- Published on
As I said in my post Sketchybook 1, I tend to find sketchbooks a bit uninviting, so I have taken to making my own.
This one is a little sketchbook to take on my travels.
It's made up of a bunch of painted paper left over from the collage work I did for my Film Noir series. It's about 6x8 and is bound on the short end.
It's made up of a bunch of painted paper left over from the collage work I did for my Film Noir series. It's about 6x8 and is bound on the short end.
Below is a short video of me making the book. When the video begins, I have already created the two covers from black illustration board and used a hole punch to create space for a binding.
I wanted to have a binding that would allow me to flip the pages completely over, instead of lying flat like a book. So, I tried to make the binding with colorful string. However...
I learn by doing-- I'm making it up as I go along! I had to disassemble the book and change the binding to hinged keyrings, because the string binding was simply not working.
If at first you don't succeed... try, try again!
I wanted to have a binding that would allow me to flip the pages completely over, instead of lying flat like a book. So, I tried to make the binding with colorful string. However...
I learn by doing-- I'm making it up as I go along! I had to disassemble the book and change the binding to hinged keyrings, because the string binding was simply not working.
If at first you don't succeed... try, try again!
Look out for a future blog entry about this travel sketchbook after I've filled it up. Who know what will happen?
- Published on
I am not particularly good at creating structure for myself.
An example of a "doodle" I have been making since middle school.
Though I can be quite disciplined on a daily or weekly basis, creating an overall framework for my actions is something I’m quite blind to.
When I became untethered from the structure of college, I started to drift. Back then I had no conception of the difference between a desire and a goal.
When I became untethered from the structure of college, I started to drift. Back then I had no conception of the difference between a desire and a goal.
- A desire is something you want to acquire or have happen. They are often vague and driven by emotion.
- A goal is an objective you want to attain. It involves a plan, which means you must step back and think.
This a common problem for people with ADHD. I was in my early 30’s before I even realized I wasn’t setting goals. Eventually I compared my life to those of my peers and realized I was still living like a 20 year old- having fun, but building nothing.
Then I decided to “get serious” about my art career.
"Analyze" Page 7
I have explored this in a blog entry What's Next? Reflections on a Career in Art. I also made an artist book that explores this a bit more called Analyze. You can see a slideshow of it HERE.
When I got serious, I started by narrowing down my subject matter and style to something I felt might be salable and distinguishable. For subject matter, my love of old vintage snapshots was the perfect choice. To develop a consistent style, I created two image boards:
By doing this, I created a structure for my artmaking.
- One had images of art that I admired, but DIDN'T want to paint like.
- The other had images of art I also admired, and DID want to paint like.
By doing this, I created a structure for my artmaking.
Then, my buddy Bridget bought me a book by Alyson Stanfield entitled I’d Rather Be in the Studio. Through this book (and eventually online coursework,) I was able to build the basics of running an art business; a website, a newsletter, an inventory database, an art statement, the works.
Through this, I was able to create structure for sharing my art with the world.
The upside was that I was able to convert my desires into goals, and onto achievement! Like a real grown-up!
The downside was that my particular manner of creating structure robbed me of artistic freedom and expansive expression. The work was less about me, and more about my chosen subject matter.
The upside was that I was able to convert my desires into goals, and onto achievement! Like a real grown-up!
The downside was that my particular manner of creating structure robbed me of artistic freedom and expansive expression. The work was less about me, and more about my chosen subject matter.
After 16 years, I have proved to myself that I have the ability to stick to something and achieve my goals. But now I want to create art that is more personally meaningful.
It’s been interesting to observe myself without the intense structure of an art business. It is as if I were back in my early 20’s drifting away from the structure college provided me. Only this time, I am more experienced and self-aware. I know I run the risk of simply drifting until I am frustrated by a lack of achievement.
So, I’m looking at some options that could provide me with structure and guidance, probably in the form of a formal mentorship program for artists… but not quite yet.
