Earth Day 2012: The World Mother's Story

I'm wishing you a peaceful Earth Day 2012.

To me, Earth Day is a sacred day. It's a day to celebrate all the beautiful experiences we have living on Earth.

My painting, World Mother, is my expression of my love of the Earth, and my desire to honor all Life.

I have never told my story of the World Mother and how she appeared to me. Rather, I have wanted each person to find the meaning in this image for himself or herself.

On this Earth Day 2012, I would like to share the story of how this image came to be created.

sketch of World Mother, 2006

This is the World Mother's first appearance in my sketchbook. 

This was a time of darkness, illness and grieving. I was physically sick and exhausted from fighting a battle with autoimmune disease, that had been going on for years. My father and grandfather had recently died.

I was sick of death, violence, disease. Wars were raging all over the world, horrific terrorist attacks were rampant, and the 2004 tsunami in Asia had killed hundreds of thousands of people in mere minutes.

I was also becoming more aware of great changes that were happening to the Earth: climate change brought on by pollutants, caused by industry; the destruction of forests and habitats; the poisoning of our water, air and soil.

I felt powerless to do anything, and sick that I was part of this chain of destruction.

On July 10, 2006, I had just heard a story in the news. It was a report of a gang of U.S. soldiers in Iraq who had committed a heinous crime on an Iraqi family. They had gone to a home, raped a girl living there, killed her and every single person in the house, including a baby, then set the house on fire. This attack had been planned out in advance.

This story made me cry. It made me feel that life in such a world is not even worth living. 

The World Mother appeared to me in a vision. This woman, this mother figure, appeared in my sketchbook as I was drawing, with the title "Weeping for the World."

She is weeping for all her children, cradling the Earth in her arms. She has created beautiful life, and yet her children cruelly destroy and ravage each other and everything on Earth.

 

The image of the World Mother has evolved. Her tears are gone and she watches over the Earth with serene and peaceful blessings. 

I know that she was created out of pain and darkness. I have made her into a healing and hopeful image, because I choose to shine a light in dark times. I want to show the potential of peace.

 

CD cover for Cyclub 

I am amazed by the responses I receive from people, when they see the World Mother.  They are seeing something that they recognize in their own heart.

Since I have painted the World Mother, I have made many connections with people, all over the world. This image, that I re-created to show Japan, is now the cover for Cyclub's CD, "Shining in Da Sun." The music on this CD was inspired by, and created for, Japan, after 2011's earthquake, tsunami and nuclear disaster.

The World Mother has truly changed me. Her appearance in my life was a true turning point that led me out of that dark place, into a path of hope. Since I painted this image, I have discovered that she is an archetype of Gaia, Mother Earth. I see her in images of the Virgin Mary, Our Lady of Guadelupe and works by many other artists.

My own personal World Mother continues to travel across the Earth and inspire people to cherish and hold sacred everything that is important to us.

I wish you and your family many, many blessings on this Earth Day 2012!

LINKS

Cyclub's Official Website

Earth Connection

a hopeful sprout!

photo by Rosa Phoenix

This little sprouting plant just emerged 

from the dark depths of the earth, 

and got its first rays of sunshine! 

Doesn't it look like a bird with wings outstretched, ready to fly?

Happy Earth Day!

This year, Earth Day has a special meaning for me. I'm enjoying new ways of connecting with the Earth. 

I've planted a small vegetable garden.

I spent many years in cities, living in apartments where I didn't have access to a backyard or garden. This is the first time I've planted anything in the ground.

The little sprout in the photo above is from a winter squash seed. I'm not sure what type of squash it is, I will just have to wait to find out.

I've considered myself a true city girl for a long time.

This year I felt a strong desire to re-connect with the Earth and plant a garden. I don't know why. Now I wake up early each morning and work in the garden. 

I really have no idea what I am doing.

I planted some things without understanding that I needed to first clear a patch of earth, dig up the soil, take out all the grass and enrich the soil. So, I did some things backwards.

I'm learning as I go along. It's an experiment, and I'm just watching to see what happens.

new life

I truly did not expect to see anything come from the seeds I planted.

Seeing the first sprouts emerge was very surprising!

I am awe-struck by the power of a seed.

How much potential is packed within! Roots and branches and leaves and flowers and fruits containing many more seeds. 

My reasons for planting the garden were to connect with the Earth, to learn how to grow my own food, and to have fresh, organic vegetables and herbs to eat. 

As I cultivate my garden, I am discovering so many small joys and satisfactions along the way.

Digging in the ground to clear my garden patch, I felt my body and muscles becoming stronger.

I felt gratitude for having the power to do this physical work. Visiting the garden center and choosing tools, soils, seeds and plants made me aware of the abundance and diversity that is available to us. I feel so fortunate to have so many choices.  

I choose to celebrate and cultivate life! 

I like to observe the creatures who visit my garden.  

