Spirit Art
Explorations into Unseen Dimensions of Life and Self
We all live multidimensional lives, whether we are consciously aware of it or not. Everyone has untapped potential and access to subtle realms of existence. However, many have a tendency to elevate and glorify these dimensions, or conversely ridicule and judge that which falls outside of a culturally agreed upon reality. I think that both extremes create distortion. Humble explorations into the unknown, without coming to fixed conclusions, allows openness and a sense of balance to flourish.
When I was young, I lived for transcendent states of consciousness. I needed those expansive experiences to cope with my heavy suffering. But I have healed enough, to appreciate the value of compassionately being with suffering, without needing to flee from it. Goodness and strength arise from anchoring more expansive states into the ordinariness of humble life. When one’s life and actions are rooted in simplicity, one chops wood, carries water, cooks food, and integrates profound experience.
Unseen dimensions are not separate; they bleed into our ordinary states. Anyone can learn to quietly attune to subtle aspects of reality. We are all more expansive than we realize. My artwork reveals unseen parts of myself. I draw freely without preconceived ideas, and something inner and meaningful expresses itself. My work functions like a pictorial inner diary. The unconscious reveals a visual progression of insights that may be retrospectively interpreted like dreams. (Although I stumbled into this form of art making entirely on my own, I later discovered that “automatic drawing” or “automatism” had been popular with Surrealists in the early 20th-century.)
A few pieces of mine, unexpectedly tapped into a realm of spirit. I write about these two experiences, and then explore the work of four other artists, whose art delves into the in between realms. The artists represent a range of styles and possibilities for exploring spirit art. I conclude by offering suggestions for those interested in venturing into spirit art making for themselves.
THE WOMEN SPIRIT PROTECTORS
by Arena Heidi
This image from my Drawing into Trauma series, was made on April 30, 2020, while I was in the throes of a traumatic situation. Although distraught, I somehow managed to to put color on the page, while simultaneously praying for help. I was surprised however, when help appeared unexpectedly, in the imagery of my distressed and random marks. I stood back from the piece and saw two female figures with their heads close together, but upside down relative to each other. One appeared as a mermaid or selkie, whose green color resembled a Buddhist Tara. While the other was a red earth woman. Feelings of strength and protection were transmitted to me through the mythic figures. These nurturing spirits of water and earth helped to reconcile my distress.
When I made this piece, I felt as though I had received help from the spirit realm, but now I am not so sure. Determining what is other is a tricky conundrum. As one progresses, the boundaries between self and other tend to dissolve, until eventually no separate self exists at all. So determining what is other depends upon one’s orientation to self, and the scope of one’s identification. In some spiritual circles, enlightenment is defined by an expansive identification, and the broader one’s identification, the greater one’s awakening. Letting go and taking an expanded perspective is generally healing and helpful. But an expansive identification may also come with unintended consequences; such as ego inflation, a shirking of responsibility, or a charismatic manipulation of others. I have found a fluid movement between states of consciousness to be more beneficial than just maintaining an expansive identification. A free flow of consciousness allows all things to evolve and be. Looking back upon this image now, I identify with the figures as expansive and strong parts of myself. But I also honor and respect that I perceived a sense of other at the time of making it. Perhaps both may simultaneously be true.
THIS GIRL KNOWS THE POWER OF COLOR
by Arena Heidi
Five months later, I experienced a transformation of greater freedom and ease with my art. The transformation was ushered in by this drawing and a child spirit who instigated it. I had been unintentionally trying too hard to accurately render my inner life. The effort of listening had become oppressive. A strong and uninhibited child spirit broke through my exertion. She was not afraid to draw outside established lines and boundaries. Fear and conditioning had not corrupted her self-expression. When the piece was finished, she told me it needed more red. So I added more red. Although I sometimes dialogue with and reassure young childlike parts, this encounter felt different. The girl seemed whole and intact, with her own mind and spirit that felt freer than that of my own. After this visitation, I began to draw without trying. I felt like I was cheating because it was too easy. However, my subconscious managed to express itself just fine, with greatly reduced effort upon my part.
I do not think that it is important to define or come to conclusions about these kinds of experiences. Spiritual encounters often occur on levels of consciousness beyond our thinking minds. Depending on one’s cultural or personal beliefs, one could interpret the encounter as a type of soul retrieval, a spirit visitation, a child self existing on another plane of reality, or just a clearly defined psychological part. I try to hold beliefs and experiences lightly and openly. I no longer need to elevate or deny these occurrences, as both extremes may lead to limitations or false conclusions about reality. My contact with the child felt other. And yet ironically, the art piece feels even more me than other artwork of mine. I’m learning to remain in the unknown mystery that abounds. A comfort with the unknown engenders freedom and self-discovery.
CROW FUN CROW
by Matthew Pony
Most of Matthew Pony’s artwork renders spirit. His paintings primarily access the spirit of crows, ponies, and various birds; but landscapes, ghosts, bones and other symbolic elements also work their way in. He paints into the essence of things in a way that feels shamanic. Some of his work is raw and uncomfortable. He willingly enters dark places to heal trauma and restore light.