I feel like someone who is newly single after a long relationship. I don’t want to settle down again just yet. I want to “find myself” and play the field a bit longer.
So, I’m looking at some options that could provide me with structure and guidance, probably in the form of a formal mentorship program for artists… but not quite yet.
I feel like someone who is newly single after a long relationship. I don’t want to settle down again just yet. I want to “find myself” and play the field a bit longer.
Sketchybook I, page 26
Order out of Chaos
I am also seeking new influences. I took an online art course by Lorraine Glessner called Mark Making as Practice. Lorraine believes that every artist has a personal vocabulary of marks that is as unique as a signature, and that mark making daily and without objective is the way to find and develop a personal style and expression.
Sketchybook I page 23
Many of the images I’m showing here have been the result of this practice.
What I have found is something I sort of knew, but has become very clear to me: I tend to create art that has a lot of structure!
It’s as if my normally disordered mind wants to create an antidote of order and peace.
Squares, circles, rectangles, and angles seem to pour out of me. They often form the basis of my figurative work as well.
Often, at some point during the painting process I pull out a ruler or a compass, and get a secret thrill of satisfaction when geometric order works its way into the composition.
Lace 40x40 Collage on panel
Paradoxically, I have a condition called dyscalculia, which is a learning disability that results in difficulty understanding numbers and mathematics.
Irony can be pretty ironic sometimes.
Irony can be pretty ironic sometimes.
Analyze page 4c, checkbook accordion book
My Sketchybook
Sketchybook I, Cover
I was recently on vacation in Mexico, and I wanted to keep up a mark making practice while there.
I tend to find sketchbooks uninviting, so I decided to make a sketchbook of my own.
I made a lovely hard back cover with a cloth binding.
Then I collected a variety of paper 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.
Sketchybook I, temporary binding
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. I have a collection of images you can see HERE.
Sketchybook I, page 3
Sketchybook I, page 4
Sketchybook I, page 20
Sketchybook I, page 22
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.
Sketchybook I, page 25
My Special Purpose!
This book is a work in progress, and currently I am using it as a tool to process my letting go and rebuilding structure. At the moment, I feel excited, yet overwhelmed by the many ideas I have and directions I could go.
Sketchybook I, page 27
Shall I make art about math, or my dyscalculia? How about astronomy and astrology? Compasses and navigation? I’m also fascinated by the origins of writing. Or I could get more personal and do a book about being an aging female (lots to discuss there!) Of course, there is always mythology and stories from the ancient world. Interwoven is my continued fascination with archeology- but which archeology?
Sketchybook I, page 16
I have so many ideas! Ideas that are more than ideas, they are inspirations, notions, concepts, curiosities, paths, directions, lines of inquiry, journeys, compulsions. All I know is that it is these things, these “ideas” that make life rich and meaningful for us all.
Sketchybook I, page 26
- Published on
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.
- Published on
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.
- Published on
Analyze is my artist book that loosely explores my adventures in trying to have an "art business", and how living with ADHD has impacted my development.
It started with my attraction to analysis pads, with their columns and lines. From there, I utilized drawings (from my childhood and adulthood,) stencils, collage, and found objects.
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.
Some pages in Analyze have text, either handwritten or typed on my new, old typewriter. It may be difficult to read the text in the slideshow, so under the slideshow I have provided images with the corresponding text with each.
Added Bonus: if you make it to the bottom of the page, you can see a little video of the check ledger featured in Analyze in action!
Added Bonus: if you make it to the bottom of the page, you can see a little video of the check ledger featured in Analyze in action!
Still Images with Text:
Page One:
"I'm Special!"
I was pushing 40.
After tooling around, as they say, for most of my adult life, I decided to get serious. I was really going to throw myself into building an art career. I wanted to see if I could “make it” as an artist. I have always been told I have a “special” talent.
I thought to myself, “I’m smart, I can do this!”
I mean, how hard could it possibly be???
After tooling around, as they say, for most of my adult life, I decided to get serious. I was really going to throw myself into building an art career. I wanted to see if I could “make it” as an artist. I have always been told I have a “special” talent.
