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Art-Making While Traveling
Most artists I know (at least, most female artists I know,) lay a little guilt trip on themselves. They plan to travel and they pack some art supplies, telling themselves they are going to make art and have a deeply creative, spiritual travel experience. Then they don't do it, or do it only once, and they beat themselves up for not being a "real artist."
This was me.
I even wrote a blog entry about it a few years ago entitled My Vacation From the "Shoulds"
This was me.
I even wrote a blog entry about it a few years ago entitled My Vacation From the "Shoulds"
2024 watercolor sketch
Part of the problem was the way I labeled myself. I had always thought of myself as an "observational painter." I don't know why I thought of myself this way, but I did. So, when I went on a trip I would haul out my little watercolors or whatever and try to paint what I saw. But it always seemed like work to me, and it was a bit draining.
Not exactly inspiring.
But I don't do that anymore. I no longer put myself in a box.
I accepted that I really don't want to paint my surroundings at all.
I accepted that I really don't want to paint my surroundings at all.
I was recently on vacation Mexico.
Now, I tend to find sketchbooks drab and uninviting, so I decided to make a sketchbook of my own.
I made a lovely hardback cover for it with a cloth binding. Then I collected a variety of papers and some left over painted collage papers. I tore or cut them down to size, then folded them in half to make pages.
Now, I tend to find sketchbooks drab and uninviting, so I decided to make a sketchbook of my own.
I made a lovely hardback cover for it with a cloth binding. Then I collected a variety of papers and some left over painted collage papers. I tore or cut them down to size, then folded them in half to make pages.
I used elastic bands to secure them temporarily into the cover. This way I can move the pages around if I want to.
Armed with watercolor pencils, water soluble pens, markers, and a glue stick, I set up a place on the terrace of our Mexican vacation spot and worked a bit every day. Some of the images are abstract, and some are references to my surroundings and experience. I wrote text in some pages, mostly not. Some are lovely and sweet, a couple are sad, many are funny.
Below is a slideshow of the book. You can watch from beginning to end, or you can pause it and look at the still images by hovering your cursor over it and clicking the "pause" button that appears in the upper left corner.
When I got home, I still had space in my book for more work, so I made a “Chapter Two” page, and kept going. I have no intended narrative in mind, yet I still strive to create an arch of experience while making and viewing the book.
As I write this, this artist book is a work in progress- there is more to come with this one!
How Did it Turn Out???
To see how my Sketchybook evolved, you can read and see more in my blog entry called Structure.
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So cool, I had to share it here.
I have always shot and edited the photographs of my art. It was a learning curve, for sure, but over the years, I think I got pretty good at it.
Adventuring into the realm of book arts has posed an entirely new learning curve!
An Early Attempt
I laid my artist books open on my table on some white paper, hung up a couple of clamp lights, put my camera phone in some kind of selfy-stick thingy and did my best.
The result?
It was as if all the light was sucked out of the room.
The result?
It was as if all the light was sucked out of the room.
That, plus uneven lighting and askewed angles, laced with odd shadows. You see, the books don't lay flat, so I have to hold the pages down with pokey things and edit them out later, and my arms cast shadows all over everything.
I knew something had to be done.
I knew something had to be done.
The Wonder of YouTube
A quick search brought me to DIY-XYZ's pithy video How To Build A Photo Light Box For Less Than $10. So grateful.
You can watch the video HERE.
Before editing
Are my pictures perfect? No, they are not. Professional photographers know their stuff and are the right choice for many artists.
But after a bit (or a lot) of doctoring, I believe they hold their own, if I do say so myself!
But after a bit (or a lot) of doctoring, I believe they hold their own, if I do say so myself!
Analyze, page 9c
Below is a little video of my DIY photo lightbox.
If you would like to see more of my artist book Analyze, you can see it HERE.
If you would like to see more of my artist book Analyze, you can see it HERE.
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In several paintings and woodcuts in my Film Noir series, I integrated typewriters into the drama.
I had actually bought an antique, non-functional typewriter off Craig’s List as a reference.
I had actually bought an antique, non-functional typewriter off Craig’s List as a reference.
We met in a parking lot, and exchanged it from one car trunk to another for cold, hard cash-like some kind of nerd's drug deal!
It's a big, beautiful machine, weighing in at probably 30 pounds!
I recently took a new creative direction by making artist books, where I utilize collage materials and text. Rather than merely depicting typewriters, I wanted to actually TYPE stuff and integrate it into my books.
So, I wrestled my Woodstock back into my car and had it repaired at Type Space, Portland’s Vintage Typewriter Shop!
So, I wrestled my Woodstock back into my car and had it repaired at Type Space, Portland’s Vintage Typewriter Shop!
My first typed page!
Several months later, it has came back to me. I had assumed it was from the 1930's or 1940's. It turns out it was built in 1917!
Even refurbished, it shows it’s age. It’s sort of a beast, I must admit, and the results are well… unique.
Even so, I love it and am already incorporating typed pages into my artist books.
Below is a video of me tussling with my new contraption.
In the video, I am writing a piece about having ADHD, which I will use in my new artist book, Analyze.
Curiously, the act of typing echoed what it can be like to have ADHD. The process was long and laborious, and the result is a bit messy and garbled, yet totally unique and beautiful in its own way.
Typing also made me reflect on this unique moment in our history. Now our keyboards require a light touch, and with tools like spell check and AI, we can rattle off whatever pops into our head, unthinkingly. Combined with the web and social media, this can lead to oversharing, thoughtlessness, and even trolling. It made me imagine a world past when we had to be so deliberate with our communication-where everyone had to take a breath and consider each word before committing it to the page.
In the video, I am writing a piece about having ADHD, which I will use in my new artist book, Analyze.
Curiously, the act of typing echoed what it can be like to have ADHD. The process was long and laborious, and the result is a bit messy and garbled, yet totally unique and beautiful in its own way.
Typing also made me reflect on this unique moment in our history. Now our keyboards require a light touch, and with tools like spell check and AI, we can rattle off whatever pops into our head, unthinkingly. Combined with the web and social media, this can lead to oversharing, thoughtlessness, and even trolling. It made me imagine a world past when we had to be so deliberate with our communication-where everyone had to take a breath and consider each word before committing it to the page.
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The idea of doing an artist’s book has been rambling around in my head for… come to think of it, decades! I have made a few running starts at creating them over the years, but decided to focus on the more “practical” path of creating wall art I could more easily exhibit and sell.
I even imagined that one day, when I “retired,” I would start.
I even imagined that one day, when I “retired,” I would start.
Well, I guess that day has come.
An Artist's Book (or Artist Book, or Book Art,) is where the book is intended as a work of art in itself (rather than a book about art). They are usually handmade and one of a kind.
For my Creating Time: Art and Archeology exhibition, I made some small books, such as The Tiny Book of Thera, and The Nebra Sky Disc. But this book is far more ambitious, using multiple “registers,” which are groupings of pages in a single bound book.
For my Creating Time: Art and Archeology exhibition, I made some small books, such as The Tiny Book of Thera, and The Nebra Sky Disc. But this book is far more ambitious, using multiple “registers,” which are groupings of pages in a single bound book.
I have used the creation of What Is Next as a tool to help me process a new phase I am entering in my art career. (You can read more about this in my blog entry What's Next: Reflections on a Career in Art.)
It has no real narrative, but loosely explores themes relating to the transitory cycle I am in right now. I used stencils, collage materials, and sketches that I’d originally developed for larger pieces in my Archeology and Art series. I had a wonderful time making some fold-out pages- something I want to expand upon in future books.
Below you can see a slideshow of each page, or you can click on the thumbnails below for a still shot.
It has no real narrative, but loosely explores themes relating to the transitory cycle I am in right now. I used stencils, collage materials, and sketches that I’d originally developed for larger pieces in my Archeology and Art series. I had a wonderful time making some fold-out pages- something I want to expand upon in future books.
