Tuesday, January 10, 2012

Hairier, Scarier & Waterfalled

Daisy Eneix Misogi New Year Imp, 2012, in progress, detail
Daisy Eneix Misogi New Year Imp, 2012, in progress, detail
Daisy Eneix Misogi New Year Imp, 2012, in progress, detail
Daisy Eneix Misogi New Year Imp, 2012, in progress, detail
Well I've made a lot of progress on my little Imp. She's got some fur now and her own waterfall and a mossy, green environment (still in progress). So, a number of folks called her a Demon. I wish to explain how and why she is not a Demon. She is most definitely an Imp.

What is an Imp?
Historically, Imps are mischievous, unpredictable magical characters that may assist Demons, Witches, or Wizards. Whereas a Demon is usually a colossal, independent force, an Imp is smaller, lesser, more ambiguous creature. It also likes to have company.

My Imp also has a bit of inspiration from:
Kitsune, which are the enchanted, shape-shifting female fox spirits of Japan,
The goblins in the story-poem The Goblin Market by Christina Rossetti,
the monkey god Hanuman from the Ramayana Epic.
And other unspoken ones.

An Imp is an enchanted creature that is definitely going to add chaos to your day.
Whether or not you regret that chaos is never entirely clear. Perhaps it will show you a pleasure you never thought existed, make you laugh at yourself very deeply, or bring you a little secret knowledge or a treasure. It may just as likely bite, claw, steal, kidnap and cause mischief of all kinds.

An Imp will undoubtedly sharpen your awareness of yourself (and your possessions - it is best not to take your eyes off of them when it is around). It always comes with darkness and light, though not necessarily both on the same day. Imps are very devoted and loyal in their own code of what morality is but it is not a human code and therefore makes sense only to the Imp. You can learn a lot from an Imp but it is also best not to spend too much time in its company, lest you lose your way back into reality.

For me, the Imp is the perfect metaphor for the artist's dilemma.  Sunlight living is glorious and joyful and feeds the soul and body at the root; however, it is night, darkness and mystery that feed the art and the heart. Both together are essential, but I have yet to find what my own line of balance is. I have definitely experimented with going too far in either direction. However, this particular little Imp seems very much at home in the daylight environment of a lush waterfall. I think that's a good sign.

Tuesday, January 3, 2012

New Year Misogi Imp, 2012 (stage III, color added)

She's still in progress. My vision for her is that she will be nestled in a waterfall. Also, she doesn't have her fur yet and she obviously needs some. I have a feeling she's very hairy.

Misogi is a Japanese physical and spiritual cleansing ritual that usually happens in the morning, under a waterfall. The freezing cold water cleans and awakens. I imagine her surprising various pilgrims come to bathe, with unpredicable results ;)

Daisy Eneix, New Year Misogi Imp, 2012 (detail, in progress)


I think I'm finding out that I really love painting in ink on wood. Maybe even more than printmaking. Shhhh.

PS - Next post has more images working up to this one

The little Imp is begun...

This is with the gesso added

New Year's Eve day, drawing on wood

I first sketched her in summer, 2011