‘The Divine Feminine’: New Online Exhibit
When you feel you are being moved
by the creative spirit, you are in fact being
moved by the divine feminine. These two forces
are one and the same. . . .
~ Teri Degler, author of The Divine Feminine
The deep Feminine, the mystery of consciousness,
She who is life, is longing for our transformation
as much as we are.
~ Lucy H. Pearce, author of Burning Woman
In July, St. Michael’s will be hosting its second online art exhibition, “The Divine Feminine,” which will present more than 30 paintings by four local artists: Elisabeth Hudgins, Linda Maldonado, Elise Ritter, and Deborah Taylor.
What is “The Divine Feminine”?
A concept grounded in spirituality, its definitions are as various as those trying to explain it. Some simply call it the female or feminine side of human nature, and attribute to it such qualities as sensitivity, vulnerability, nurture, cooperation, kindness, and wisdom. Others describe it as a kind of sacred energy or power, available to anyone, which, when channeled with intention, allows each of us to realize our fullest and highest potential.
For purposes of the exhibit, says the artists’ group leader Linda Maldonado, it is “the spirit of empathy, connectedness, creativity, and wholeness that dwells within and around us. It is the sacred, sensuous, and invisible presence that urges us to explore, express, and grow. It is the soul’s yearning to connect with the infinite.”
In personal and unique explorations of the concept, each of the four artists focuses on some aspect or trait of The Divine Feminine that moves her to create: Mother Nature, or the natural world; community and relationships; the containing vessel; and the shape of the feminine. Drawing on both individual and collaborative experiences and discussions, inspired by poems or other eloquent writings, and open to all that the imagination makes possible while meditating or in the act of painting, the artists, using such media as oil, watercolor, acrylics, and alcohol inks, produce distinctive still lifes, collages, and landscapes of the spirit in nature; figures in relationship; fluid abstract designs imbued with feeling; and visual evocations of intuition and creativity.
As you explore the exhibition on your own, including the sources of inspiration that the artists share with viewers, think of how you might call on The Divine Feminine to help heal our relationships with Gaia and with each other. Love of self and eah other, understanding, compassion and empathy, and nurturing are qualities we all can cultivate, whether through art, writing, advocacy and activism, or invention, to effect a transformation of our values and recalibrate our lives.
Maureen E. Doallas, Leader, Arts Ministry