I thought to myself, “I’m smart, I can do this!”
I mean, how hard could it possibly be???
Page Nine:
Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder: Facts Salient to This Book.
ADHD is a condition that creates problems with time management, prioritization, organization, and emotional control.
ADHD is a condition that creates problems with time management, prioritization, organization, and emotional control.
The prefrontal cortex has a lot to do with developing these skills, and that section of the brain is SMALLER in children with ADHD.
Some people’s brains will grow as they mature, so that you can barely tell the difference at all.
Girls tend to be less hyperactive than boys, and are usually just really spacy.
People with ADHD also tend to have problems with social skills. They are more prone to miss social cues, verbal, and non-verbal communication from others.
Hyperfocus is another trait. It is as if all that missing attention roars back to life and consumes everything in its path. This can be a great advantage when creating art, but is terrifically inconvenient at other times.
Everyone who has ADHD develops different coping strategies, some productive, and others destructive. One thing is for certain: it has a dramatic effect on how a personality develops, and will shape a person’s life trajectory in profound ways.
Some people’s brains will grow as they mature, so that you can barely tell the difference at all.
Girls tend to be less hyperactive than boys, and are usually just really spacy.
People with ADHD also tend to have problems with social skills. They are more prone to miss social cues, verbal, and non-verbal communication from others.
Hyperfocus is another trait. It is as if all that missing attention roars back to life and consumes everything in its path. This can be a great advantage when creating art, but is terrifically inconvenient at other times.
Everyone who has ADHD develops different coping strategies, some productive, and others destructive. One thing is for certain: it has a dramatic effect on how a personality develops, and will shape a person’s life trajectory in profound ways.
Page 11:
According to Barkley (2015) by the time they reach adulthood, most individuals with ADHD “have suffered years of feeling demoralized, discouraged and ineffective because of a long-standing history of frustration and failures in school, work, family, social, and daily adaptive domains.
Many report a chronic and deep-seated sense of underachievement and intense frustration over squandered opportunities and are at a loss to explain why they cannot seem to translate their obvious assets into more positive outcomes.”
Barkley, R.A. (2015). Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder: A Handbook for Diagnosis and Treatment, 4th ed. New York: Guilford Publications.
Barkley, R.A. (2015). Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder: A Handbook for Diagnosis and Treatment, 4th ed. New York: Guilford Publications.
Pages 13 and 13a:
"Incomplete too slow!"
"Take a little more time Leslie and your writing will be neater!"
"What does the clock tell me?"
"It's _________ o'clock."
Page 16a
"Dear Leslie, your talent is not a trained dog.
signed,
Your Higher Self"
Page 17
Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs:
1. Food, water, warmth, and rest. Basic needs.
- Check!
2. Security and safety. A safe environment.
- Check!
3. Belonging and love. Connection and companionship.
- Check!
4. Esteem and prestige. Respect and admiration.
- Check!
5. Self-Actualization. Reaching one's full potential...
-???
1. Food, water, warmth, and rest. Basic needs.
- Check!
2. Security and safety. A safe environment.
- Check!
3. Belonging and love. Connection and companionship.
- Check!
4. Esteem and prestige. Respect and admiration.
- Check!
5. Self-Actualization. Reaching one's full potential...
-???
Page 23:
Certificate of Acknowledgement
"She Tried!"
In honor of your efforts to be a "Professional Artist," we present this to affirm you did indeed try pretty hard for quite some time. You are hereby released from any and all efforts to prove anything to anybody, ever.
Checkbook Ledger: (You made it to the end!)
- Published on
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.
- Published on
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.
- Published on
Ba'al of Motya 30x24 Acrylic on panel ©Leslie Peterson Sapp
This dreamy nocturne depicts an ancient Phoenician temple complex on the tiny island of Motya, off the coast of Sicily.