All of us bring to this lifetime talents that we’ve developed in other times and places. Though I have had no significant contact with Native Americans, much of my life is rooted to a sense of being an indigenous person, with deep reverence for the natural world and the inner spirit of things. I sense the same with Matthew.
He talks about his art “pursuing the convergence of the unknown. The spiritual is made known through everyday archaeological investigations concerning life and death, with their simultaneous layers of clarity and murkiness. My art is channeled. Things are revealed. I create to heal myself and the world around me.”
“Often the physical world will communicate the art of the day. For instance, one morning a crow talked to me. The immediacy of this first distinct sound encounter, brought sharp relief to the visual world. I then brought the sounds of the crow into the art making process.”
This painting, with its playful animated presence, captures crow spirit, as simply and freely as a crow’s caw. One may render animal spirit by feeling into its essence and then bridging its spirit with that of one’s own. We each forge meaningful relationships with the natural world. Matthew’s art reveals his affinities. Becoming aware of and attuning to a personal connection with a particular animal, plant, or element, offers a path for healing. These affinities function as conduits, linking us to our own empowerment.
EVENING COTTAGE
by Matthew Pony
Matthew said, “I actually lived in a cottage very similar to this a few years after painting it. It’s a prophetic work. Yet, it’s also a ghost cottage that lives in the other realm, full of those who have come and gone. I am in the field of things. We are all in the field. Wandering to and away from shelter. Ghost is soul.”
”Speculate upon anything and everything, and venture into the rabbit hole of things measured. You don’t want to end up haunting yourself. There are ghosts from what was once physical bodies, animals and human. There are ghosts from historical events and remnants of architecture. Archaeology of the present. I always thank and bless the spirits, whether understood or not.”
I appreciate the poetry of Matthews description and the haunting simplicity of this piece. With just a few basic colors and forms, a layer of spirit and place has been captured. Attunement to the spirit of a place, is a primary way to begin, for anyone wanting to explore spirit connections. Each building, each landscape, carries an entire ancient history of all that has occurred there. Even when the particular events are unknown, one may receive a felt sense of the history and energy of an area. Atonement and healing for the past wounds of a specific location may be offered. A heartfelt caring for a place, brings healing to land, spirits, and oneself.
CROW PORTAL
by Andrea Nehana Christensen
When one collaborates with others around the topic of spirit, synchronistic signs and connections occur. This painting of Andrea’s was the first synchronicity that I noticed. She posted this image after I had begun writing, long before she knew about Matthew’s crow painting. I had just finished an abstract healing drawing with the same nurturing form as her wing portal. Her painting reminded me that we all have similar gifts, yet the the gifts manifest in ways that are unique to each of us.
Andrea told me, “This is a newer piece from this year and I feel it is about protecting life and awareness, how much love is involved in nature. Love is our nature.”
For many years, Andrea painted intuitive art pieces for others. Her journey into metaphysical art is a fascinating one. Before she made intuitive paintings, she had been a police officer in Switzerland for 11 years.
When I asked her about what it was like to channel art for others, she replied, “the results were very mixed. Sometimes I would get plenty of information and make a great drawing, and sometimes I received almost nothing. I had to learn to accept that some people were not meant to get something, that it was entirely up to spirit. And it also had to do with the openness of person. Some wanted to hear set things and were not really open. So spirit would not offer them anything. I trust spirit for clear energy. I remember a spirit that got killed by a train. In my drawing he had one eye open and one closed. Later, I was told that that was how they had found his body!”
SPIRIT GUIDES
by Andrea Nehana Christensen
I love this painting of Andrea’s for it’s emanation of compassion, wisdom, and kindness. It reminds me that we are spirit, and that spirit moves through us. Spirit is not separate from us, but woven into the fabric of our lives and being.
Andrea said, “Artists who make spirit art, work through their essence. Sometimes it is difficult to define what is me and what is spirit. One attracts likeminded energies. It is a merging, where our energies blend.”
Many people perceive spirit as higher or more evolved than ourselves. But I think that kind of elevation is a human construct, due to our own perceived limitation. Our essence is spirit, but many remain unaware of the free and powerful nature of their being. We project our hard to own expansive nature onto other humans, or historical religious figures that we deem to be more evolved, more worthy. But the qualities we project onto spiritual figures are facets of our own true nature. I intentionally use collective pronouns, because our essence is one of expansion and unity.
Anyone can learn to rest in the unconditional love of their true essence. It is an act of remembering who you are. Years ago, I used to regularly remind myself to remember the ground of being. This phrase would bring me into alignment with expansive consciousness in small but significant ways. Now, I tend to work with just relaxing and settling more into my body. Just being here. I place my hands upon any place of discomfort. The simple act of holding and reassuring myself, brings me into a felt sense of empathy and compassion, similar to that which emanates from this painting. With repetition, a simple centered act of presence builds into something more. Our hearts and bodies open to giving and receiving more kindness, and a presence of spirit is strengthened. We feel held in a compassionate ground of being.