There is a black and white cat (does she know about the catnip seeds I planted?) Bees constantly buzz around the lavender plant. The butterflies drink from the soil just after it has been watered. I saw the most beautiful beetle that looked like a flashing jewel. And a couple days ago, a hummingbird hovered in the mist from my garden hose to drink and take a quick shower.

 Early Girl tomatoes

I am beginning to feel more attuned to the cycles of the earth and the seasons.

By planting seeds, watering them and watching them grow, I'm developing patience, hope and faith.

By composting my kitchen and yard waste, I'm learning how the process of decay enriches new life.

When I'm in the garden I feel relaxed and at peace. 

I feel so blessed to be part of this continuing cycle of Life on Earth,

and to observe the magical transformations that are constantly taking place.

I began this blog two years ago, on Earth Day 2009. I'm happy to share this time on Earth with you! Blessings to you on this Earth Day!

How will you celebrate Earth Day?

Celebrate Life on Earth!

Rosa Phoenix and Selma Brown

with World Mother painting by Rosa Phoenix

Celebrate Life on Earth! 

I'm sharing some photos from the 2008 "Love Our Mother" Earth Day Art Show. 

The art show was held at Eternity Bliss in Oakland, and it was a benefit for Trees for the Future. We raised money to plant 1,000 trees in Senegal, Africa!

Didjeridoo demonstration

These beautiful instruments are tree trunks 

that were hollowed out by termites.

a well-dressed gent

in the sun, his suit makes

rainbow sparkles

tree art by Rosa Phoenix and Selma Brown

"Leaf a Message" by Rosa Phoenix

people wrote messages on the leaves

for the people of Africa 

who will plant the trees

art by Selma Brown

"Palm God" (made from a palm frond)

"Mother Universe" by Selma Brown

(made from the belly cast of a pregnant woman)

Happy memories of Earth Day 2008.  

Good people, art and music coming together in a beautiful healing space called Eternity Bliss. 

We raised funds to plant 1,000 trees, through Trees for the Future.

Earth Day is a good time for people to gather together and celebrate Life on Earth! 

Time to unite to protect and care for the Earth.

I'm sending my best wishes for peace and prosperity to all Life on Earth!  

Happy Earth Day 2010!

LINKS

Trees for the Future

My Etsy Shop Is Open!

World Mother Greeting Cards

by Rosa Phoenix

I opened an Etsy shop! If you don't know about Etsy, please check it out! It is a great marketplace for artists and craftspeople, who are selling mostly handmade, original artworks and products.

The very first item for sale is a set of 8 blank greeting cards and envelopes printed with the image of  "World Mother." Affordable art, you can save one to put in a frame, and give away the others.
 

This is my original painting that debuted at my 2008 Earth Day Art Show. That show was a milestone for me. It was my first art show, and we raised money for Trees for the Future to plant 1,000 trees. In 2009, for Earth Day, "World Mother" was also my very first blog post. So, for Earth Day 2010, "World Mother" makes her debut on Etsy!

There are so many reasons to support artists. The Earth is one reason.

Just say NO! to factory-produced, mass-market garbage! Many of the artists on Etsy re-use, recycle and re-purpose materials that would otherwise go to the landfill. Instead of creating trash, they create treasures.

LINKS

Rosa Phoenix Shop on Etsy

Etsy

Trees for the Future

Easter Bunny and Earth Egg

Happy Easter!

This sweet little bunny was given to me by my friend.   

The bunny is holding a mini Earth sculpture I made from polymer clay. 

Earth Day is this month too!

here is Earth in a basket

resting on azurite balls

in the background is a metal sculpture of a turtle

Earth in a glass cup

an interesting reflection appears

on Earth's surface

it looks like an angel

. . . . .

here is World Mother

do you see the egg?

eggs and bunnies celebrate fertility

the babies of spring

World Mother

painting by Rosa Phoenix 

How I Became an Artist and Environmentalist: Blog Action Day 2009

 

Into the Deep  

collage by Rosa Phoenix 

(click on image to see a larger version)

Is it just me, or have the times been tumultuous since 2000?

My own life seems to follow the ups and downs of the USA.  

Moved to the San Francisco Bay Area in 2000 at the height of the dot com boom. Bumped from one short term housing situation to another. Lost my job like so many others when the dot com bubble burst, shortly after 9/11/2001. 

9/11 was personal for me because I'd just moved from NYC a few months earlier. My friends and I had worked near the Twin Towers, and my brother lived in that area. No one I knew was killed. But I was devastated that New York was attacked, and that 2,752 New Yorkers simply vanished that way.

memorial tile for 9/11
unknown artist

War, paranoia, fascism, fear overtook the nation. 

Illness took over my body, disabling me. 

I went through a time of depression as my family experienced difficulties, then my grandfather and father died. 

2004 - 2005 was a time of the Tsunami, of Hurricane Katrina, of landslides, mudslides, earthquakes, death on a huge scale. Personal and global tragedy. 