Active from about 800 BCE to 400 BCE, the complex consists of several buildings and altars, surrounded by a graceful, circular boundary wall called a tememos. They are all centered around a 170 by 120-foot reflecting pool fed by underground springs, the only source of fresh water on the island.
Active from about 800 BCE to 400 BCE, the complex consists of several buildings and altars, surrounded by a graceful, circular boundary wall called a tememos. They are all centered around a 170 by 120-foot reflecting pool fed by underground springs, the only source of fresh water on the island.
The Phoenicians
The Phoenicians were a highly mobile, advanced and influential culture, which originated as a conglomeration of city states in what is now mostly Lebanon. They were the ones who invented the alphabet! With that pedigree, you'd think we'd know more about them. (To read more about the alphabet, and what makes it so special, read my blog entry about The Cup of Nestor.)
Assyrian relief of a Phoenician ship
The Phoenicians were a seafaring people, who founded many colonies, some as far west as Spain. They seemed to have developed innovations in ship technology and navigation. So, the temple complex on Motya had a lot to do with the sea, navigation and the constellations.
The Temple Complex
In the lower right of the painting, I have depicted in white chalk the plan of the temple complex, situated amongst the sinuous lines of a topographical map.
In this plan of the complex, you can see the Sanctuary of the Holy Waters, the Temple of Astarte, and the Temple of Ba’al.
All the buildings seem to have special orientations, either to significant stars or other temples in various nearby cities.
The Temple of Ba’al is oriented towards the constellation of Orion, which the Phoenicians regarded as the celestial representation of Ba’al. Adjacent to Orion is Sirius, another star important for maritime navigation.
In the center of the pool, remains of a pedestal were found, and in a nearby lagoon, part of a male deity statue was discovered. It is believed that this statue, thought to be of Ba’al, once stood on the pedestal in the middle of the pool.
Now, a replica of the partially preserved statue exists there, while the original is housed at the Motya Museum.
An Odd Archeological Mistake
The colony at Motya was destroyed by the Greeks in 396 BCE, and the temples fell into ruin.
Fast forward to the early 1900's, and Joseph Whitaker excavated the site for the first time. Sometime over the centuries, a channel had been dug, connecting the formally sacred pool to the sea, filling it with briny water. It had been used as a dry dock and as a salt pan. Whitaker assumed the pool had always been connected to the sea, and called it a "cothon."
The cothon harbor at Carthage
A cothon is an artificial, inland harbor used in the ancient world to protect military and commercial ships.
Seems like sort of a stretch, seeing as our pool at Motya is only 170 by 120 feet, but there it is.
Seems like sort of a stretch, seeing as our pool at Motya is only 170 by 120 feet, but there it is.
In 2010, Professor Lorenzo Nigro of La Sapienza Unversity of Rome started a new excavation. But what they found didn't match up with the harbor buildings they were expecting.
Then things got even weirder.
Then things got even weirder.
They drained the cothon so they could excavate it, but the darn thing kept filling back up with water!
This is when they realized this was no dry dock at all, but a spring-fed sacred pool, the centerpiece of an entire temple complex.
It is speculated that the pool may have been used to reflect the constellations above, for worship and for learning navigation.
The sacred pool today, with the replica of the statue of Ba'al
Repeating Themes
Many of the pieces I have been doing for my series on Archeology Art have involved star constellations- in fact, the SAME constellations.
Gemini, Pleiades, Taurus, Orion, Ares.
There have been many repeating themes in this series. Stars, circles, centered and symmetrical compositions, boats, the sea, plans of ruins.
But what really amazed me was when I realized this piece looks so similar to a piece I did about 25 years ago.
But what really amazed me was when I realized this piece looks so similar to a piece I did about 25 years ago.
I believe it was called City in the Belly, though it is long gone and I cannot be sure.
My inner visual impulses seem to ring true through the years.
I suppose this means I'm on the right path.
My inner visual impulses seem to ring true through the years.
I suppose this means I'm on the right path.
Ba'al of Motya ©Leslie Peterson Sapp
- Published on
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.