"From time immemorial, we have held conch shells to our ears to hear the surflike sound - the eternal tides of life that engrave their markings upon us. The conch shell comes from the deep...the underworld. Shells are mysterious sea treasures...often ridged and whorled, reflecting stages of growth. A shell is an exoskeleton serving to protect the vulnerable creature that dwells within - we speak of coming out of, or going into, one's "shell," suggesting gradual, tenuous exposure to the world, or of retreat from it, in privacy, refuge, or withdrawal." p. 214 Book of Symbols, Taschen

Persephone takes a bite of the pomegranate. A sentence: Queen of the Dead for one third of the year. Communing with the underworld and above world Time and space take on new meaning. A deeper understanding beneath pain and clean living. She learns the devil and hones her instinct with the will of eros.

Deer bone and hoof, pomegranate seeds, iron oxidized stones, and soil on 24" canvas flag. Evil is whatever stands in the way of our path to our best self. In this exercise, I buried a 'soul bone' with the promise, commandment to my life - 'the only mind I should care to control or know is my own.' In the spring, I will unfurl this flag and present it in its purity, as a remnant of the aforementioned sin against myself and a reminder of my soul's growth during this time of individuation.

Ribbon, yarn, and burlap with 24" canvas flag. The devil is whatever takes us off of the path to our highest self. My second 'soul bone' burial is a promise to 'not weave dreams with threads of the future. Weave a future with the threads that you have right now.' It is a waste of productivity and imagination to dream of a future that is so far from our current reality. It is a form of escapism and numbing, not taking responsibility for ourselves and appreciating everything we already have. To shake this evil, we should use our imaginations to weave our present into whatever it is we hope to build. This is an important ideal especially when dealing with relationships. In the spring, I will unfurl this flag and it will represent an evil I released during this nigredo stage of individuation so I can better connect with everything the world has to offer, here and now.

Wild seeds, pomegranate, and 24" canvas flags. The devil is anything that blocks the path to your highest self. In the third burial, the 'soul bone' I bury is with a male counterpart and it's a promise to never speak ill of our creations. As creative work is the fruit of our labor, it is a product of connecting our life with life-energy itself, with the known and the unknown. Our work should be treated with respect and admiration, not rushed through or referenced to negatively. Time is the most important element to craftsmanship. It is an instinctual desire for all artists, for all humans, and even some animals, to leave behind a sense of their unique touch as proof of their time on earth.

SURF LIFE Happiness happens in never-ending waves. Contain your wu-lou halo, it saves. In this work, stoke your own fire, stay stoked by your own might; keep it lit everyday angel, keep it light.