THE VISITOR
by Lesley Washington
In the back of my mind while writing about spirit art, I kept thinking about those whose hearts have been broken through profound loss. I wanted to offer hope, and a way for people to connect with loved ones who had crossed over. So when Lesley, who lost her 19-year-old daughter Bella to suicide, posted this painting on Instagram, I immediately knew that I wanted to include it.
I occasionally feel the spirit of those who have passed on, typically in the days following their death. But Bella’s spirit is pronounced and strong. Her wild happiness with no longer being encumbered by body and hardship feels contagious. I get chills, and feel her with me, whenever I write about this art piece. Her love and support for her mom is palpable.
Lesley told me, “I'm not sure I would use the language of spirit visitation per se, but yes, I feel very connected to Bella when I make art. This painting was very much some form of channeling. I try to let go and release into whatever wants to manifest.”
“Letting go and releasing into what wants to manifest” is perfect advice for anyone who wants to channel spirit art. This painting is a beautiful rendition of “spirit visitation”. A feeling of presence is powerfully, yet simply conveyed. I love how “the visitor” merges into and out of sky and sea, like a fleeting apparition bridging between our world and the next.
REBIRTH
from The Angel Series by Jacek Błoński
Jacek Błoński is one of my favorite artists due to his nuanced renderings of metaphysical themes. His artwork portrays angels, ancestors, dreams, nightmares, ancient cultures, and in between realms. He renders these hard to convey themes with just the right mix of beauty, feeling, and mystery. Spirit is simply and sensitively conveyed without being overly idealized or sentimentalized. I know little about Jacek, but his sensitivity and attunement emanate through each of his images. The felt sense of presence in his work, transports me into the places and feelings he depicts. His work offers a gateway into a realm of mystery. And in that mystery, I find myself.
These are dark times. Each day I wake up and navigate the greed, corruption, manipulation, polarization, and dysfunctional bureaucratic systems that surround me. I wake up and step into the fire of my fear, my rage, my grief, and my determination to make this world a better place. An angel of compassion supports me in this task. The angel is there because I have chosen to step into the fire and chosen to support myself. I have become the angel, simply because I hold myself in my own vulnerable kindness. It is enough.
The rebirth happens automatically. I step forward because I am willing to face and receive the fullness and complexity that life offers. Tomorrow, I will wake up and step into the fire again. It is an unceasing process. The peace that I feel today, will not protect me from tomorrow's grief or tomorrow's failure. Each day offers another fire, another experience. I am willing to burn again. The pain is real but so are the blessings. I have discovered that it is worth stepping into the fire of truth and feeling a fullness of life. My fiery struggle to live a life of humility and goodness, illuminates the darkness that surrounds me. The burning light sustains me. It is enough.
I hope that my stepping into the fire, may inspire you to move courageously into your own. Whatever your struggles and hardship, perhaps you may be inspired to compassionately hold yourself. We help each other. Together, our individual willingness to feel and burn, may lead to a collective rebirth. But a planetary rebirth, as great as it may be, does not matter. There is only one life that you are able to redeem, and that my friends is enough.
BETWEEN DAY AND NIGHT
by Jacek Błoński
I love this art piece of Jacek's and find it comforting. I have learned to appreciate in-between states, especially the time between sleeping and waking. I love to linger in the realm of slowly dawning consciousness. This half-awake meditative space is useful for accessing insight, creativity, and compassion. I simultaneously hold myself and feel held by expansive consciousness during this nurturing between worlds kind of space. This image captures and transmits the enveloping yet spacious feeling of this healing in-between time.
The making of spirit art entails an immersion into undefined realms and portions of reality that are not entirely clear. Rather than offering step by step instructions on how to make spirit art, I recommend letting go of preconceived ideas, and allowing something unplanned to flow through you. Setting aside attachment and agenda, opens the possibility for something unexpected and “other” to emerge. Empower yourself to explore, especially if you feel insecure, inadequate, or lacking in talent. I offer many suggestions below, but just follow the ones that feel right for you. If you freely experiment and try various approaches, eventually something of value will emerge.
Tag me on Instagram with any interesting results of your spirit art making endeavors. I hope to someday write a sequel to this article, and perhaps your art and experience may be relevant and included.
Suggestions and Tips for Making Spirit Art
Set clear and positive intentions.
Dedicate yourself to beneficial spiritual practices.
Sincerely ask or pray for help and guidance, but also let go.
Feel oneself opening to possibilities. Open to the unknown.
Be receptive and simply listen.
Meditate and explore trance and altered states of consciousness.
Practice automatic drawing with eyes open or closed.
Allow yourself the freedom to simply play with different materials.
Paint with your hands. Touch may facilitate a connection with spirit.
Follow a moment by moment flow and inspiration.
Be compassionate and honor what emerges.
Paint images or feelings received in dreams.
Connect with guides, ancestors, angels, or other mythic beings.
Explore nature spirits and the spirit of natural places.
Draw while listening to shamanic drumming or other spiritual music.
Reach out to loved ones who have died. Ask them to co-create.
Allow what comes to be unclear and not entirely known.
Be grateful for every small step, and trust that your art will evolve.