Below you can see a slideshow of each page, or you can click on the thumbnails below for a still shot.
- Published on
In 2007, I launched upon a project.
Births, deaths, a deepening relationship, and an profound shift in identity had thrown my life into complete upheaval. My very sense of self was being torn down and rebuilt.
At the same time, for the first time in my adult life, I didn’t have to worry about paying expenses. I didn’t know how long this situation would last, but I recognized it for what it was: an opportunity to really throw myself into building an art career. I wanted to see if I could “make it” as an artist.
At the same time, for the first time in my adult life, I didn’t have to worry about paying expenses. I didn’t know how long this situation would last, but I recognized it for what it was: an opportunity to really throw myself into building an art career. I wanted to see if I could “make it” as an artist.
Polka Dot 2008 ©lesliepetersonsapp
I wanted to make something of myself.
I worked hard to create a cohesive body of work in a style I felt viewers would enjoy and want to own. I built a website and learned the basics of self-marketing. I answered calls to exhibit. Eventually, I got gallery representation. My career was on an upward trajectory—better galleries, better shows, more sales, and higher prices for my work. Until…
- One gallery I thought was going to represent me backed out.
- Another gallery, (my crown jewel in Carmel, CA) turned out to be untrustworthy, and I was obliged to fight to get paid and get my art returned to me.
- Another gallery closed because the owner died.
The upshot is that the first eight years of my career was ascendant, and the second eight years have been a retraction, to the extent that, for the large part, I’m back pretty much to where I started- or at least where I was in about 2011.
Maybe if I had worked harder, things it would have gone differently. Perhaps if I had made better choices here and there, I would have had a different outcome.
But truthfully, probably not- at least not substantially.
The Bigger Picture
I knew that being an artist was hard. I just didn’t know how hard. Perhaps I was naïve.
One of my earliest newsletters!
The world has changed so much over the last 16 years.
The economic recession has still left its mark. The wealth gap and soaring rents have affected the economy in meaningful ways. The internet has inexorably changed the artworld. And then there was this little thing called COVID!
My art has changed, too.
From my initial series of Vintage Snapshots, I moved to the tempestuous world of Film Noir, and then onto my exuberant exploration of Archeology. Over 16 years, I’ve created around 450 salable pieces of art, and sold roughly half of them.
The economic recession has still left its mark. The wealth gap and soaring rents have affected the economy in meaningful ways. The internet has inexorably changed the artworld. And then there was this little thing called COVID!
My art has changed, too.
From my initial series of Vintage Snapshots, I moved to the tempestuous world of Film Noir, and then onto my exuberant exploration of Archeology. Over 16 years, I’ve created around 450 salable pieces of art, and sold roughly half of them.
And I have changed.
I was approaching my 40th birthday when I started- now I’m 56! The man who was then simply my boyfriend is now my devoted husband. I’ve lost both of my parents. And I’ve gone through that infamous hormonal transformation that compels every woman to experience a fundamental shift in perspective.
I was approaching my 40th birthday when I started- now I’m 56! The man who was then simply my boyfriend is now my devoted husband. I’ve lost both of my parents. And I’ve gone through that infamous hormonal transformation that compels every woman to experience a fundamental shift in perspective.
I’m unbelievably fortunate. I have love, support, fun activities, and close relationships with family and friends. In truth, I have an absolutely wonderful life- the question is: how do I want to spend it?
I do know one thing: I want to keep creating.
I do know one thing: I want to keep creating.
A page from my journal.
My work has gotten more personal as the years have gone by. More personal, and frankly, better. My direction may not be to everyone’s taste, but its complexity and depth has grown with experience. I am a better artist now than I was 16 years ago, and I intend to get better.
In the meantime, I’m deeply exploring what drives me to create—the "prime mover" behind my art. My hope is to eventually be fully aligned with that force.
In the meantime, I’m deeply exploring what drives me to create—the "prime mover" behind my art. My hope is to eventually be fully aligned with that force.
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Seahenge 36x24 on two panels ©Leslie Peterson Sapp
"Seahenge" is a misnomer.
But, when it was excavated in 1998, a clever journalist called it "The Stonehenge of the Sea," and the name stuck.
Not to get too nerdy, but a "henge" is actually a circular ditch and bank, but only when the ditch is on the inside of the bank, as opposed to the outside of the ditch.
In fact, even Stonehenge isn't technically a henge, but a "stone circle."
In fact, even Stonehenge isn't technically a henge, but a "stone circle."
Arbor Low Henge, Derbyshire, UK
Seahenge, however, is a timber circle, created in about 2049 BCE.
Timber circle, reconstructed for Time Team. photo: Julian Thomas
Like stone circles, timber circles were ritual monuments from the Neolithic and early Bronze Age in Northern Europe. (However, similar structures were also built in other places and times across the globe- anywhere with trees, I guess.)
Actually, there were many more timber circles than there are stone circles. Wood, however, decomposes.
Archeologists are experts at being able to read the soil. Different colors and textures can tell a trained archeologist whether the ground was disturbed and what might have been buried there.
Timber circles can be detected only by the ghostly remnants of the post holes, evidenced by circles of differently colored soil.
Timber circles can be detected only by the ghostly remnants of the post holes, evidenced by circles of differently colored soil.
Post hole. Isn't archeology glamorous?
Unless, of course, the wood exists in a low-oxygen environment.
From the Salt-marsh to the Sea
This monument was not, in fact, built on the beach.
Back in 2049 BCE, sea levels were lower than now. Back then, the site of Seahenge was a salt marsh, teeming with wildlife- and sodden, low-oxygen soil.
The tree trunks decomposed above the marsh, but endured in the marshy soil. Eventually, the sea inundated the marsh, and the remains of the timber monument hibernated beneath the sea floor.
Seahenge. photo: Andy Burnham
Then, in 1998, two amateur archeologists on the southwestern coast of England found some bronze axe heads and espied some unusual bits of wood sticking up from the sand. Sea tides had scooped away the sand and exposed the stubs of tree trunks. They notified the local museum, and experts quickly realized the significance of their find.
Plan of Seahenge, after Pryor 2001
The configuration of the timbers is a bit unusual. Instead of being spaced apart to create a permeable boundary, they are planted side by side, like a fence. It is estimated the timbers stood about 10 feet above the ground. They are split lengthwise, with the bark-side facing outward.
One tree trunk is forked, so it could be used as a narrow passage way. Another tree trunk was placed in front of it, so that while someone could squeeze their way in, it would be difficult to see what was inside.
One tree trunk is forked, so it could be used as a narrow passage way. Another tree trunk was placed in front of it, so that while someone could squeeze their way in, it would be difficult to see what was inside.
Oak trees do not grow in salt marshes, and it is thought that the trees were transported quite a long distance.
The fact that a timber circle was preserved at all was noteworthy. But what makes Seahenge so astonishing is the up-turned oak tree in its center.
The fact that a timber circle was preserved at all was noteworthy. But what makes Seahenge so astonishing is the up-turned oak tree in its center.
The Inverted Oak Tree
Seahenge trunk being excavated. Photo: Norfolk Museums Collection
The oak tree trunk is a much larger tree than the rest; it measures 8 feet and weighs over a ton.
As soon as the wood of the trunk and timbers were exposed to the air, they started to deteriorate rapidly. They were all removed and went through an elaborate preservation process, involving fresh water tanks, a special wax, and polyethylene glycol, which gradually strengthened the cell structure of the wood.
As soon as the wood of the trunk and timbers were exposed to the air, they started to deteriorate rapidly. They were all removed and went through an elaborate preservation process, involving fresh water tanks, a special wax, and polyethylene glycol, which gradually strengthened the cell structure of the wood.
Seahenge trunk at Lynn Museum, Norfolk, UK.
