"Life Giver"
24"w x 20"h
Acrylic and Metallic Paints on Canvas
Property of a Private Collector, California
The subject of this painting is a combination of three Ancient Egyptian Goddesses Neith, Anukis, and Satis ((in Ancient Egyptian "Neit" "Nit" or "Nrt", "Anket", and "Satjit" or "Satet"). Neith is the great Creatrix-Goddess of Sais, who created herself from the primordial floodwaters, gave birth to the world and the first Goddesses and Gods. She gave birth to the Great God Re, the sun. Neith is said to have "invented birth" and "illuminated the first face". Her name means either "That Which Is" or "The Terrifying." Anukis is Goddess of the Cataract region, and is shown wearing a feather crown of unusual shape and sometimes appears as a vulture. Anukis' name can mean either "the Embracer" or "the Strangler". Satis' name means "the Thrower" or "the Shooter", and she carries a bow and arrows (which are also associated with Neith), although the original meaning seems to refer to the falling waters of the Cataract that throw and shoot themselves over the rocks. Anukis and Satis were worshipped at the First Cataract and both are associated with the God Khnûm, with Satis functioning as his wife and Anukis as their daughter. This divine family was seen as the source of the Nile.
Here we see Neith-Anukis-Satis standing amidst the primordial floodwaters from which she has arisen. Flowing through and around her are the waters that she infuses with her creative will. Above her are the sun and moon. The bones of the mountains stand out fertile and black behind the wall of water that flows over them. Mists cover the edge of the waterfall as her white-silver energy flows throughout the world, working its creative magic.
The red chevron marks at her throat, solar plexus, and womb represent the Creatrix Goddess in her Water/Bird/Snake form, which in turn represents Life/Death/Rebirth. The flowing water is rendered in chevron form to repeat this continuing motif and identification.
"Earth Wakes"
24"w x 20"h
Acrylic and Metallic Paints on Canvas
Owned by a Private Collector, California
The subject of this painting is derived from the concept the Prehistoric Mediterranean Earth Goddess. It was inspired by the statue of the so-called "Sleeping Lady" from the Hal Saflieni Hypogeum in Malta. She is the many-named Goddess of the Earth. She sleeps calmly throughout eternity, but if something disturbs her the whole earth trembles. The red light of an approaching dawn creeps over the mountains behind her. As the energy of the planet beneath her builds almost to the breaking point smaller golden tremors shimmer through the mountains behind her. The rounded energy patterns are reminiscent of the egg that holds energy within its shell, as, the earth holds energy within its crust. From the womb of the Earth Goddess comes life, death and rebirth.
A special commission for a private collector. I added Keltic knotwork to the beveled edges of the canvas. The Keltic Knotwork represents some of the animal forms The Morrighan can take -- Raven, Cow, She-Wolf, and Eel. For this version, I chose to model her face after the late Irish actress Mary Ure.
The subject of this painting is the Hawaiian Volcano Goddess and Queen of Fire, Pele. Pele lives beneath the craters of volcanoes amidst the molten lava and fire grottoes. Her favorite volcano is Kilauea on the Island of Hawaii. She controls the earthquakes and lava flows on the Hawaiian Islands, and has a family who assists her in her fiery duties. Pele has a beautiful and queenly appearance, and is a courageous warrior in battle. She has the attributes of both the royal and the priestly castes of the ancient islanders. Offerings to Pele are thrown into the craters of the volcanoes to avert eruptions and earthquakes.
Here we see Pele in a womb-shaped crater within an obsidian volcano. The lava which she controls flows around her and up into the world to explode in a fiery eruption. Lightning strikes down from the sky. Pele shakes her battle spear above her head as she invokes her powers. Her spear is of wood, inlaid with razor-sharp obsidian flakes at the point and inlaid with sharks teeth at the base . She is dressed in a skirt of paper-like "Kapa" fabric encircled with a belt of orchids. Her cloak is composed of both the royal yellow "Oo" feathers, and the priestly red "Mamo" feathers.
Pele is the Goddess of Earth Fire who creates land masses and the rich soil which makes them fertile. From fire, steam and lava - earth is born.
"Maha Kali"
36"w x 48"h
Acrylic & Metallic Gold Paints, Japanese Art Paper, and Acrylic Sculpture Medium on Canvas
Owned by a Private Collector, California
The subject of this painting is the Indic/Hindu Goddess Kali as "Maha-Kali Adya Prathama" which means, "Kali the Transcendent Power of Time, The Origin, The First-Power". Kali is shown giving birth to the Universe. She is the Goddess of both creation and destruction, although to the western mind she is often mistaken as a figure of misfortune. Kali is destruction in which there is liberation. She is an absolute night existing in a time of absolute silence. She stands in deep concentration and stillness as she creates the Universe from the eye of her womb. She is dark because all colors combined are darkness. She is the source of ultimate energy, clad only in space. She has four arms that symbolize the four directions of space. Four is also considered the number of completeness. Four is symbolic of the Earth and of the fulfillment of manifestation. Kali with four arms is "She Who Fulfills All". One hand holds a sword that represents the power of destruction, and the knowledge of immensity that destroys ignorance. Another hand holds an axe with which she shapes the cosmos. Her two remaining hands are in the positions known as "Removing Fear" and "Granting Rewards". Only Kali, who is beyond fear, can remove fear. As the "Permanent One" Kali is the "Giver of Bliss", for in permanence there is bliss.
The mantra "KRIM" is chanted in honour of Kali. It represents the power of time. The sound it makes means "Mother of the Universe". When "KRIM" is chanted one is invoking Kali as the "Seed of the Power of Time", in her aspect of "Kali-Bija". By chanting "KRIM" you are entreating the Goddess Kali to pacify all pain and rid one of sorrow. The "KRIM" mantra helps one to gain detachment, power over death, and leads to knowledge of the transcendent.
The subject of this painting is a derivation of a female icon found at the Minoan Postpalatial (c. 1380 - 1110 B.C.E.) sanctuary at Gazi, Herakleion, Crete. This Goddess wears cut opium poppy pods on her crown. There is a great probability the Minoans utilized the Opium Poppy (Papaver somniferum) both medicinally and ritually. It is thought that the juice of the poppy was used to induce a state of ecstasy in her worshippers. She is shown extracting the vital properties of the poppy and capturing the powerful juices in a chalice. Beneath the Goddess is the image of a cow nursing her calf. The cow represents the Goddess in her nurturing form.





"Masks of the Goddess - Seed / Egg"
Owned by a Private Collector, Arkansas
Diameter: 12"
To contact Wendilyn Emrys, please address email to:
Wendilyn
WendilynEmrys.com
(please note the @ is an image file - you must hand type it)