Description
Alchemist is a one-of-a-kind mixed media piece made from paper, beeswax, and beeswax stoppered glass vials.
One vial is filled with an alcohol and glycerin menstruum containing a relic left for me one day by Queenie, our cat. She apparently was out hunting, and ate an entire bird, leaving only a claw as a trophy. Next to the bird claw is a vial of crushed rose quartz crystal. And to the right of that is a glass vial filled with water and powdered sulfur.
Rose quartz is called the "love stone" by metaphysical rock hounds, because it is associated with the heart chakra, and with the opening of the heart that takes place when we are deeply in love.
Sulfur is associated by alchemists with willpower, passion, and with fermentation.
Chemically, fermentation is the growth of bacteria in organic solutions illustrated by fermenting of milk into cheese or fermenting of grapes into wine.
Alchemically, fermentation, associated with the astrological sign of Capricorn, is a two-stepped process, including both putrefaction and conjunction, which esoterically refer to the death of the ego and the flowering of new psychic life in the form of the Higher Self.
The photograph of this beeswax box was taken soon after its construction, hence the bright yellow color. The actual piece has aged and aging has transformed the color into a pale cream.
Beeswax is sensitive to light and does fade a bit from its original state of deep bright yellow to a more muted golden tone. That is why several of these pieces appear to be different shades of gold or yellow. The white pieces are made from bleached beeswax which is why they have no yellow tones. I never use any paraffin in these boxes, only the precious wax made by honeybees for their hives. Many of the boxes were made from wax gathered by a beekeeper friend of mine in the Catskill Mountains in New York.
This piece evokes these ancient memories and crystallizes this ancient source of wisdom and shakti for today's world.
You can see the shot on this page of a group of these mixed media wax shadow boxes and icons. They look good either one at a time or in a group like this.
Contact me if you're interested in purchasing a selection of these pieces. I'm happy to discuss it and make an arrangement suitable to your needs.
Read more about my work in my artist statement, Creating Spiritual Art for the New Millenium and resume.