The trunk and many of the timbers are now on display at The Lynn Museum, about 20 miles away from its original location.**
The question, as always, is why? Why build this?
There are a number of theories, but the main one is this: This was a sky burial.
The question, as always, is why? Why build this?
There are a number of theories, but the main one is this: This was a sky burial.
Sky Burial
A sky burial is when human remains are left to decompose with the help of carrion birds. It's a practice most notable in Tibet and historically with some North American tribes. The remains are situated in some way to facilitate consumption by birds, and discourage consumption by larger animals, which would dismember and move the body around. The point is to have the remains excarnated, without being totally ravaged.
Sometimes the body is elevated on a platform or tree. In the case of Seahenge, the remains were placed in the bowl-like shape of the tree root system, then the protective timber circle was constructed to keep larger animals away.
Sometimes the body is elevated on a platform or tree. In the case of Seahenge, the remains were placed in the bowl-like shape of the tree root system, then the protective timber circle was constructed to keep larger animals away.
The Tree of Life and Death
But none of this answers the question: Why an inverted tree? Why not just a platform like what is in Holme II, another timber circle only 100 meters away?
It could be that the tree root system simply created that bowl-like shape, suitable for cradling human remains. But I don’t think so. It seems to me it’s meant to imply the tree continues downward under the earth, into the underworld.
It could be that the tree root system simply created that bowl-like shape, suitable for cradling human remains. But I don’t think so. It seems to me it’s meant to imply the tree continues downward under the earth, into the underworld.
My interpretation may be influenced by what I have learned about The Journey of the Sun, a Nordic Bronze Age theology, where it is believed the sun travels across the sky during the day, and then returns under the earth to rise again the next day. (To learn more about The Journey of the Sun, read my blog entries about The Sun’s Nocturnal Return, The Nebra Sky Disc, and Tree Burial I & II.)
The Seahenge monument is from the Neolithic, and predates the Bronze Age by many centuries. But it still implies to me that there was a conception of an underworld, a place where the deceased go, mimicking the sun’s decent. This idea of cycles- day and night, life and death- is echoed in the inverted tree, symbolizing an upside-down world.
Seahenge Photo: Andy Burnham
Having said all this, my art isn’t just about objects and places from the past; it’s also about the passage of time and how we regard these objects and places now. So, even though this monument was created in a salt marsh, and wasn’t some beach driftwood sculpture, it’s inundation by the sea effects my imagination. The moment I saw images of it, I couldn’t help but envision this inverted oak tree as living under the sea, upside down in a subterranean ocean.
My Artistic Process
I am not actually that great of a shopper. I know it seems strange to think of this activity as a skill, but believe me, it is.
My husband excels at shopping. He seems to relish it, knows what he wants, and never wanders into a store half-cocked.
I, on the other hand, often launch forth without researching, without calling, just wandering out assuming that whatever it is I want will just be there waiting for me.
My husband excels at shopping. He seems to relish it, knows what he wants, and never wanders into a store half-cocked.
I, on the other hand, often launch forth without researching, without calling, just wandering out assuming that whatever it is I want will just be there waiting for me.
This time was such a moment. I have been really good and disciplined about CALLING the art store before going to make sure they have the panel size I want. But this time, for some reason, I didn't. I just went.
Following the visual impression in my mind, I wanted a 36x24 panel. They didn't have it. But when I am in this state of mind, it is difficult for me to accept the brutal fact that I should have called and now I have to go to another art store... or change my plans.
Following the visual impression in my mind, I wanted a 36x24 panel. They didn't have it. But when I am in this state of mind, it is difficult for me to accept the brutal fact that I should have called and now I have to go to another art store... or change my plans.
I know I'm mathematically challenged, but even I could calculate that two 18x24 panels equals 36x24.
I thought, this could really work out.
In my visual impression of the piece, I envisioned an upper world, and a lower world, as if the upturned tree trunk was an entire tree, living in the world below.
I snatched up two 18x24 panels and happily made my way home. I started with this small sketch here.
I thought, this could really work out.
In my visual impression of the piece, I envisioned an upper world, and a lower world, as if the upturned tree trunk was an entire tree, living in the world below.
I snatched up two 18x24 panels and happily made my way home. I started with this small sketch here.
I used a piece of wood and some C-clamps to keep the two panels an inch apart. Then I sketched my idea directly on the panels with charcoal.
Then I commenced the important step of creating my colored ground.
The colored ground was essential to capture what my visual impressions were showing me.
I wanted to start at the top of the panels with a lavender-sky-blue, and gradually deepen and darken into a deep, undersea-purple.
My first attempt was awful. I repainted the whole thing with white gesso again, and started over. This time I used acrylic drying retarder and sponge rollers.
I wanted to start at the top of the panels with a lavender-sky-blue, and gradually deepen and darken into a deep, undersea-purple.
My first attempt was awful. I repainted the whole thing with white gesso again, and started over. This time I used acrylic drying retarder and sponge rollers.
When done, I started to create bubble-like marks below. I did this by spraying or sprinkling rubbing alcohol on the acrylic paint, waiting a moment, then rubbing it off. The alcohol temporarily breaks down the acrylic so that it can be removed. The result is a speckling effect. I also dipped plastic lids of different sizes in rubbing alcohol, placed them on the panel to create little circles of alcohol, and then rubbing that off. The effect looks like a transparent bubble.
I redrew in my sketch, and then had to dust off my landscape painting skills, and try to do justice to some of the beautiful pictures that were taken of Seahenge before it was removed from the site.
After working on that top half for a while, I had to tackle the under-water tree.
In my minds eye, I could not help but be reminded of Yggdrasil.
Sounds like an exotic breakfast dish, but it is, in fact, a cosmic tree from Viking Age mythology.
The World Tree, The Cosmic Tree, The Tree of Life- there are many names for this archetypal symbol. It represents the essential order of the cosmos, and connects the heavens, earth, and underworld.
Sounds like an exotic breakfast dish, but it is, in fact, a cosmic tree from Viking Age mythology.
The World Tree, The Cosmic Tree, The Tree of Life- there are many names for this archetypal symbol. It represents the essential order of the cosmos, and connects the heavens, earth, and underworld.
Yggdrasil, ©Nerdscape Digital Creations
But in this case, the tree is upside down.
Using visual references of actual oak trees and a disturbing amount of AI generated trees floating in water, I drew and painted my tree, sometimes upside down, and sometimes flipping the panel over to right side up.
But the main act of painting was not the tree itself, but the water around it.
Again using rubbing alcohol, I misted the panel, then used a rag to scrub away paint slightly, creating a back-lit effect around the tree.
Using this technique, I created a luminous, sparkling atmosphere.
Again using rubbing alcohol, I misted the panel, then used a rag to scrub away paint slightly, creating a back-lit effect around the tree.
Using this technique, I created a luminous, sparkling atmosphere.
Cycles of Life and Death
As is so often the case in this series of Archeology Art, my subject ultimately is about the Life/Death cycle.
We humans commonly reassure ourselves by believing that we don’t really die. Our loved ones still exist somewhere, and that when we die, we will go there too. Some visions on the afterlife are pretty bleak, some are frightening, and some are comforting. But it’s almost universal to believe in something other than the notion that when we die, we are simply… gone.
It sounds macabre, and often it is. But just as often it is life-affirming, not nihilistic. Especially when the exploration of life's cycles results in monuments, or simple paintings, of beauty and wonder.
Seahenge 36x24 on two panels ©Leslie Peterson Sapp
** There has been real controversy related to the excavation and removal of Seahenge. Neo-pagan groups have stated that it desecrated the intentions of the ancestors. Partly because of this, Holme II- another timber circle built nearby at the same time as Seahenge- has been left in situ. It's deterioration, due to the elements and its exposure to oxygen, is being studied by archeologists.
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The Sun's Nocturnal Return 30x30 Acrylic, charcoal, conte, archival pen on collage on panel.