Hurricane Katrina was personal for me because of the time I'd spent in New Orleans. I was haunted by the faces of the people I met there, as I watched this beloved city sink like Atlantis beneath the water.

pages from What's Next? altered collage book by Rosa Phoenix

That's when it hit home for me, Climate Change.

I felt powerless to do anything. I mourned for my lost loved ones, for the villages buried by earthquakes and mudslides, for those who were swept into the sea and for those who drowned in their own homes. I mourned for those I did not know, whose homes were being bombed in our war, and for those who were fighting overseas, sacrificing their own lives for those of us living in comfort at home.

interior views of Social Dress New Orleans - 730 Days After 

by Takashi Horisaki

Socrates Sculpture Park, NYC, 2007

(installation based on a New Orleans house abandoned after Hurricane Katrina) 

 

I donated money to the Red Cross to help the victims of disaster and the refugees of war, but I felt hopeless about our collective future. 

In the news were reports of the rapid destruction of ecosystems and habitats, species dying, polar ice caps melting, rivers and oceans poisoned, mutations in animals, drugs in our water supply and wars raging all around the world.

pages from What's Next? altered collage book by Rosa Phoenix

What was horrifying was feeling complicit in this chain of destruction. 

Just by living the life of a modern person in America, I feel that I am contributing to this. 

It is like being a cog in a machine.  

What can I do to reverse this? I asked myself in despair.

  
pages from What's Next? altered collage book by Rosa Phoenix

I made changes to my lifestyle. 

I donated my car to Habitat for Humanity. (Luckily I live in San Francisco, where I don't need to drive.) 

I limit the waste I create by not buying many new things, and recycling and composting whenever possible. 

Our household buys organic food from farmers' markets, and we buy in bulk to reduce packaging whenever possible. We limit our energy usage with compact fluorescent bulbs, and by not turning on the heat.

I feel lucky to be able to make these choices. Does it help? I think every little bit helps. I'm sure there is always room to improve. The first step is awareness.

In 2007, I learned about Trees for the Future. This organization helps people plant trees in deforested areas all over the world.

I also returned to making art.  Art helped me to recover from illness. Now my art and my life have a clear purpose. I base my art in symbols of the Earth, like the Tree of Life, and Gaia, Mother Earth.

I use my art to show that Life is sacred, and that we are part of something bigger.

In 2008 I organized "Love Our Mother" Earth Day Art Show + Benefit for Trees for the Future. I showed my painting "World Mother" at the art show.

We raised money for Trees for the Future's project in Senegal, Africa, to plant 1,000 trees.  

While I was researching Senegal, I learned that this country has experienced grave problems related to climate change. 

Like the U.S. Gulf Coast, Senegal has had severe flooding on its coast, in addition to a drought that has lasted decades. 

Decades of monoculture (peanut crop) have depleted the soil of nutrients.

This would seem like a hopeless situation, but trees are helping to change that.

Trees have so many benefits.  

They exchange carbon dioxide for oxygen. 

They filter pollutants and clean the air. 

They bring groundwater up to the surface level with their root systems. 

Their roots also hold the soil together, preventing soil erosion and landslides. 

Their wood, fruits, leaves and sap can be harvested for food, fuel and other uses. 

Their fallen leaves and twigs create compost, enriching the soil and making land fertile for farming and gardening. 

Trees provide habitat for animals and cooling shade in hot areas.  

Trees are a renewable resource. 

Too many forests have been destroyed. 

It's time to replenish the Earth with trees. 

A wonderful thing is happening in Africa. 

A green belt of trees is being planted across the continent.  

Nobel Prize Winner Dr. Wangari Maathai's Green Belt Movement, Trees for the Future, the United Nations, the Peace Corps, governments and other organizations are working with local people to plant trees across Africa.

I'm pleased that my art is connected to this great undertaking. 

My art is an affirmation of hope, expression of love, and act of peace.

The human family tree includes all people, all over the world. 

I use the symbol of the Tree of Life to show that all Life is interconnected.

Please take part in re-planting the Earth!

Trees for the Future

Green Belt Movement Website

Green Belt Movement on Wikipedia

UN's Billion Tree Campaign Hits Its Seven Billion Goal

Learn more about how climate change has impacted Senegal:

Trees for the Future Senegal Project

Senegal's climate change ruins homes, livelihoods

Climate change destroys a nomadic life

Climate change reduces fish stocks in Senegal

I'm pleased to join thousands of bloggers around the world, 
by blogging about climate change for Blog Action Day 2009. 

Learn more about Blog Action Day 2009!

Earth Day

"World Mother" by Rosa Phoenix was shown at the 2008 Love Our Mother: Earth Day Art Show + Benefit for Trees for the Future at Eternity Bliss in Oakland, CA. The art show featured artists Selma Brown and Rosa Phoenix. The event raised money to plant 1,000 trees in Senegal, Africa.