Sacred Wall Art
an Abby Willowroot Workshop
Welcome to the adventure of creating your own
personal Sacred Spaces !
It is fun, easy, powerful, and a wonderful way to
celebrate the Goddess.
I began creating these wall images of Nature and
the Goddess in 1981 with my then partner, Liz Stillwater. Since that time, I have created
many of these powerful pieces in private spaces and Earth oriented businesses. One of
these Wall Goddesses is at Triskellion Metaphysical in Campbell, CA. It is a pleasure to
have the opportunity to share the process with you.
You do not need to be an artist or a carpenter to
enrich your space with several of these wonderful images. All you need is a few simple
tools and the desire to celebrate the visions and dreams that are inside of you. There is
great power in building your own Sacred Image, since it will contain your energy and your
spirit. No two are ever alike, and that is part of the magic of this process. So gaze at
the candle, imagine your own sacred space and lets begin.
These Wall Images can be built from Fiberboard
(the least expensive) for about $9.00 for a 4 x 8 sculpture. They can also be made of foam
core, plywood, cardboard or paper mache. I favor fiberboard because it doesn't splinter
and it is very durable.
You will Need: A Jigsaw (scroll saw), hammer, spackle, nails, sandpaper, a pencil, and
great music to listen to. If you are working with foamcore or cardboard, you can use a #11
Exacto knife instead of the Jigsaw.
The first step is to decide what you want to
create. You may wish to start with something small like a moon, or cauldron, but this is
not necessary. Once you have chosen a design, draw it on the fiberboard with a pencil, you
can correct your design as often as you need to, till it looks just right. Do NOT judge
yourself, just play and have fun with it!
These are just some simple sketches of possible
designs. Trust that whatever you sketch will look great, because it will!
The Large Goddess in the photo was made using the
pieces you see at the top, a simple body outline, 4 half circle pieces for breasts(1larger
& 1 smaller one, on top of each other for each breast), a triangle for the vulva, a
narrow piece for the nose, and a curved piece for the brow. Additional 3D effect was added
by dragging a drill across the torso to make lines at Her waist.
The most important part is remembering to play and
enjoy the process. The more you enjoy it, the better your sculpture will be.
Possible designs you can make are: Goddesses & Gods, GreenMan, Moon, Trees, Megaliths,
Snakes, Fae, Archways, Cauldrons, Obelisks, Dancing Circles, Dolphins, Waves, and for the
truly ambitious, Sacred Groves and clearings. The Sacred Groves can cover all the walls in
a room and take many sheets of fiberboard.
Once you have drawn your design, put on safety
goggles and begin to cut the wood with the Jigsaw. Just follow the line you have made. You
do not need to cut it all at once, stop whenever you like to check your progress. Save the
scraps, you may want them later for moons, stars or whatever. . . . . Once you have you
basic form cut out, nail or screw it to the wall. If you rent, screwing it into the wall
is a good idea, you can easily take it with you when you move.
Spackle around the edges of the fibreboard so that
your sculpture appears to be a permanent part of the building. It should look as if it is
growing out of the wall. Once spackle is dry, you can sand it, if you like. .
. . . . . . Now it is time to cut out any additions to your sculture, breasts, leaves,
facial features etc. The details that will give it a 3D quality. I have found that the
simpler they are, the more power they have. Do them just as you did the main piece. . . .
. . . Nail the details onto your sculpture and spackle around the edges, and smooth with
your hands. (a little water on your fingers works great). . . . . . If you want more
relief, for breasts or other details, cut another piece smaller than the first detail
piece and nail it on too. Then fill with spackle to get the desired effect. When the
spackle dries you are ready to sand and/or paint.
I like to paint my Sculptures the same color as
the wall, because I like the base relief effect it gives. I use the shadows that come from
candle light and other lamps to create a very dramatic and wonderful shadow-play across
the sculpture. . . . . . If you like color, by all means use it! There is no right way to
do these, the only requirement is that you are careful with the tools you are using, so
that you do not injure yourself.
You can texture the surface or leave it smooth, (I
like smooth most of the time.) You can drill holes into it, (pointing down, not into the
wall) to hold feathers, leaves, flowers, crystals, (incense is NOT a good ideas for fire
reasons.). . . . . You will find that your Wall Image becomes a altar space, it cannnot
help but draw energy and blessings into your home. Enjoy!!!!!
I would love to know what you create, so please
drop me a line or a gif. I know you are going to do just great! If you have any questions
while making your sacred wall art, please feel to e-mail me at Atoya@aol.com
"Artists are people who refuse to
surrender the crayons!"
Abby Willowroot
As long as you have the desire to make art, and do
it, You are an artist. Do not let anyone judge you, discourage you, or rain on your art
parade. I know you will create something magical, and because of your creation, the world
will be as more beautiful, healing and magical place!
Join us in Creating Goddess Magic!
Copyright Abby Willowroot 1997-2001 ~ All rights
reserved
Spiral Goddess Grove