The Sun's Nocturnal Return 30x30 ©Leslie Peterson Sapp
Artistic Progeny
Guided by my inner bloodhound, I followed the trail of symbols and themes I discovered in the first three pieces, and it led me here, to The Sun's Nocturnal Return.
To read more about these seminal pieces, click the titles below:
The Nebra Sky Disc
Tree Burial I
Tree Burial II
To read more about these seminal pieces, click the titles below:
The Nebra Sky Disc
Tree Burial I
Tree Burial II
My Artistic Process
I launched forward with confidence. Following my inner visual impressions, I used charcoal and white chalk to draw in the general idea.
But, when I painted the boat in, I felt such over whelming distaste, I accused myself of handling paint like an 8th grader. (I'm not sure why now, it doesn't look as bad as I remember it!)
Overcome with a haunting repugnance, I went into my studio later that night and scratched the paint away with a razor blade!
Overcome with a haunting repugnance, I went into my studio later that night and scratched the paint away with a razor blade!
But, surprisingly...
It ended up looking really kinda cool!
It looked like a super-nova in the center of my sky-and-sea-scape.
Following my impulses and laying aside self-doubt, I went forward with what I had inadvertently created.
I was having a heck of a time being able to depict a Nordic petroglyph in a way I found satisfying. Most of the images I saw were filled with red paint and photographed in daylight. This is a great way to show off the images to viewers.
Madsebakke-schiff Solar boat petroglyph, Bornholm, Denmark.
But then I watched an online lecture about the petroglyphs and learned that the red paint is a modern treatment, and that if the petroglyphs are left clear, but photographed with raked light (such as dawn, sunset, or at night with a single light source,) the viewer can have a far richer experience.
Sotetorp 3561. Tanum parish. Bohuslän. After Almgren 1983.
This image is from a site named Tanum Sotetorp in Sweden. It depicts a solar ship, with two horned creatures with axes and swords flanking a crew of anonymous, peg-like rowers. Hovering above the ship is a man or creature or god executing a back-bend or a flip.
I learned doing Tree Burial I that a dancer doing a back-bend may have been symbolic of the sun on it's return journey, a reversal, a cycle.
It seemed perfect for The Sun's Nocturnal Return.
Using charcoal and white chalk, I was able to produce a more satisfying rendition of the solar boat.
I learned doing Tree Burial I that a dancer doing a back-bend may have been symbolic of the sun on it's return journey, a reversal, a cycle.
It seemed perfect for The Sun's Nocturnal Return.
Using charcoal and white chalk, I was able to produce a more satisfying rendition of the solar boat.
With all this supernova nocturnal energy, I wanted to cool it all down with another tracing of the Hjortspring Boat. As I wrote in my blog entry about Tree Burial I, I love the graceful, precise elegance of the boat plans and how it contrasts with other, more expressive elements.
From here, I elaborated on the constellations above the scene. These are Gemini, Taurus and Ares. This is because these are the same constellations from the grand-daddy of this piece, The Nebra Sky Disc.
I write more about why I chose those constellations in my blog entry about it.
I also went to town elaborating on the water-sky marks that look like splashes, bubbles, or heavenly bodies. I did this by spraying or sprinkling rubbing alcohol on the acrylic paint, waiting a moment, then rubbing it off. The alcohol temporarily breaks down the acrylic so that it can be removed. The result is the speckling effect.
I love doing this. It's so fun.
I love doing this. It's so fun.
Adding Text
Next, I engaged with the text.
Using some typewriter-style stencils, I wrote text across the sky and under the sea. It is a bit off-kilter, and uneven in its color, as if your typewriter became possessed and tried to send you messages from beyond.
The Journey of the Sun Across the Sky
The Sun's Nocturnal Return
Across the top and the bottom on the piece, I inserted text, as if a storyteller was accompanying the visual language of my art.
The Sun's Nocturnal Return
Next, I added the same text using gold "interference" paint. Interference paint has a pearlescent, iridescent effect that changes depending on the angle you view it, and is very difficult to photograph. I also enclosed the back-bending figure in an iridescent orb, reminiscent of the sun.
I bandied back and forth with how pronounced or obscured all the lettering would be. A lot of painting, then wiping off.
I bandied back and forth with how pronounced or obscured all the lettering would be. A lot of painting, then wiping off.
The Hjortspring Boat - Deposited in a Bog as a Votive Offering
In addition to the sky-sea text, I included text in reference to the Hjortspring Boat. in contrast to the crazy, possessed typewriter font in the sea-sky, this text is very clear, calm, and of this world.
Utimately, I have created a tiny, animate world, where the stars leap across the cosmos, the sun is ferried by a boat full of oarsmen, and we on the earthly plane try with our orderly plans to make sense of it all.
The Sun's Nocturnal Return 30x30 ©Leslie Peterson Sapp
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Tree Burial II is a veritable layer cake of symbols and artistic impulses. Follow along to untangle this gritty, glorious web.
Tree Burial II ©Leslie Peterson Sapp
Tree Burial II is a continuation of images and concepts I developed for Tree Burial I and The Nebra Sky Disc. It is a free-wheeling jazz riff on elements I gleaned during research for these pieces, elements including, but not limited to:
- Solar Boats
- Bronze Belt Plates
- Sun Spirals
- Tree Trunks Made Into Coffins
- Experimental Archeology
- Scandinavian Petroglyphs
- Tree Spirits
- Ancient Boat Construction Plans
- The Life/Death Cycle.
You can learn more about the two pieces that inspired all this crazy scientist research by reading the blog entries I have written for them. Click on their titles just below.
The Nebra Sky Disc
Tree Burial I
The Nebra Sky Disc
Tree Burial I
Cosmological Seacraft
It all started when I tried to understand the strange “smiley face” at the bottom edge of the original Nebra Sky Disc, an element that I simply could not include in my artistic rendition of it. (Read the blog entry and you'll know why.)
© Kenneth Garrett
In my research I learned about something called The Journey of the Sun.
By studying various Nordic Bronze Age artifacts- such as rock art, gold votive offerings, bronze razors, and belt plates- experts have been able to piece together a generalized belief system that goes like this:
With the assistance of various cosmological creatures, the Sun traverses the arch of the sky, and at night, completes its return journey beneath the land and sea to reemerge the following day. This cycle of light and dark, day and night, symbolizes the cyclical nature of life and death.
Nordic Petroglyphs
The reason why I was so intent on following this train of thought was because I was (and still am) confused by the shape of the "solar boat" (smiley face) on the Nebra Sky Disc. It is an almost perfect arch, and yet Bronze Age depictions boats generally have a flat, shallow keel.
This led me to learn more about ancient boat construction, and the various experimental archeology projects that seek to reconstruct found boat remains.
Reconstruction plan of the Hjortspring Boat
Sun Spirals
Tree Burial I and II are inspired by an amalgamation of several tree burials from the Nordic Bronze Age, especially one known as Egtved Girl. She was buried in Denmark around 1370 BCE. Because of the conditions in the burial mound, her clothing is in an almost perfect state of preservation.
One of the most striking elements of Egtved Girl's burial is her bronze belt plate. It's 6 inches across, and is etched with a tight spiral motif.
One of the most striking elements of Egtved Girl's burial is her bronze belt plate. It's 6 inches across, and is etched with a tight spiral motif.
Egtved Girl's Belt Plate
Anni Brøgger is a professional dancer who did her own form of experimental archeology.
She performed a dance wearing a copy of Egtved Girl's costume. During the dance, the sun glinted and danced through the spirals on the shiny bronze belt plate. In a time with no lights and very little reflective metal, it must have seemed like magic.
She performed a dance wearing a copy of Egtved Girl's costume. During the dance, the sun glinted and danced through the spirals on the shiny bronze belt plate. In a time with no lights and very little reflective metal, it must have seemed like magic.
My Artistic Process
Confession: I tend to overthink things.
