Connecting to The Spirit of the Wild Thing
Yesterday was the opening of my Spirit of the Wild Thing art show at Forest Edge Stone Gallery in the heart of the Forest edge permaculture nursery in Kallista. Such a lovely space to be in and share these connected mindful mixed media art pieces focusing on the animal world and all it has to teach us.
I have been so focused on creating that I haven’t posted on my website very much but this is my new commitment to posting more on my website space. It is all about learning how to balance platforms, business and my heart-centred creative space.
Today I wanted to share a little about what the exhibition is about and why I have named it Spirit of the Wild Thing.
A limited edition of 20 Spirit of the Wild Thing books – each hand embellished and unique
WILD?…wild thing!
A wild thing is that natural instinctive part on each of us. My favourite book is Where the Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak. I love the image of Max and his adventure to a place where the wild things are that connects to his inner wild self. He returns and everything is waiting for him and he knows himself better for the adventure. It reminds us that there is a bit of Max in all of us. We want the adventure and the security of returning to what is known that is our safety net.
The idea of letting go of the rules that domesticate us is about trusting that our inner guidance and listening to those gut reactions is about trusting ourselves. That wildness, that freedom to be, takes many forms and every animal has something to teach us about the ways of being in this world and the freedom of trusting that wild nature as a guiding path. Sometimes that is the freedom to take time out and hibernate for a while so we can have the energy to soar
Spirit of the Wild Thing is the connection to the spirit of animals and all that they have to teach us. I want you to be in the spaces that set you free and that are about those wild spaces of connection. This is not the fierceness and lack of control that can be thought of as wild ( Max tried that and returned home) but that connection to your natural intuitive, instinctive side. Wild is that connection to your natural environment that is not inhibited by rules of domestication or trying to fit into a shape of a world that is not true to who they are but about trust and being present in the moment, I wonder what you would claim as your natural environment, how you would name it and what it would look like to really step into the freedom of your wild spirit? What animal would be your guide and what you picture as that wild thing within?
As I have begun to explore this adventure of discovery into the natural world I am continually learning from the abundance of knowledge that the wild kingdom has to share, This idea of a wild spirit that is naturally who we really are and the lessons we learn from our animal spirit guides is a powerful tool in understanding ourselves and our world so much more deeply.
What is your spirit animal?
I wonder if you know what animal you connect to. I have a tendency to start with the question: Are you a cat person or a dog person? Of course, this is just the beginning of the adventure. The next step is to trust your instincts. It was interesting noticing and listening to people at the art show opening. Everyone was naturally drawn to one or two animals. They were not thinking about the logic of it but trusting their hearts as they were drawn to an art piece. I remember the man who came in and bought the large wolf painting. There were 2 white wolves on display and his friend queried his choice. He said (paraphrase) that a wolf was his totem animal and that the expression on the larger wolf face felt right, It is this ability to trust our instincts that is one of the greatest lessons that the animal world has to teach us.
A spirit animal is an animal that seems to reoccur in a short period of time which means that they have a message for you that you need to pay attention. When you notice an animal keeps coming to you, ask the animal, yourself and the universe ‘What do you have to teach me…what do you want me to notice? Then be open to whatever ideas thoughts and images occur over the next few days. It is great to ask these questions just before you go to sleep as your unconscious mind will help the answers come to the surface,
Totem animal
I have 2 main totem animals and lots of spirit animals I connect to as they decide to show up in my life. A totem animal is the main animal energy that you carry with you. Every animal has different lessons and messages to share. The owl is my teacher totem animal and is all about curiosity, wisdom, and being able to look from different perspectives and definitely to laugh at yourself as you wonder at life. The owl is always learning and sharing her wisdom. My other totem is the white wolf. The wolf visited me in my dreams decades and has stayed with me. She is a lone wolf and my artist soul. She is loyal and her biggest lesson for me is to learn to trust the world and walk confidently in my truth.
You may already know your totem animal and if so I encourage you to spend some time getting to know this animal and its nature better. A simple way to do this is to look at wildlife videos on youtube and as you do stay open and be aware of the energy of the animal.
The Exhibition
I would love you to come for a wander through this beautiful little gallery in Kallista. The Forest Edge Stone Gallery is a beautiful little gallery in the heart of the Forest Edge Stone Nursery. The Spirit animals on the wall are a variety of acrylic mixed media paintings. Some are resin with acrylic mixed media so not the flow resin images that are commonly seen. The resin is added to some pieces if it will add to the piece and take it further and not simply as a clear coat.
The opening was on the 2nd of February and there will be a meet the artist day on Saturday, February 16th and I would love you to join me. I will be doing a live painting session in the gallery so come and ask questions, explore the space and see what spirit animal calls to you. I do believe that every art piece holds many stories and the messages in the art piece are personal to you, Below each piece I have written small story fragments which are now evolving into small poems for each piece. I will share how to step into the story of the art piece that calls to you.
I am also setting up a window display on Wednesday at the Belgrave Emporium which will give me space to show more of the smaller art pieces which is very exciting. I do hope to connect with you along the way as U share these beautiful spirit animal connections.
Love and blessings,
