian and moves through the forest ensuring that the creations of the Creatrix act in accord with the laws of nature. The Green Man could be found carved in wood and stone and often appeared in churches, abbeys, and cathedrals. Perhaps the Green Man served as a reminder that we are not so far removed from nature and are still subject to nature's law. 

It makes me wonder how different our relationship to nature might now be if we hadn't stopped displaying the Green Man on our buildings.   Perhaps it is not too late to begin again...

DoAn
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Prints and Greeting Cards are available at my Print on Demand Site.



DoAn Art is a sponsored project of Fractured Atlas, a non-profit arts service organization. Contributions in behalf of DoAn Art may be made payable to Fractured Atlas and are tax-deductible to the extent permitted by law.

All artwork, photos and text © Copyright 2005-2009 DoAn Art (Antony Galbraith) unless indicated otherwise. All Rights Reserved. Any downloading, copying or use of images on this website is strictly prohibited without express written consent by Antony Galbraith.

Stretching the Light

DoAn
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DoAn Art is a sponsored project of Fractured Atlas, a non-profit arts service organization. Contributions in behalf of DoAn Art may be made payable to Fractured Atlas and are tax-deductible to the extent permitted by law.

All artwork, photos and text © Copyright 2005-2009 DoAn Art (Antony Galbraith) unless indicated otherwise. All Rights Reserved. Any downloading, copying or use of images on this website is strictly prohibited without express written consent by Antony Galbraith.

Glorious Sunrise

DoAn
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DoAn Art is a sponsored project of Fractured Atlas, a non-profit arts service organization. Contributions in behalf of DoAn Art may be made payable to Fractured Atlas and are tax-deductible to the extent permitted by law.

All artwork, photos and text © Copyright 2005-2009 DoAn Art (Antony Galbraith) unless indicated otherwise. All Rights Reserved. Any downloading, copying or use of images on this website is strictly prohibited without express written consent by Antony Galbraith.

Mossy Canyon

DoAn
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DoAn Art is a sponsored project of Fractured Atlas, a non-profit arts service organization. Contributions in behalf of DoAn Art may be made payable to Fractured Atlas and are tax-deductible to the extent permitted by law.

All artwork, photos and text © Copyright 2005-2009 DoAn Art (Antony Galbraith) unless indicated otherwise. All Rights Reserved. Any downloading, copying or use of images on this website is strictly prohibited without express written consent by Antony Galbraith.

Did dinosaurs evolve from trees?

DoAn
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DoAn Art is a sponsored project of Fractured Atlas, a non-profit arts service organization. Contributions in behalf of DoAn Art may be made payable to Fractured Atlas and are tax-deductible to the extent permitted by law.

All artwork, photos and text © Copyright 2005-2009 DoAn Art (Antony Galbraith) unless indicated otherwise. All Rights Reserved. Any downloading, copying or use of images on this website is strictly prohibited without express written consent by Antony Galbraith.

Oaks: a study in red and green

DoAn
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DoAn Art is a sponsored project of Fractured Atlas, a non-profit arts service organization. Contributions in behalf of DoAn Art may be made payable to Fractured Atlas and are tax-deductible to the extent permitted by law.

All artwork, photos and text © Copyright 2005-2009 DoAn Art (Antony Galbraith) unless indicated otherwise. All Rights Reserved. Any downloading, copying or use of images on this website is strictly prohibited without express written consent by Antony Galbraith.

The Skyway

DoAn
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DoAn Art is a sponsored project of Fractured Atlas, a non-profit arts service organization. Contributions in behalf of DoAn Art may be made payable to Fractured Atlas and are tax-deductible to the extent permitted by law.

All artwork, photos and text © Copyright 2005-2009 DoAn Art (Antony Galbraith) unless indicated otherwise. All Rights Reserved. Any downloading, copying or use of images on this website is strictly prohibited without express written consent by Antony Galbraith.

The Faery Haven

From the "Secret Book of the Faery" by Earl Evermore (1889)


"Do not enter a Faery haven, unless you have been invited in.  For to do so is to risk being taken prisoner and never seen again.  If you are unlucky enough not to be taken by the Faery, they will likely put a  spell on you, which results in the chemistry of your brain to be altered.  You will never be the same.  A life of suffering will be yours until the end.

You will recognize a Faery Haven by the extreme wildness of the area.  Sometimes there will be a quality to a place that makes it odd or different than the surrounding area.  A thick growth of green amidst the dead leaves and bare trees of autumn is likely a Faery Haven. 