I usually embark on making a piece of art with a plan. I know, more or less, what I'm gonna do, how I'm gonna do it, and more or less, what it'll look like when I'm done.
It's safer that way.
Safe, like staying indoors, yet casting furtive, envious glances out the window to see your pals playing in the mud.
It's safer that way.
Safe, like staying indoors, yet casting furtive, envious glances out the window to see your pals playing in the mud.
Not so, with this piece.
Tree Burial II started its life as a 48x40 drawing on a roll of watercolor paper. After working on it a bit, I changed course and purchased an even larger, 60x40 wood panel, which became Tree Burial I.
I put the original drawing aside.
But then I was seized by the desire to... tear it up!
I put the original drawing aside.
But then I was seized by the desire to... tear it up!
The beginning...
Just before I tore it up.
Visual Impressions
People sometimes ask where I get my ideas. Well, I often get visual impressions in my mind, which serve as a launching point.
What happened next.
I had a visual impression of tearing the sides of the drawing off and mounting it on a 48x24 panel.
Once this happened, the piece changed in fundamental ways.
Art mediums (paint, charcoal, collage, etc) can be used in two ways: It can be used to create a cohesive, alternate reality, OR it can be used to refer to itself.
And once I tore that paper, it no longer became a representation of a tree, it became a piece of torn paper with an image of a tree on it.
The abstraction grew from there.
Once this happened, the piece changed in fundamental ways.
Art mediums (paint, charcoal, collage, etc) can be used in two ways: It can be used to create a cohesive, alternate reality, OR it can be used to refer to itself.
And once I tore that paper, it no longer became a representation of a tree, it became a piece of torn paper with an image of a tree on it.
The abstraction grew from there.
Geometric Tendencies
I find myself attracted to square and double-square formats. In this case, I used a 48x24 panel, which I stained with burnt umber to bring out the wood grain, referring to the wood of the tree and tree coffin.
Since the double-square panel is made up of two 24x24 inch squares, I used my huge compass to describe two circles, each emanating from the center of each square. It looked a bit like a figure 8. The number "8" flipped on it's side makes an infinity symbol.*
Led by another visual impression, I was inspired by this tiny painting by Fra Angelico in 1424. It's actually an "S" in an illuminated manuscript.
Led by another visual impression, I was inspired by this tiny painting by Fra Angelico in 1424. It's actually an "S" in an illuminated manuscript.
Madonna of Mercy with Kneeling Friars, c1424, Fra Angelico
I love the fishes twirling and consuming each other, with the calm presence of the Madonna in the center. It brings to mind the Ouroboros, another symbol of the life/death cycle.
Solar Boat Petroglyphs
Spurned on by my fascination with The Journey of the Sun, I sought out Nordic solar boat images that would suit.
Most surviving examples are from Scandinavian Petroglyphs.
Most surviving examples are from Scandinavian Petroglyphs.
Simrishamn rock carving, ©SSfPA
Madsebakke-schiff Solar boat petroglyph, Bornholm, Denmark.
I started to add drawings of the petroglyphs around the circles. I also created a boat-like shape, seen from above. This boat-like shape stretches from top to bottom, enclosing the figure of Egtved Girl inside. It is reminiscent of an aureole surrounding a spiritual being.
Another tendency of mine is that I want to explain things in a literal fashion. Perhaps it is an artistic failing. OR maybe it's the way my mind works.
I really, REALLY want you all to know these are boats. I know they sort of don't look like boats. Let me show you a boat.
Enter, the Hjortspring Boat.
The Hjortspring Boat is actually from the Iron Age, but whose counting? It was deposited in a bog as an offering, and it is a somewhat intact boat from pre-Roman (before written language) Northern Europe. It's a good example of what Bronze Age boats were probably like.
Plan of the Hjortspring Boat
I love the graceful, precise elegance of the boat plans. They contrast beautifully with the earthy, gritty textures of wood grain, charcoal, and torn paper.
Unlike some of my other pieces, the images in this work are not inkjet prints. Instead, they are hand-drawn tracings of the plans.
Unlike some of my other pieces, the images in this work are not inkjet prints. Instead, they are hand-drawn tracings of the plans.
Following a Trail
In this series of Archeology Art, I find my inner bloodhound is taking a lead role.
Merriam Webster's second definition of bloodhound is "a person keen in pursuit."
Keen in pursuit. I am putting aside self-doubt in exchange for beguilement.
Merriam Webster's second definition of bloodhound is "a person keen in pursuit."
Keen in pursuit. I am putting aside self-doubt in exchange for beguilement.
An addendum to this entry is that Tree Burial I begat yet another piece about boats, stars, and sun-cycles entitled The Sun's Nocturnal Return. You can see and read about it HERE.
Tree Burial II 48x24 Acrylic, collage, charcoal, conte, archival ink, acrylic heavy gel on panel
Appendix:
Want to make an infinity symbol?
For a MAC, press Option 5 on the keyboard.
For everybody else, hold the ALT key and type 236 on the number keypad on the right of your keyboard.
For a MAC, press Option 5 on the keyboard.
For everybody else, hold the ALT key and type 236 on the number keypad on the right of your keyboard.
∞
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This large 60x40 painting is inspired from am amalgamation of several different tree burials from the Nordic Bronze Age.
Tree Burial I, 60x40 acrylic on panel ©Leslie Peterson Sapp
Tree trunk, or log coffins were not an uncommon way for elites to be buried. Versions of the practice have been found in Europe, Africa, China and even Australia. In Europe, it was practiced from prehistoric times all the way up to the Medieval period.
The first time I saw an image of a tree burial, what grabbed my attention is the thought of something so grand, and well, so vertical would be felled, and buried beneath the earth, eternally horizontal, to intern the dead.
With a modern, conventional coffin, the tree is no longer a tree, but a series of dressed planks, fashioned into a box.
With a modern, conventional coffin, the tree is no longer a tree, but a series of dressed planks, fashioned into a box.
But a tree trunk coffin is simply split length wise, with its inside hollowed out, like a canoe. The beloved is laid out with grave goods that were meant to assist the deceased in the afterlife.
This implies that the loved one is still somehow living in the tree trunk, like a tree spirit.
Tree spirits are a world-wide phenomenon. In Greek mythology, the Dryads were spirits of the woodland in general, and Hamadryads were spirits that lived in a specific tree itself.
I'm sure I'm reading into this in my own, artistic, unscientific fashion. Log coffins were probably used because of the way they preserved the body of the deceased. But I can't help myself.
There is something so juicy about the tree as a symbol of the life/death cycle.
This implies that the loved one is still somehow living in the tree trunk, like a tree spirit.
Tree spirits are a world-wide phenomenon. In Greek mythology, the Dryads were spirits of the woodland in general, and Hamadryads were spirits that lived in a specific tree itself.
I'm sure I'm reading into this in my own, artistic, unscientific fashion. Log coffins were probably used because of the way they preserved the body of the deceased. But I can't help myself.
There is something so juicy about the tree as a symbol of the life/death cycle.
Dryad, 1884, Evelyn de Morgan
The Egtved Girl
In 1921, near the town of Egtved, a farmer dug and spread soil from a mound on his farm. In it he found a large, recumbent oak tree trunk.
Log coffins had been being unearthed for about a century in Denmark, so, he knew what he had run into. He wrote a letter to the National Museum of Denmark, telling them what he’d found, with a request that they hurry up and come take a look, because, after all, he had work to do.
The Egtved Girl ©National Museum of Denmark
After excavating the log coffin, they transported it to the museum and very carefully investigated, using the most advanced techniques available in 1921.
It was determined that the log coffin had been made in about 1370 BCE.
It was determined that the log coffin had been made in about 1370 BCE.
One of the fascinating things about human remains is the often odd, unpredictable ways in which they are preserved, especially when they are in an environment that lacks that great decomposer, oxygen.
