A Spiritually Enlightening Online Magazine. May's Theme: "Appreciation"
Volume 5 Issue 4 ISSN# 1708-3265

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Illuminations Aleesha Stephenson About the Cover Sheree Rehema The Bookshop Chapter Eight - The Conclusion Jennifer Kusz Little Nuggets of Gold Rev. Cheryl Jewett A Sense of Gratitude Marlene Buffa Destination Sun: The Road to Pure Joy Victoria Christian Dancing With The Masters Dj Brown Transformed by Divo Alegria Imperial New Species Gets My Name! David Suzuki PhD Outstanding Women In Buddhism Award Jacqueline Kramer My 9-Year-Old is Shaving Her Head for A Great Cause! Lee Nicholas Lifetalks Dawn Baumann Brunke Walk Your Talk Aleesha Stephenson Life in the Raw Melissa Gilbert Wyrd Lynx John Sacelli Being Mindful Janet Alston Jackson Pet-sense Jean Hofve DVM Meditate a Moment Featuring: Aleesha Stephenson Green For Life Victoria Boutenko Anger Thich Hnat Hanh The Shimmering World Living Meditation Steven Harrison Chia Seeds The Raw Food World Raw For Life DVD Vita-Mix Appliance

Ardhanari Naga is a piece which means a great deal to me and is still my personal favourite to date. I wanted to do a portrait of Ardhanarishwara - the divine unity of Lord Shiva and Sri Shakti - using not just the traditional symbols, I wanted to include others which have a personal meaning to me. The hatching golden cobra in Hir hand represents birth, life, and creation. The serpentine Naga body is indicative of rebirth, grace, and beauty. The hair has the same meaning, but is also an expression of my adoration for the species of beauty snake I intend to specialize in breeding - Elaphe Taenura ssp, the Vietnamese Blue Beauty - and Gorgons in general.

Most of my artwork is based on Deities, Legends, and Myths although my favourite theme is indeed the Gorgon. There's so much that draws me to her tragic story, but I've never understood how someone based upon the serpent could be considered ugly. Snakes are beautiful, beneficial, misunderstood, and mystical creatures much like Medusa herself and it was with this thought in mind I created Blue Gorgon.

The majority of my gallery is portraits of Medusa using different species of snake to show all of the above in a more positive and beautiful light - the way I see them. I want to help people overcome irrational fears of snakes and view them as the gorgeous creatures they are. If you think about her story, Medusa was a really just a victim who slithered off to hide only to be hunted down out of fear. This happens in real modern snakes lives all the time. It's tragic, and gently trying to ease these fears and create a better understanding through art and education is a passion I'll be following for the rest of my life. I've always had a passion for animals and for art, and through Blue Gorgon I'm looking to make a career of both.

I begin by drawing each labour of love in pencil, and then my fiancée inks it. Each one is coloured in Photoshop with a Wacom. I have a little online shop where I sell prints, shirts, and other items of my own images. We have a large high quality print of the Ardhanari Naga which hangs over the couch in my livingroom which I utterly adore. Another aspect of my work is in creating custom tattoo, logo designs, portraits, and I take commissions for those as well as characters, deities, legends… anything really which inspires my client.

I just hope my work and my snakes can bring as much joy and inspiration to others as they do for me. What more can an artist hope for?

~Namaste

Sheree Rehema

www.bluegorgon.com

I currently reside in Phoenix Arizona with my other half and our growing collection of critters. At present - 1 lizard, 3 house rabbits, 5 snakes, and though our beloved kitty of 18 years recently passed away she is still with us in our hearts and in Spirit. We're a pair of quiet introverts who love what we do and hope to find ourselves residing in the beautiful NorthWest someday.

Copyright (c) 2007 Sheree Rehema "Ardhanari Naga"

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