This is for the lesson on home decor, we all did a plate design...
Tuesday, June 18, 2013
A Plate
I'm participating in a class taught by the artists' rep Lilla Rogers....
This is for the lesson on home decor, we all did a plate design...
This is for the lesson on home decor, we all did a plate design...
Friday, June 7, 2013
Abrasax
so I came across this article discussing early Coptic Christian prayer circles, and in the dialog of the prayer was this reference to Abrasax... here is an exerpt:
so I was curious about who or what this Abrasax character was, and I found this article on wikipedia...
Abrasax (Gk. ΑΒΡΑΣΑΞ, which is far more common in the sources than the variant form Abraxas, ΑΒΡΑΞΑΣ) was a word of mystic meaning in the system of the Gnostic Basilides, being there applied to the “Great Archon” (Gk., megas archōn), the princeps of the 365 spheres (Gk., ouranoi).[1] The 7 letters spelling its name represent each of the 7 classic planets—Sun, Moon, Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter, and Saturn.[2]
The word is found in Gnostic texts such as the Holy Book of the Great Invisible Spirit, and also appears in the Greek Magical Papyri. It was engraved on certain antique gemstones, called on that account Abraxas stones, which were used as amulets or charms. As the initial spelling on stones was 'Abrasax' (Αβρασαξ), the spelling of 'Abraxas' seen today probably originates in the confusion made between the Greek letters Sigma and Xi in the Latin transliteration. The word may be related to Abracadabra, although other explanations exist.
There are similarities and differences between such figures in reports about Basilides' teaching, ancient Gnostic texts, the larger Greco-Roman magical traditions, and modern magical and esoteric writings. Opinions abound on Abraxas, who in recent centuries has been claimed to be both an Egyptian god and a demon.[3] The Swiss Psychologist Carl Jung wrote a short Gnostic treatise in 1916 called The Seven Sermons to the Dead, which called Abraxas a God higher than the Christian God and Devil, that combines all opposites into one Being
And this reference to Carl Jung is interesting, here is what he says about Abrasax....
God and devil are distinguished by the qualities fullness and emptiness, generation and destruction. EFFECTIVENESS is common to both. Effectiveness joineth them. Effectiveness, therefore, standeth above both; is a god above god, since in its effect it uniteth fullness and emptiness.
This is a god whom ye know not, for mankind forgot it. We name it by its name ABRAXAS. It is more indefinite still than god and devil.
either way kind of intriguing stuff, but I think the way this character was drawn was pretty weird and cool, so I wanted to do a drawing of Abraxas, I mean who can resist a character with the torso and arms of a male human, a chicken head, and snakes for legs, CRAZY!
Its a bit sketchy but I kinda like where its headed, if I have time I'll embellish it a bit more.
Line 1. (The Tau-Rho sign).2 Hail El! Fathouriel,3 who giveth
2. strength (comfort?), who gives replies [antiphonei] to the angels! 4
3. Hail Adonai (My Lord), Hail Eloi (My God), Hail
4. Abrasax! Hail Iothael!5 Hail
5. Mistrael (for Mizrael) who has looked upon the face of the Father 6
6. in the power of Iao! 7 KHOK.8
so I was curious about who or what this Abrasax character was, and I found this article on wikipedia...
Abrasax (Gk. ΑΒΡΑΣΑΞ, which is far more common in the sources than the variant form Abraxas, ΑΒΡΑΞΑΣ) was a word of mystic meaning in the system of the Gnostic Basilides, being there applied to the “Great Archon” (Gk., megas archōn), the princeps of the 365 spheres (Gk., ouranoi).[1] The 7 letters spelling its name represent each of the 7 classic planets—Sun, Moon, Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter, and Saturn.[2]
The word is found in Gnostic texts such as the Holy Book of the Great Invisible Spirit, and also appears in the Greek Magical Papyri. It was engraved on certain antique gemstones, called on that account Abraxas stones, which were used as amulets or charms. As the initial spelling on stones was 'Abrasax' (Αβρασαξ), the spelling of 'Abraxas' seen today probably originates in the confusion made between the Greek letters Sigma and Xi in the Latin transliteration. The word may be related to Abracadabra, although other explanations exist.
There are similarities and differences between such figures in reports about Basilides' teaching, ancient Gnostic texts, the larger Greco-Roman magical traditions, and modern magical and esoteric writings. Opinions abound on Abraxas, who in recent centuries has been claimed to be both an Egyptian god and a demon.[3] The Swiss Psychologist Carl Jung wrote a short Gnostic treatise in 1916 called The Seven Sermons to the Dead, which called Abraxas a God higher than the Christian God and Devil, that combines all opposites into one Being
And this reference to Carl Jung is interesting, here is what he says about Abrasax....
God and devil are distinguished by the qualities fullness and emptiness, generation and destruction. EFFECTIVENESS is common to both. Effectiveness joineth them. Effectiveness, therefore, standeth above both; is a god above god, since in its effect it uniteth fullness and emptiness.
This is a god whom ye know not, for mankind forgot it. We name it by its name ABRAXAS. It is more indefinite still than god and devil.
either way kind of intriguing stuff, but I think the way this character was drawn was pretty weird and cool, so I wanted to do a drawing of Abraxas, I mean who can resist a character with the torso and arms of a male human, a chicken head, and snakes for legs, CRAZY!
Its a bit sketchy but I kinda like where its headed, if I have time I'll embellish it a bit more.
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