Do not destroy or otherwise harm a Faery Haven, for it is the home of the spirit of the area.  To cause harm to the Haven is like piercing the heart of a person, damage to the haven will effect the entire area, not just the Haven. 

I fear that there will be a day when too many Faery Havens will be destroyed and the well being of the natural environment will suffer.  If the landscape suffers, so shall we.  For humans are merely one form of expression of the natural world in which we live. "

DoAn
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DoAn Art is a sponsored project of Fractured Atlas, a non-profit arts service organization. Contributions in behalf of DoAn Art may be made payable to Fractured Atlas and are tax-deductible to the extent permitted by law.

All artwork, photos and text © Copyright 2005-2009 DoAn Art (Antony Galbraith) unless indicated otherwise. All Rights Reserved. Any downloading, copying or use of images on this website is strictly prohibited without express written consent by Antony Galbraith.

The Path

"Why is the path always so difficult?" he asked.
"The path is only as difficult as you make it." Was the answer.
"But, I don't want it to be difficult, I am not making the path so!" He protested.
"Your desire for the path to be anything other than it is makes it difficult.  Do not want anything, just walk the path with open eyes."
"But that is difficult!" He complained.
"There was a time in your life where taking one step after another was a joy.  Remember that time."
"Yes," he said thoughtfully. "Hey! Look!  A lovely bird! Let's get a little closer!"

DoAn
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DoAn Art is a sponsored project of Fractured Atlas, a non-profit arts service organization. Contributions in behalf of DoAn Art may be made payable to Fractured Atlas and are tax-deductible to the extent permitted by law.

All artwork, photos and text © Copyright 2005-2009 DoAn Art (Antony Galbraith) unless indicated otherwise. All Rights Reserved. Any downloading, copying or use of images on this website is strictly prohibited without express written consent by Antony Galbraith.

Cotton Candy Clouds

DoAn
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DoAn Art is a sponsored project of Fractured Atlas, a non-profit arts service organization. Contributions in behalf of DoAn Art may be made payable to Fractured Atlas and are tax-deductible to the extent permitted by law.

All artwork, photos and text © Copyright 2005-2009 DoAn Art (Antony Galbraith) unless indicated otherwise. All Rights Reserved. Any downloading, copying or use of images on this website is strictly prohibited without express written consent by Antony Galbraith.

Potential

Every thought is a seed filled with potential.  Every action possesses possibility.  Like the seed pod packed with hundreds of seed, we are filled with limitless possibilities and the potential to shape a fulfilling life.  

DoAn
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DoAn Art is a sponsored project of Fractured Atlas, a non-profit arts service organization. Contributions in behalf of DoAn Art may be made payable to Fractured Atlas and are tax-deductible to the extent permitted by law.

All artwork, photos and text © Copyright 2005-2009 DoAn Art (Antony Galbraith) unless indicated otherwise. All Rights Reserved. Any downloading, copying or use of images on this website is strictly prohibited without express written consent by Antony Galbraith.

Blue Sphere

She said, "I will nurture it.  I will provide comfort and sustenance for it."

He said, "I will give it guidance, structure and teach it about itself."

They said, "We will use it for whatever we want and discard it when we are done with it."

She said, "I will heal it and give it love."

He said, "I will give it strength to fight against those who would abuse it."

They said, "We are sorry."


DoAn
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DoAn Art is a sponsored project of Fractured Atlas, a non-profit arts service organization. Contributions in behalf of DoAn Art may be made payable to Fractured Atlas and are tax-deductible to the extent permitted by law.

All artwork, photos and text © Copyright 2005-2009 DoAn Art (Antony Galbraith) unless indicated otherwise. All Rights Reserved. Any downloading, copying or use of images on this website is strictly prohibited without express written consent by Antony Galbraith.

The One and The Many

We are the one and the many.

We came from the one and as individuals worked together in support of the one. 

When I our time was finished, we left the one. 

We will dissolve and become part of the one again. 


DoAn
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DoAn Art is a sponsored project of Fractured Atlas, a non-profit arts service organization. Contributions in behalf of DoAn Art may be made payable to Fractured Atlas and are tax-deductible to the extent permitted by law.

All artwork, photos and text © Copyright 2005-2009 DoAn Art (Antony Galbraith) unless indicated otherwise. All Rights Reserved. Any downloading, copying or use of images on this website is strictly prohibited without express written consent by Antony Galbraith.