Often, they are mummified, but the results of this mummification varies from find to find. In the case of Egtved Girl, the hair, brain, teeth, fingernails, and every stitch of clothing was preserved.
But the skin, muscles, the very bones, had simply dissolved away, leaving the clothes empty, like someone had been carefully considering an outfit, and had laid their clothes out to look at.
Often, they are mummified, but the results of this mummification varies from find to find. In the case of Egtved Girl, the hair, brain, teeth, fingernails, and every stitch of clothing was preserved.
But the skin, muscles, the very bones, had simply dissolved away, leaving the clothes empty, like someone had been carefully considering an outfit, and had laid their clothes out to look at.
Grave Goods
Egtved Girl's age and gender are unique in such a rich grave. From her teeth, we can tell she was about 16-18 years old when she died. In the coffin with her are:
- a pretty comb
- a small earring
- two arm rings
- an awl in a small birch-bark box
- a bark bucket with remnants of beer
- yarrow blossoms (showing she was buried in the summer)
- a bundle with the cremated bones of a small child.
But it is her clothing that makes her so famous.
She wore a short, wool blouse. She had a quite short skirt made up of cords, so that when she moved, you could probably see her nether regions through it. (This caused a scandal back in 1921 when it was discovered!)
But her signature fashion feature was her bronze belt plate.
She wore a short, wool blouse. She had a quite short skirt made up of cords, so that when she moved, you could probably see her nether regions through it. (This caused a scandal back in 1921 when it was discovered!)
But her signature fashion feature was her bronze belt plate.
It hung on a woven belt, and is nearly 6 inches across.
It is adorned with intricate engraving, including two bands of a spiral motif.
Spirals and circles are symbols of the sun, so it is probable that the belt plate was an expression of the sun worship of the Nordic Bronze Age. (I wrote a bit more about this in my entry about The Nebra Sky Disc.)
It is adorned with intricate engraving, including two bands of a spiral motif.
Spirals and circles are symbols of the sun, so it is probable that the belt plate was an expression of the sun worship of the Nordic Bronze Age. (I wrote a bit more about this in my entry about The Nebra Sky Disc.)
My Creative Process
In making Tree Burial, I chose to include elements from various tree burials, though Egtved is the main one.
As I mentioned, this piece is on a 60x40 panel.
Working large is always an educational experience, and I had the extra bonus lesson that 60x40 is ABSOLUTELY the largest size I can fit into my beloved Kia Soul.
I got it in with a quarter inch to spare, with my knees hitting the steering column as I drove.
First, I did an energetic drawing of the Egtved burial, but instead of it lying prone in the earth, I set it vertically, in, or hovering over, a large oak tree.
As you can see, I am already contemplating a horizon, and a large circle seemingly emanating from the belt plate.
Next, I painted the tree a dark purplish color, and rendered oak leaves.
Here is where I started to integrate images from other tree burials.
On the right, a plan of the site Borum Eshøj, drawn by Konrad Engelhardt in 1875.
On the left, a photograph of workers excavating the Guldhøj site in 1891.
On the right, a plan of the site Borum Eshøj, drawn by Konrad Engelhardt in 1875.
On the left, a photograph of workers excavating the Guldhøj site in 1891.
These I traced onto my panel using transfer paper, which I then re-drew with pencil and paint.
Next I worked on that belt plate.
I painted it with bronze colored paint. It looked quite arresting there, near the center of the painting!
Getting the spirals correct took a bit of time.
I painted it with bronze colored paint. It looked quite arresting there, near the center of the painting!
Getting the spirals correct took a bit of time.
After this, I reinforced the circular shape that seems to hover over the entire scene.
How do you think I drew such a large circle? (Best Christmas gift ever!)
At the bottom of this entry, you can see a fun video of me using this big beauty!
Life, Death and Wonder
Presumably, we make art so that someone will hang it on their wall.
So, sometimes I have to pause and ask myself; why would someone want a large painting of a burial, no matter how interesting it might be?
In my series, Archeology Art, I find myself dealing with some pretty macabre subjects, such as burials and remains. But I guess, I just don't experience them that way.
In pre-modern times, death was all around us, all the time. The loss of a loved one is difficult for anyone, regardless of how frequently death visits. However, people in the past seemed to have a very different relationship to human remains, handling them with aplomb, even with creativity. They dressed them, provided for them, moved them around, took them from one grave to another, disarticulated their bones, even took pieces of them home to live with them and their families, a sort of eternal house guest.
Our modern world has moved away from this cozy relationship with the dead. This shift is understandable; it's human nature to avoid pain, especially the existential terror that accompanies losing someone. And yet, it is just another way that we have been cut off from the natural world.
In Tree Burial I, I blend elements of death (coffin, corpse,) and life (tree, yarrow, sun-spirals,) along with tokens from the modern excavation.
I creatively explore the theme of the life/death cycle in my unique, modern way.
So, sometimes I have to pause and ask myself; why would someone want a large painting of a burial, no matter how interesting it might be?
In my series, Archeology Art, I find myself dealing with some pretty macabre subjects, such as burials and remains. But I guess, I just don't experience them that way.
In pre-modern times, death was all around us, all the time. The loss of a loved one is difficult for anyone, regardless of how frequently death visits. However, people in the past seemed to have a very different relationship to human remains, handling them with aplomb, even with creativity. They dressed them, provided for them, moved them around, took them from one grave to another, disarticulated their bones, even took pieces of them home to live with them and their families, a sort of eternal house guest.
Our modern world has moved away from this cozy relationship with the dead. This shift is understandable; it's human nature to avoid pain, especially the existential terror that accompanies losing someone. And yet, it is just another way that we have been cut off from the natural world.
In Tree Burial I, I blend elements of death (coffin, corpse,) and life (tree, yarrow, sun-spirals,) along with tokens from the modern excavation.
I creatively explore the theme of the life/death cycle in my unique, modern way.
Tree Burial I, 60x40, acrylic on panel, ©Leslie Peterson Sapp
Video of My Cool Compass...
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In 1999, two looters* plundered a mound atop Mittelburg Hill near Nebra, Germany.
The Nebra Sky Disk, 24x24, acrylic on panel, ©Leslie Peterson Sapp
It was quite the payload. They found two bronze swords, two axe heads, a chisel, spiral armbands, and a strange, circular object.
Original Artefact
This enigmatic artifact is about 12 inches in diameter, made from hammered bronze and gold appliques.
The artisans who created it treated it with rotten eggs, causing a chemical reaction, which made the bronze a deep violet, sort of like the color of the night sky. Over the millennia, the violet has turned into a beautiful blue-green patina.
The artisans who created it treated it with rotten eggs, causing a chemical reaction, which made the bronze a deep violet, sort of like the color of the night sky. Over the millennia, the violet has turned into a beautiful blue-green patina.
Archeologists established it was created about 1800-1600 BCE- about 3,700 years ago.
BTW, I know you want to call it the Nebula Sky Disk- but it's NEBRA.
The Nebra Sky Disk stands alone as a beautiful object, yet it seems to also have a purpose and function aside from mere aesthetic enjoyment.
What does the disk signify, and what was it for? Experts have debated this since its discovery, and there are conflicting interpretations. But there are a few theories that are generally agreed upon.
It is believed that the Nebra Sky Disk is an astronomical calendar, depicting moons, star constellations, the positions of the winter and summer solstices, and a “solar ship,” associated with an ancient belief that the sun was carried across the sky by a cosmic boat.
The disk was in use for several centuries before it was buried, and went it through multiple incarnations.
Phases of the Nebra Sky Disk © Ranier Zenz
Phase One: First, the gold dots where applied, along with the gold circle and crescent.
Phase Two: At some later date, the two parenthesis shaped arcs were added.
Phase Three: Then, even later, the asymmetrical arc at the bottom was added.
Phase Four: THEN, several centuries after all that, its perimeter was perforated with about 40 small holes.
