Winged Frog

My newest painting titled "I Hear Voices". This is a hand-painted digital artwork, copyright Hexagonal Mandala 2009. It is based on an original poem I wrote about two variations of song for healing & prayer. It unites the deep earthy, soothing vibrations of the shaman with the melodious, angelic breath of the priest.

The frog is known for its metamorphic ability and is a symbol of adaptability and change. It is a creature sensitive to the poisons in its environment. The wings are associated with flight and are a symbol of our connection to the heavens, of the human soul.

I often paint nature illustrations of frogs and birds, usually in a hope that they will inspire people to look around them and appreciate the fragility and beauty of nature. In this image the morphed character serves as three different metaphors.

* The artist self portrait. Where her life is seen as constant growth and change, morphing from timid child, to rebellious teen, to passionate artist, then wife & lover, to mother and carer. I see a new change soon as I'm getting older and my children are now in their teens. The wings have always appeared throughout the past 20 years in my self portraits. Originally they appeared in my art as an unobtainable hope of escapism. They still represent a potential freedom, but have changed in nature over the years.

* The Shaman and Priest are represented using the frog and wings. An easy association.

* The frog because of its sensitivity to toxics and its threat of extinction can be associated with mankind itself and the effects of sin that poison our lives. The wings represent our soul, the non perishing aspect of our selves. The wings have an association with freedom, escape and hope.

guttural vibrations
resonating through human flesh,
enveloping & soothing the soul
binding the wounds of life.
while
personification of angel breath
lowers protective shields,
washing over tainted senses
in a promise of acceptance.