Totem Animals

Black Panther

150x130 cm, acryl on canvas

There are active and spontaneous imaginations, through which our self-healing internal resources can be activated, as Hölderlin told: "Where there is danger, salvation grows".

It was in this spirit, through a spontaneous imagination that I first met with the Black Panther. I would call him my animal guide, with whom I undertook further expeditions using active imagination. The painting was painted shortly after we met the first time and it is my only painting which I will never sell.

Deer

50x70 cm, acryl on wood
(Sold)

I painted the image of the "Sacred Deer" after in my dream I met an injured deer with a human face, whom I wanted to help but I was told that healing him was not in my power.
This dream contained many archetypal symbols and figures and it gave me a great desire to paint this picture.
It took about a year to realize this painting after I saw the dream.

Breakthrough (Unicorn and Dragon)

100x120 cm, acryl on canvas
(For sale)

Sometimes the work is simply preceded by a flash of information, an inspiration of what I will paint without any in advance planning.

My first impulse was to paint a unicorn, after that came the size of the canvas, the color. The whole composition was only revealed when I already put it on canvas, so I was surprised by the presence of the dragon.

In the center of the action is probably the least seen part of the painting: the tree, in the center of which there is a breakthrough; the name of the painting.

The story was revealed.

Black Fox

75x50 cm, acryl on wood
(Sold)

The story of my Fox is a long and personal one.
For the first time I fell in love with her thanks to a picture I found on the Internet 6 years ago. Until then, I had no idea that she existed.
Black foxes are rare and often hunted because of their color, hence they are almost extinct in the wild.
My fox likes her den, where she feels most safe in this great persecution.
Descending into a den became my topic about a year after the discovery of the black foxes. It took another year before I involuntarily descended into my den, thanks to my burnout syndrome and the covid-lockdown. The painting of the Black Fox took place in the peace of our shared den and I felt really comfortable with her.

Owl

80x60 cm, acryl on canvas
(For sale)

The first animal I ever dreamed of was an owl.
However, that dream occurred to me some 20 years ago and the painting was only realized recently. As it is often the case with my paintings, some things were only discovered during the creation, where there was a coincidence, as C. G. Jung would call it synchronicity.
I started painting the owl before Easter and finished it during Easter.
I did not plan the egg in her claws, it was a surprise to me. The symbol of the new life - the rebirth that corresponds with the theme of Easter, the new life that comes out of the egg, my personal experience of new beginnings simply merged into one story.
I usually smile when people ask if it is an egg or a vagina as it does not really matter in which of the two the new life was created.

Colibri

70x70 cm, acryl on canvas
(Sold)

This bird has been catching my eye for a long time.
It is often written that it is a symbol of joy. However, I am fascinated by its constant activity, I would not be afraid to say by its hyperactivity.
For some, this almost relentless activity can be a source of uneasy feelings as they cannot imagine that this bird would ever have rest and peace. He is the only bird that can fly backwards.

Swans

80x80 cm, acryl on canvas

The image of swans appeared to me during self-experiential training in Art Therapy and Art Phyletics.
While painting totem animals, I perceive a different energy every time. When painting swans, I felt complete peace, harmony. I had the painting hanging in my bedroom and it's really nice to wake up with the painting every morning and go to sleep every night.
In myths, the Swan was dedicated to the Sun God. It is a messenger of unity, a symbol of faithful love, but of such great grief at the loss of a loved one. We pay for great love with great grief from loss.

Space snake

50x70 cm, acryl on canvas
(For sale)

The snake showed up in my dreams three times.
The first time we met, I was terrified until I woke up. In such cases, I continue to work with the dream through active imagination. I portrayed this story through a collage, and after that, the snake no longer scared me in other dreams.
The snake is a very contradictory animal for many people, it belongs to the group we rather fear. However, in addition to being a symbol of temptation and evil, it is often depicted as a symbol of healing, strength, transformation, renewal, rebirth.
For me, the time I spent painting the snake was a time of total renewal, healing, gaining strength and literally shedding my old skin. With no other animal have I experienced such extreme feelings during the process... the joy of creation, the excitement, the curiosity. Then doubt, which turned into dissatisfaction, anger to the point of destroying what was created.
Then the sadness and despair that what I created is gone, at the same time the realization that it just was not what it should have been, that it was necessary to continue.
The withdrawal, breath and creation continued. Also, trying to control the process was unsuccessful, it led me to surrender, to be spontaneous, to let myself be guided no matter how it turns out. Sometimes anger led to destruction, sometimes to breakthrough and satisfaction. It was challenging at times, but at the same time it was fascinating to observe how the painting comes to life on the outside, but also lives intensely inside me.
If you would like to know more about the whole process, about snake dreams and active imaginations or about the mythical cosmic rainbow snake with a golden hatching egg or about the symbolism of snakes, I have written everything for you, so read on.