I believe that I died when I was a child. Or perhaps a part of me died and something different was brought back. After that, things were not the same for me. I had several more brushes with death and suffering moving forward. These experiences shaped who I would become. They taught me about the uncertainty and duality of life and also brought me to a fierce inward state of being.
I grew up in a world of adults. I was told that children were to be seen and not heard. I was given long stretches of time to play on my own. I turned to art and creative pursuits as a way to escape into the worlds I preferred to create. I built elaborate doll houses and loved magical wilderness spaces. I was inspired by the world of Fae that Brain Froud so beautifully captured. I was fortunate that my mother took me to art museums where I fell in love immediately with the language of art.
I believe that art has the power to heal, inspire and awaken; it has saved my life more times than I can count. As an adult, I have been lucky to keep my curiosity and magic alive. I pride myself on growth and becoming more and more who I prefer to be. I have now trained for over a decade in mystic and spiritual disciplines with the mission to inspire the world with my connection to what I call the Muse.
When I paint, I am moved by intuitive Muse forces from moment-to-moment, making marks with a variety of implements from my hands to brushes and handmade tools. I create from an empty meditative space, not knowing what will come out. There’s a huge amount of surrendering as I have to allow things to be as they are. Ugly or beautiful… I have to release all judgement. It’s one of the hardest things I do. It feels very vulnerable for me to allow “what is” when people are watching. And that is part of my work.
What comes next often depends on the energy in a place, or time, or the viewers themselves who I feel pull the work through me. Over a period of 6-12 hours, sharp images, texts, and shapes are revealed as profound messages. Through abstraction, the art becomes the Oracle and represents the literal and metaphorical power of transformation. My art is in a constant state of service.
The method I use requires a forgiving material like acrylic paint that permits rapid revisions. I think of my work as evolving in the moment.
Some parts gets covered up and pushed back and others change and are pulled forward. The pieces tell their own narrative as they become deeper with layers and more defined. I work on large 6 foot x 4 foot pieces of birch and frequently layer with colored pencil, watercolors, oil pastels, pouring paint, acrylic ink, China marker and more.
When the pieces are ready we work hard to meticulously scan them at high resolution and make them into Oracle cards. I have always believed that these images are for others and sharing them is important as meaning makers for others. I release new each series of cards as they become available. Currently series 1 + 2 are available and I am painting pieces that will become Series 3 + 4 now.
I have performed this oracle painting performance every week at festivals, clubs and events, and online for the past 6 years. I believe the true magic is that these pieces are not only for viewing but can also be experienced. I invite you to journey with me as I discover the messages the Divine Muse will uncover next!
written by ©Sarah Whitmire
You can find me and my social media links at whitmireart.com
Your work is absolutely awesome Sarah!! I love watching you release and paint!!