Phase… Five?
Phase Two: At some later date, the two parenthesis shaped arcs were added.
Phase Three: Then, even later, the asymmetrical arc at the bottom was added.
Phase Four: THEN, several centuries after all that, its perimeter was perforated with about 40 small holes.
Phase… Five?
The alterations to the disk implies that the significance and use of the disk CHANGED over time.
Phase One: What Day Is It?
How do you keep track of time? A calendar? What about before there were calendars? AND, who cares?
In the disks first stage, the gold dots where applied, (thought to represent stars) along with the gold circle (thought to represent the sun or full moon,) and the crescent (thought to represent a crescent moon).
In the disks first stage, the gold dots where applied, (thought to represent stars) along with the gold circle (thought to represent the sun or full moon,) and the crescent (thought to represent a crescent moon).
Phase 1 © Ranier Zenz
You may notice that between the full and crescent moon, there is a little cluster of seven stars. These are thought to represent the Pleiades.
The Pleiades are considered “calendar stars,” because, in the Northern Hemisphere, they only appear between October and March.
The Pleiades are considered “calendar stars,” because, in the Northern Hemisphere, they only appear between October and March.
Okay. This is really difficult for me to wrap my head around, so bear with me.
A solar calendar is meant to express the earth going around the Sun. It is great for keeping track the days of the year.
A lunar calendar is meant to express how often the moon goes around the earth, and it is great for keeping track of weeks and months.
The problem is, they don’t line up.
A solar calendar is meant to express the earth going around the Sun. It is great for keeping track the days of the year.
A lunar calendar is meant to express how often the moon goes around the earth, and it is great for keeping track of weeks and months.
The problem is, they don’t line up.
The solar year is 11 days longer than the lunar year, so in only about 3 years, the months are off by about… a month.
In order to have a calendar with years AND months, regular exceptions must be made.
Different calendars over the millennia have dealt with this in various ways, (including our own, Gregorian calendar.)
In order to have a calendar with years AND months, regular exceptions must be made.
Different calendars over the millennia have dealt with this in various ways, (including our own, Gregorian calendar.)
Lunar cycle page from The Nebra Sky Disk handmade book ©LesliePetersonSapp
The Nebra Sky Disk represents one solution- AND it was done before this society (the Unetice culture) had any writing system.
The disk "...served as a reminder of when it was necessary to synchronize the lunar and solar years by inserting a leap month. This phenomenon occurred when the three-and-a-half-day-old moon—the crescent moon on the disc—was visible at the same time as the Pleiades." - Jarrett A. Lobell, Archeology Magazine
Whew. Is your brain exhausted? I know mine is!
Phase Two: Happy Solstice!
It’s well known that back in the day, celebrating the solstice, especially the winter solstice, wasn’t just a party. It was essential. You had to bring the sun back, or you’d all die.
How do you know when it’s the solstice? Who knows when it’s time?
How do you know when it’s the solstice? Who knows when it’s time?
Phase 2 © Ranier Zenz
In phase two, twin golden arcs on either side of the disk were applied. One of the arcs is now missing, possibly from damage inflicted when it was looted*.
It is clear they were added later, because they overlap some of the stars.
Additionally, chemical analysis reveals that the gold of the arcs was sourced from thousands of miles away from that of the moon and stars- another indication they were applied at different times. Yay science!
The arcs express an 82° span, which is exactly the span of the setting sun on the winter and summer solstices, when seen from Northern Europe.
When standing on top of Mittelburg Hill on the summer solstice, you will see the sun sets over a certain mountain in the distance, called the Brocken.
If you were to stand on that same hill and hold the Nebra Sky Disk up, and line the top part of that arc with the Brocken, then you’d be able to tell where the sun was in its yearly traverse.
If you were to stand on that same hill and hold the Nebra Sky Disk up, and line the top part of that arc with the Brocken, then you’d be able to tell where the sun was in its yearly traverse.
Graphic by Karol Schauer
You’d be able to tell when the winter solstice was nigh.
Phase Three: But What Does It Mean?
Many years after all of this, an enigmatic additional arc was added to the bottom of the disk.
Phase 3, © Ranier Zenz
This element was something that I had no choice but to take liberties with.
Because, I’m sure you’ve noticed, the addition of this arc makes the Nebra Sky Disk look like a happy face.
Once you’ve seen it, you can’t unsee it.
If I’m the original Sky Disk, to heck with it. Whaddaya gonna do? I’m the Sky Disk. Screw you.
But if I’m just little ol’ Leslie Peterson Sapp, doing a representation of the Sky Disk, I CAN’T make something that looks like a happy face. It simply can’t be done.
So, what do I do?
I investigate what this weird little thing is.
But if I’m just little ol’ Leslie Peterson Sapp, doing a representation of the Sky Disk, I CAN’T make something that looks like a happy face. It simply can’t be done.
So, what do I do?
I investigate what this weird little thing is.
Unlike the other two arcs on the disk, it’s asymmetrical. Furthermore, it has adornments. If you look closely, it has two lines that follow the shape of the arc, and the sides of the arc have small, feathery lines, like the legs of a centipede.
© Kenneth Garrett
Experts believe it is a representation of a solar boat.
What’s that?
What’s that?
A solar boat, barge, or ship is a common element the in the cosmology of many cultures across various places and times. This symbol embodies the belief that the sun is carried across the sky in a magical, celestial, maritime vessel.
When the sun sets, it continues its journey through the underworld, to return into view the following dawn.
When the sun sets, it continues its journey through the underworld, to return into view the following dawn.
I admit, the arc on the Nebra Sky Disk doesn’t look much like a boat. In fact, the tiny, feathery lines are thought to represent OARS. (Maybe the artisan who made it had never actually SEEN a boat?)
I was doubtful, until I started to see other, contemporaneous representations of solar boats.
I was doubtful, until I started to see other, contemporaneous representations of solar boats.
Miniature gold boats from Nors, Denmark
The journey of the sun ship
Madsebakke-schiff Solar boat petroglyph, Denmark.
Tanum Petrogylph, Sweden
By studying these different Bronze Age, Northern European artifacts, experts have been able to piece together a generalized belief system. These artifacts include rock art, golden boats, golden hats, bronze razors, standards and more.
If this little arc at the bottom of the disk is indeed a solar boat, it would mean that the usage of the Nebra Sky Disk had evolved over the centuries from a magical, but practical calendar device, to a cosmological totem.
Phase Four: Mascot
The fourth stage of the disk is one that entailed a bit of damage to the original artifact.
About 40 small holes were hammered in its perimeter. It is believed that these holes were created so that the disk could be affixed to a banner or some other standard, and could be held aloft to represent a tribe or other group identity.
About 40 small holes were hammered in its perimeter. It is believed that these holes were created so that the disk could be affixed to a banner or some other standard, and could be held aloft to represent a tribe or other group identity.
Phase 4 © Rainer Zenz
Phase… Five? Burial.
Replica of the find situation of the Nebra Sky Disk
It’s not technically considered a phase, but it is a phase.
After multiple centuries, the Nebra Sky Disk was buried. It was buried in a hoard of bronze objects, on top of Mittleburg Hill, the same place where the disk was probably used, back in it’s day.
After multiple centuries, the Nebra Sky Disk was buried. It was buried in a hoard of bronze objects, on top of Mittleburg Hill, the same place where the disk was probably used, back in it’s day.
The practice of depositing precious objects by burial, or by sinking in bogs or bodies of water, is a worldwide, timeless ritual, repeated ad infinitum through the ages. It seems to reflect a basic human impulse.
This was a rich offering to the gods, whomever they might have been. It may have been a way to bring closure to this very important symbol, even though its relevance may have run its course.
This was a rich offering to the gods, whomever they might have been. It may have been a way to bring closure to this very important symbol, even though its relevance may have run its course.
Who Controls Time?
