Why And How I Began To Work With Them.
Many many moons ago I had an idea, an idea that I thought was unique
in all the world. It was a simple notion and yet one that I found utterly
compelling: painting on feathers. I naively thought it would be simple
to do, and as I liked to collect fallen feathers on my travels, I had
an abundant supply.
So it began.
What I had thought was an idea of such simplicity,
turned into a journey of discovery that has absorbed me
for countless moons now. Not once did I think about how
you actually manage to paint anything on a feather. Only
too soon I was to realise that feather painting is not
easy. It took me over a year to find a technique that
worked for me. Numerous different paints were tried,
different types of feathers, different paint brushes, and
for such a long time all to no avail... I just couldn't
find the right paints and was on the verge of 'being
found guilty of abuse to feathers'. But I honestly
believe that if you put your good intentions out there
into the universe for long enough, the universe will
answer your prayers. Mine were answered. After trying
an endless stream of paints, I found that oils and
acrylics worked best, built up slowly, so slowly, in
layer after thin layer. Paint brushes with two bristles
came into their own, offering me the ability to paint
in the minutest detail.
So my next dilemma was what should I paint on the
feathers? I have long been an admirer of birds in all
their glorious diversity, their ability to fly, their
varied song, their beauty. To me the task of working
with feathers, and painting on them was not simply a
hobby, or something to pass the time along, I wanted
to show reverence to the birds, to connect with their
energies, to embrace their 'magic'. Thus it was that I
began to study birds, their behaviour, their variety,
feather identification, habitats, song, well everything
and anything to do with birds... Whilst I would by no
means claim to be an 'expert', I have learned much about
our feathered friends.
Once I understood more about the
feathers I would be using, my next decision was regarding
the themes I would use in the feather painting. It did
not feel right to paint something like cartoon characters,
and my thoughts lead me to Wolves, to Eagles, to Elk,
Hawks, Dolphins, I thought of so many creatures. I had
had no experience to speak of with regard to painting
birds and animals, but I believed I was being guided
to take the first step on a new creative
and spiritual journey.
And so it was that I began to take photos of birds that crossed my path, I studied
anatomy, photographs, I looked at the work of wildlife
artists, how did they express the energies of the
creatures they were painting? How did I feel about the
birds and animals I was to paint? what did they convey
to me, what message would they offer? I came to realise
that each creature has an 'essence', or at least that is
how it feels to me. They have something that makes them
unique, an energy, a thought form, a shape, something
that goes beyond their physical appearance, but is
deeply and profoundly spiritual. Perhaps one way of
describing the experience is to say that it is like
a connection that goes beyond physical realities and form.
It is as if one mind, one essence, one energy, connects with another
[and perhaps others], there is a 'oneness' and an understanding that
needs no words, simply thoughts and a transference of energies. Other
ideas sprang into my mind, as a Celt, my life has been full of faerie
tales, and folklore, so another genre was to become a feature of my
feather paintings. Again, I felt that the theme would enhance the energies
of each feather from each bird.
The first animal I painted with any degree of success was a Wolf, I
have had a deep fascination and connection to wolves for as long as
I can remember. It is hard to describe the joy I experienced in painting
that first Wolf and all the others since, the sense of 'oneness' and
journey whilst painting them, was and still is something very special.
Long ago I was taught that when we do anything in life, what is perhaps
most important [and yet is often forgotten] is our 'intention'. It is
an ethos I still adhere too. Because of this, I decided to smudge each
feather before I began to paint it, I gave thanks to the bird for 'donating,
gifting' each feather, and asked that each feather be surrounded by
only 'pure, loving energies', this is a process I repeat throughout
the duration of each feather painting. You may wonder why I do this?
In a nutshell, I believe that when we work with unclouded minds and
uncluttered thoughts, when our intentions and motives seek to express
the 'highest good', then whatever it is that we are doing, creating
et al has within it that gentle loving energy. The recipient is thus
gifted something that was created with 'unconditional love'. If that
sounds 'hippy and new-agey' my apologies, but the notion of 'intention',
'ripples in a pool', 'every action has a re-action' is centuries old,
and my hippy and new-age brethren alas may not claim the credit for
its invention.
My delusions of grandeur with regard to the invention of feather painting
were soon to be shattered. After some time feather painting, and still
new to the wonders of the internet, I discovered that feather painting
was in fact a craft that was centuries old. It became apparent that
painting feathers with acrylics and oils was common knowledge amongst
feather painters [silly me]... But if like me, you believe everything
happens for a reason, then that year of experimentation gifted me the
opportunity to learn about birds, to connect with them, to understand
how the paints connect with each feather and to really consider what
themes I should choose to use in the paintings.
But despite my disappointment at not inventing 'feather painting',
there was also a sense of euphoria [there were experienced and knowledgeable
feather painters out there, I was not alone].
My feather painting has evolved, and continues to grow, both on a practical
creative level, and also [I believe] on a spiritual level.
As I mentioned earlier, rather late in the day I had discovered that
feather painting was 'centuries old'. It was a delight to discover a
feather in a museum in Wales that had been painted by a Welsh sailor
several hundred years ago. He painted the church in his hometown, a
building that still stands to this day. It is extremely poignant to
see how well he painted the likeness, when he was so far from home,
and it obviously meant much, because it has survived to the present
day [intention?] Whilst still overcoming the shock that feather painting
was 'not' an idea original to me, I also learned that First People painted
feathers. Each notch, the shape, colour etc of each painting, on each
feather type had tremendous significance and conveyed the journey of
a warrior.
The Italians too have feathers called 'happiness feathers', painted
in beautiful vibrant colours, and ethnic groups around the globe also
choose to paint feathers, to trim them, and to use them as adornments
in various celebrations and ceremonies. Feathers you see, are 'messengers'
and around the globe they are held in reverence, decorated and used
to celebrate, to heal, to give thanks, to convey a story, to convey
status, to worship. It is a rich tradition that I seek to follow.
Blessings on the breeze.
Faerie Dust
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