California map Bird Sings Antler song

This painting has bits and pieces of maps on the surface and the flowing colors of a coastal spring. It started as a doodle on my knee during one of the college tours I attended with my niece last week. Away from my art supplies, my routine and my studio, I wanted to shout and sing notes into the void. The bird has to be leaping into the air and the antlers flow from the bright map-feathered chest up and out and down, casting ornate shadows.

I think I am almost done with the antlers as a subject. I feel the painting is part of the ongoing series I have been working on- though the orientation has shifted to 26 x 19 inches and I barely looked at the antler still life set in the corner of my studio. They have been a guide and a bit of wilderness grounding me through the winter.

In searching the web for other lore tidbits: The antlered one: he who travels between worlds, escorting animal spirits to the afterlife and sparking wisdom and fertility in this world. Likewise, the stag's branching antlers echo the growth of vegetation. In America, the stag represents male ideals: the ability to "walk one's talk," and powerfully, peacefully blend stewardship and care of the tribe with sexual and spiritual integrity. Hmmm. The fact that antlers are part of an animal that cyclically grows and falls off for new growth, they can often symbolize rebirth, and spiritual regeneration.

The idea of traveling between life and death, between winter and spring, is seriously interesting. The idea of a couple antlers to be used as tools to transform the spiritual and learn the natural cycles resonate with me. They have been my muse. Enjoy.

CHOPPED UP APRIL 2