Nobody does, clearly.
Time unfolds endlessly. We can’t see the future, and only vaguely remember the past.
Nevertheless, the planets circle, day goes into night, summer wanes to winter, and we get carried along with it, like a leaf on a stream.
The Nebra Sky Disk handmade book ©lesliepetersonsapp
Time does not change. The earth swings in its elliptical path around the sun, spinning around on its axis, unending for millions of years.
BUT, how we conceive of time is a social construct, and it has changed over the centuries.
Hunter-gatherer communities followed the food where it went, telling stories about creation and the cosmos as they went along. Time was the water they swam in.
BUT, how we conceive of time is a social construct, and it has changed over the centuries.
Hunter-gatherer communities followed the food where it went, telling stories about creation and the cosmos as they went along. Time was the water they swam in.
But, as our societies became more “complex,” and we became reliant on farming, the “specialization” of roles grew, and from this came… hierarchy.
Hierarchy and ownership. Territory and access to resources.
Different days of the year became significant, with milestones and celebrations. Who controls time? Who knows what day it is?
The people who understood the workings of this disk were magical people indeed. Very special people, whom others in the clan would trust and rely on.
Hierarchy and ownership. Territory and access to resources.
Different days of the year became significant, with milestones and celebrations. Who controls time? Who knows what day it is?
The people who understood the workings of this disk were magical people indeed. Very special people, whom others in the clan would trust and rely on.
The Nebra Sky Disk is a beautiful object, and like many beautiful artifacts of this world, including the ones I make, are made possible through specialization, hierarchy, and access to resources.
It is of this world, and yet it is transcendent.
It is of this world, and yet it is transcendent.
The Nebra Sky Disk, 24x24, acrylic on panel, ©Leslie Peterson Sapp
My Creative Process
When considering making The Nebra Sky Disk, I envisioned a circle within a square.
Auspiciously, I was able to find EXACTLY what I wanted: an 18 inch circular piece of wood, 1/4 inch thick at lowesorwhatever for only $13! Will wonders never cease?
First I hammered 40 holes along its perimeter, making sure to rough it up a bit as I went. Then I mounted it on a perfect 24x24 square panel.
I started the whole process by painting it all my favorite color, Prussian blue.
I started the whole process by painting it all my favorite color, Prussian blue.
As I am wont to do lately, I also started a small, handmade book as a way to capture thoughts and work out my ideas. I have been showing a few of the pages throughout this blog entry, but I have also devoted a separate blog entry to the book HERE.
The Nebra Sky Disk has gold applique symbols on it. In order to emulate the raised lip of the applied gold, I decided to create stencils, then trowel on gold paint thickly with my palette knife.
From this angle, you can see that the disk itself is also raised, because it is made from that thin piece of circular wood.
Constellations
I have never been into astronomy or astrology. Aside from a certain fascination with moon phases, I have stood back and watched others' interest in it, sort of wishing I could get interested, too. But through doing this piece, I have started to feel like there may be a hook for me.
The Pleiades is close to the constellation of Taurus.
I imagined what it might be like to live in a world where the sky, indeed, all of existence was alive and animate. With all our incredible gains through science and technology, it's one of the things that we have lost.
I imagined what it might be like to live in a world where the sky, indeed, all of existence was alive and animate. With all our incredible gains through science and technology, it's one of the things that we have lost.
I imagined standing on the Earth, and witnessing celestial entities dancing and circling above me in the sky.
I used chalk to start sketching constellations above the disk.
I used chalk to start sketching constellations above the disk.
WIP ©Leslie Peterson Sapp
By this time, I had instinctually imagined the disk hovering above a seascape.
Perhaps this is because of the solar boat element. Or maybe because the disk reminds me of a navigation device, even though it was never used for that purpose.
Additionally, I worked hard, and had a lot of fun, creating the green-blue, metallic, "bronze" patina of the disk.
I did this by sponging layers of specialized acrylic paints, including "interference" and iridescent colors. Thank you, Golden Paints!
After having just a lovely time creating my constellations above, I found myself struggling with what to do with that darn smiley face.
Solar Boat Struggles
Since I didn't want to recreate the "solar boat" element as is, I naturally looked to other representations of solar boats, and ran into a boat-load of problems.
I put in the boat.
I take out the boat.
I put the boat back in.
I have the boat off-center.
I have the boat in the center.
Is the boat gold?
Is the boat brown?
Is the boat goldish-brown?
Finally, I take the whole darn thing out and start over.
Then occured to me, why a boat? Do I have to put in a boat? I've got a seascape. Isn't that enough celestial-maritime element?
Every creative person knows, sometimes you just have to let it sit a while.
I started on another art piece, and set Nebra aside.
Every creative person knows, sometimes you just have to let it sit a while.
I started on another art piece, and set Nebra aside.
WIP ©Leslie Peterson Sapp
Eventually, the geometric elements of the piece began to replace my preoccupation with boats.
The sharp, white lines stretching across the piece, as well as connecting the star constellations, are actually scratched through the paint to the white panel beneath.
The criss-cross lines represent the 82° span of the solstices. Additionally, the V-shaped lines emanating from the bottom of the piece also represent 82°.
The geometry is also reflected by the dimensions of the piece: the perfect 24x24 panel, with the circular panel, perfectly placed in the middle. This evokes a sense of stability and calm.
The sharp, white lines stretching across the piece, as well as connecting the star constellations, are actually scratched through the paint to the white panel beneath.
The criss-cross lines represent the 82° span of the solstices. Additionally, the V-shaped lines emanating from the bottom of the piece also represent 82°.
The geometry is also reflected by the dimensions of the piece: the perfect 24x24 panel, with the circular panel, perfectly placed in the middle. This evokes a sense of stability and calm.
Somehow, my enchantment with moon phases emerged, and I realized depicting the moon phases at the bottom of the piece would create that compositional balance I was searching for, as well as support the narrative and use of the disk in ancient times.
Below, there is a video of the finished piece of The Nebra Sky Disk, so as to showcase its glimmer and dimensionality- a still photograph simply does not capture what it is like to see it in person.
The Nebra Sky Disk, 24x24, acrylic on panel, ©Leslie Peterson Sapp
-Addendum-
Crime Does Not Pay!
* The two looters, who damaged the disk with their shovels, sold it on the black market. It changed hands multiple times before it was recovered by a sting operation in 2002. The looters were sentenced to four months and ten months in jail. Upon appeal, the Appeals Court raised their sentences to six and twelve months.
(I simply adore art crime stories!)
(I simply adore art crime stories!)
Further Reading
The Nebra Sky Disk - Archeology Magazine, Jarrett A. Lobell, May/June 2019
https://www.archaeology.org/issues/337-1905/features/7543-maps-germany-nebra-sky-disc
https://www.archaeology.org/issues/337-1905/features/7543-maps-germany-nebra-sky-disc
The Nebra Sky Disc: decoding a prehistoric vision of the cosmos
https://the-past.com/feature/the-nebra-sky-disc-decoding-a-prehistoric-vision-of-the-cosmos/
https://the-past.com/feature/the-nebra-sky-disc-decoding-a-prehistoric-vision-of-the-cosmos/
The Nebra Sky Disk - Ancient Map of the Stars
https://www.worldhistory.org/article/235/the-nebra-sky-disk---ancient-map-of-the-stars/
https://www.worldhistory.org/article/235/the-nebra-sky-disk---ancient-map-of-the-stars/
The Journey of the Sun Across the Sky - National Museum of Denmark
https://en.natmus.dk/historical-knowledge/denmark/prehistoric-period-until-1050-ad/the-bronze-age/the-sun-chariot/the-journey-of-the-sun-across-the-sky/
https://en.natmus.dk/historical-knowledge/denmark/prehistoric-period-until-1050-ad/the-bronze-age/the-sun-chariot/the-journey-of-the-sun-across-the-sky/