Medusa

digital print

Desirey, Seeing Eye Bird

digital  print

l

Miriam with Cardinal

digital print 

Alter Altar, Alternative Altars

ALTER ALTAR, ET WITH GUITAR

ALTER ALTAR, ET 

WITH FLOWERS

ALTER ALTAR WITH ANGEL

And CHERUBS

ALTER ALTAR WITH 

BABEE ORANGUTAN

close up

close up

2/26/24

Alter Altars, a series of four digital art works that take an amusing view of our human need for answers to our most basic questions, "Why are we here.  Where did we come from?  What should we do?  What happens when we die?".  

Excuse me please, I need to rant.  The Holy Land, the eastern Mediterranean area, is considered home to three of the world's largest religions.  All three of these religions, Christianity, Judaism, and Islam, see the area as their holy homeland.  All three religions state that they are the descendants of Abraham.  AND: they have all been killing each other in The Holy Land for at least 3,000 years.  Hmmm???  This does not make sense.  Humans are irrational beings.  Myself included. 

Perhaps ETs are our Gods.  Perhaps they bred us??  Do they study us the way we study animals like the orangutan?  

Or maybe:  they watch us for entertainment.  Are we their reality TV?  Are they laughing at the stupid critters doing amusing antics?  Are they emotionally moved when we do actually get things right? 

Hell if I know.

I have experienced elevated alternative states of consciousness in church, as a child.  And, occasional exalted states in nature and while meditating. Attending meditating groups facilitated many elevated states.  My mind and mood vibrated with light.  Spirit moved me higher.  This had little to do with my belief system.  These heavenly episodes were created by vibrational elements in me and my environment.  Experiences beyond words and human intellect.  Maybe, religious writings are metaphors for realities that are beyond our human understanding.  Some things are beyond words.  

Here is an interesting article:

The discovery of alien life may be close. How will religion survive it? | Santhosh Mathew | The Guardian

2/28/24

A family member suggested that I should not post this post.  He said that some Christians would be shocked and judgmental by my opinions.  I think that the word sacrilegious might be applied by some people.  He said that these images would harm my art reputation.  

I apologize to anyone who finds this disrespectful.

But, this is my art and I follow my muse.  I am grateful when she (I) come up with witty ideas.  

When it comes to a belief system my motto is:  "I am confused, is that a problem?"

I was raised as a Christian.  We went to church about three times a week, twice on Sunday and once for  Wednesday evening services. When the church had a revival we went to church every day for a week.  If I sinned (which happened frequently because many actions were sinful) I was painfully disciplined.  There was so much pain that I thought maybe God hated me.  Did my parents hate me?  They thought that they were doing the right things to make me good.  I am still trying to understand their motivations and find forgiveness in my heart.

I think that I was in my late 20's when I realized that religion and spirituality were two separate experiences.  Wow! That epiphany cracked my belief system wide open. Leading me on a path of discovery that I still follow.  (Even when I am confused.)  

I believe that I should try to be good a person.  Kind to others (most of the time), and usually honest.

I love nature.

 

I think that some religious writings are metaphors for actual vibrations, energies, and events that our brains are unable to identify and understand.  There are some truths in religious writings, and it can be inspiring to read them.  There are many people who benefit from religions.  People who are uplifted with guidance and hope and social events that elevate their mind, mood, and spirit. 

This experience of considering whether or not I should post this post motivated me to do some research on Christianity.  Wikipedia has some interesting articles.  

Biblical criticism             Biblical criticism - Wikipedia 

Women in the Bible    Women in the Bible - Wikipedia

Deerscape

acrylic on paper, 16"x24"

 Deer Emerging

digital

Trail cam photo of deer by the creek on our property

(The date is wrong, the px was shot a few years after 

that date. The vegetation is winter colors.)

We live on real deep country property in Washington Parish, Louisiana, USA.  Acreage is relatively inexpensive in this area.  I love having a lot of natural space.  It is 40-minute drive to Walmart.  So what!  The trail cam picture of the deer was my inspiration and reference for the "Deer Emerging" digital picture. I might use the digital px as reference for an acrylic on canvas painting.  

Recently, while walking in the woods, we found a thicket of dense vegetation where the small creek forms a sharp U.  A few areas in the thicket we saw where the grass had been crushed, it looked like places where the deer had bedded down.  I plan to set up a trail cam there soon.  Maybe I will get a few new inspiring shots of deer.   Deer are such gorgeous, elegant creatures. Their movements are liquid grace.

If you have been following my work, if you peruse this blog, then you will see the scope of my artwork.  I have been working on two different series: nature scapes and pictures of women.  I follow my muse; she seems to go in crisscrossed circles.

 Sometimes Missy Muse will lead me to another, less visited, series.  For example, I am now working on a digital "Alter Altar for ET".  I may post it soon.  I was a bit surprised when I saw older images of alter altars on my computer.  I had forgotten that I had previously done similar alter works, not with ET, but other cartoonish characters.  So, sometimes, I follow small divergent streams of inspiration.  

 I am grateful for the time available for me to create whatever inspires me at the moment of starting a picture.  

 Woman with Iris

digital, 12/11/23

Multifaceted Women

Deserey, Seeing Eye Bird 

 digital

Desirey, with Three Cranes

digital

Woman Wondering

digital, 11/23

Vision

digital

Diana with Flowers

digital

Diana Musing

digital

Pomona

digital

Celeste

digital

 

Here I have posted several pictures of women.  Some are recent, some from a few years past.  Some, I may have posted previously. 

I wonder why I create so many pictures of women?  The easy answer is that I just want to paint women.  But there must be more to it than that.  The answer is not easy to formulate.  I am a woman, do I paint the idealized woman that I want to be?  Ummm, I guess that is it.  Being feminine is deeply interesting.  I am exploring fascinating territory.  

Some artist paint their sorrows.  Picasso's  "Guernica", is one of my favorite pictures.  It is devastating, intense suffering is portrayed.  There is no attempt to show the bright side of life.  There was no bright side of life in Spain during that war. 

I am, unfortunately well acquainted with suffering.  But, I do not want to paint pain.  Maybe, making art, for me is escapist, a denial of the desperate low points of life.  I want beauty, joy, spiritual ascendance.  So, I create pictures of what I want.

HORSES, FOLSOM, LOUISIANA, USA

Horse on Trail

Horse on Trail, close up

Horse and Live Oak

Mare and Foal

Mare and Foal, close up

 These recently created pictures honor the horse country beauty of  Folsom, Louisiana, USA.  These pictures are digitally created.  They make vivid giclee pictures.  And, I plan to use them as studies for oil and acrylic paintings on canvas.  

Contact me at:  lunazure101@gmail.com

 

Feminine Jewels

Jewel with Hummingbirds

digital

Jewel Electrified

digital

 Jewel with Tree Hair

digital

Recent works that continue a series that explores a variety of feminine attributes as shown by imaginative portraits. Please leave a comment to let me know what you think about this art.