30 Paintings in 30 Days - Day Twenty-Nine

"Walking Under Eggshells" - mixed media on aquabord, 6" x 6"

On this penultimate day, I decided to experiment with new materials.  Have you ever fallen down the rabbit hole of YouTube?  When it comes to art videos, I can be lost for hours hopping from one concept to the next.  This time I fell into the videos using eggshells for texture in paintings.  So all week long I've had everyone saving their eggshells for me so I could clean them and use them in this art project.  My family no longer thinks I am nuts.  They just collect what I request and don't ask questions.  A perfect arrangement.

The shell of this cantankerous turtle is made from eggshells and layers of paints and inks.  Messy but fun!  My brain is running around with all kinds of ideas utilizing eggshells now.

Many of my amazing art compadres are turtle aficionados, so I thought it an appropriate tribute to their passion to make this guy.  But of course it got me wondering....what does the turtle mean?  

Native American tradition holds the turtle as the oldest symbol for earth, goddess energy and the eternal Mother.  The turtle spirit asks people to be thoughtful of the cycle of life, giving and taking, replenishing the earth as we use her resources for our benefit.  If the turtle is your totem animal, you have internal protection from negative emotions, your own and those of others.

If a turtle appears to you, you are told to honor your creative source and be grounded to the earth. You are asked to be kind and motherly toward yourself (speaking kindly to yourself is a great start!)   Turtle people take time to develop their thoughts before speaking them (oh man how I wish I had a turtle totem!) and can stick to their own path with determination.  They are not easily pushed to go faster than they are comfortable, but will doggedly achieve their goals.

Call on the turtle spirit when you want to be more grounded and in touch with the earth.  This is the perfect message during this early fall, with a full moon in the sky, cooling temperatures and summer vacations behind us.  Slowing down, getting in touch with ourselves and Mother earth.  Thank you, turtle spirit!

This piece is available, unframed.  Inquiries: imajenation@gmail.com

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