Water heals and purifies. It also kills and destroys.
Few symbols encompass both the life-giving and death-dealing properties of water as the sacrament of baptism, which represents both the passing of the old self and their rebirth as a new creature (Romans 6:3-11).
Here, the image of death & rebirth is also reinforced by a dragonfly motif; the dragonfly spends the first years of its life in the deep waters as a nymph, and is completely transformed into a new being as it rises to the surface.
Unlike butterflies, a dragonfly undergoes several molting processes after its emergence, showing that, while the creature is already made new, it is not yet perfected, and must grow in its new identity through what is called progressive sanctification.
The work's title refers to the Christian daimyo, Konishi Yukinaga, whose baptismal name is Augustine, and is the primary subject of this image.
"Nowhere Fast" is a compelling still life that blends mundane domesticity with surreal, slightly ominous undertones. The scene is anchored by a wooden table where a spilled glass, a pack of matches, and an ashtray with a smoldering cigarette suggest a moment of interrupted pause or quiet, long-term stagnation. Dominating the foreground is an oversized, weathered cigarette carton boldly labeled "WARNING", its subtle but unsettling presence hinting at a consumption that leads nowhere.
In the background, a vintage RCA television set displays a stylized amanita mushroom, a recurring symbolic motif that adds a layer of psychedelia and altered perception to the otherwise drab setting. The earthy, muted color palette and soft lighting create a feeling of weary introspection, capturing a sense of being perpetually stuck in a cycle. The piece masterfully uses everyday objects to explore themes of vice, time, and the quiet, slow march toward an uncertain destination.
Inspired by the symbolism of the cherry blossom flower, which represents beauty and strength, as well as the expression, “Life, Death, and Renewal”, this piece completely embodies this expression, reflecting on the harmonious balance between human and nature. Each unique detail, from the soft elegance of the cherry blossoms, the chaotic nature of the setting, followed by the expression of complete calmness of her delicate features, helps portray the turmoils she once faced, and how she overcame her fears and saw her true beauty.
I did this in responce to reading a book called''Mans Search For Meaning''. The book is about living through world war 2. The main caracter is finding peace although their is war going on all around him. This is my interpretation of the character, although in the book their is no mention of whats happening above.The birds that are flying around are in his mind, thus symbolising that he is at peace with himself.
This feather rests as a symbol of gentle guardianship. Light enough to drift, yet preserved with intention, it speaks to protection without restraint—something watched over, not controlled. It represents care that is quiet, constant, and strong precisely because it does not weigh anything down.
This portrait is the darkest in the series, examining the internal malice that persists even when communication is restricted, illustrating that evil doesn't require a loud voice.
* Visual Focus: The mask's mouth is horrifyingly held closed across the center by surgical thread and a needle, which only covers half of the wide, unnerving smile. The stitching reveals a set of sharp, feral teeth underneath. Disturbingly, a pair of prominent horns protrude from the top of the mask's head.
* Symbolism:
* The Stitched Mouth: Represents the idea of selective silence or the censorship of truth. The fact that the stitching only covers half the mouth highlights the "half-done" nature of modern morality. The revealed sharp teeth suggest that even in silence, the capacity for vicious, cutting, or "devilish" speech remains barely contained. Showed directly on the piece by the date being misleading.
* The Horns: A classic, unambiguous symbol of the Devil or pure malice. This is the figure's core identity—it suggests that even while hiding behind a neutral mask and being partially silenced, the individual's "tongue like the devil" and evil intent are still very much present, emphasizing the inherent corruption and hypocrisy behind the facade.
This figure explores how the relentless pursuit of monetary gain and digital distraction stifles genuine attention and moral listening.
* Visual Focus: The mask is equipped with a headphone covering a single ear. The headphone wire is visibly broken, frayed, and cut short, suggesting a deliberate disconnect or a failed attempt at communication. A small coin dangles conspicuously from the corner of the figure's mouth.
* Symbolism:
* The Headphones: Represent modern distraction and the ability to selectively "tune out" inconvenient truths or moral calls. The broken, frayed wire reinforces the idea of a failed connection to the real world.
* The Coin in the Mouth: Serves as a powerful, visceral metaphor for being "consumed by monetary means." It connects the act of speaking/listening to the theme of greed, suggesting that the voice and ear are functionally "plugged" or corrupted by the all-consuming focus on wealth. The refusal to hear moral guidance is dictated by the pursuit of money.
Another addition to my Tool Series—this time a tape measure, the symbol of accuracy, patience, and work ethic. I signed it with Patmore 25 as a nod to the years it has taken to become the artist I am today. Just graphite, ink, and intention… transformed into something that feels alive.
In this drawing, I was striving to capture the spirit of contemplation and reflection, a sort of spiritual sojourn, an ancient practice of pilgrimage, focusing on subjects of transcendent nature, and exploring destinations of spiritual significance. (words taken from scholarlysojourns.com). It is a self-portrait (me as a 14-year-old boy). We had just moved from Mequon to Rhinelander. It was then that I began to romanticize the natural beauty of Mequon. But at the same time, I was falling in love with the beauty of Rhinelander. In this picture, I am walking through the countryside of Mequon. The stringed musical instruments symbolize my love for the progressive classical and folk-tinged acoustic and orchestral music that was coming out of England in the late 60s and early 70s, specifically the quieter pieces of music performed by the Moody Blues, Emerson Lake and Palmer, Yes, and Jethro Tull. A song called Reasons for Waiting by Jethro Tull is a good accompanying piece for this drawing.
The picture has a traditional south indian lamp with 'Rangolis' in the background. The lamp is lit for prayer, good health, hope and prosperity. The 'Rangolis' are beautiful patterns filled with colors which are drawn outside our homes. The pictures symbolizes hope, health and prosperity in our lives.
"Mask Up" by Ty Tatmore (2024) is a powerful and unsettling piece of contemporary social commentary. This work throws the viewer into a scene of post-apocalyptic anxiety where an individual, wearing a striking conical hairdo and a defiant "MASK UP" t-shirt, sits amidst the wreckage of a dilapidated room.
The artist uses dark humor and surreal imagery to explore the cultural tensions surrounding public health mandates and personal responsibility. The sign "CHOOSE WISELY!!" acts as a stark warning, while symbols like the gas mask and the Scream mask and also wearing a mask suggest a spectrum of survival and fear. The massive explosion breaking through the window is a haunting, almost surreal symbol of the unstoppable outside forces impacting daily life.
With its raw, graphic style and intense atmosphere, this painting is a memorable and thought-provoking statement that captures the isolation, uncertainty, and dark irony of living through a moment of global crisis.
Well friends just got done creating my new logo to represent my ministry. The design incorporates symbols that represent both writing poetry, commentaries, short humorous stories. This is represented by the quill pen. My fine art, commercial art represented by the painter's palette, and illustrative tools.
The colors running to the center of the palette to from the cross, represent my Christian ministry. Going to FedExs to have business cards made. Planning to use this logo for my art fair booth
This piece continues my ongoing tool series, focusing on objects shaped by use, precision, and repetition. The speed square—an essential instrument of measurement and accuracy—is rendered with attention to wear, markings, and subtle imperfections left by time and handling.
Isolated against a minimal background, the tool becomes both subject and symbol: a quiet reflection on structure, angles, and the human need to measure and make sense of the physical world. Like the others in this series, it honors everyday labor and the overlooked beauty found in functional objects.
https://joyofsatan.org/www.angelfire.com/empire/serpentis666/Astaroth.html The ancestral Goddess of my ancestors the Canaanites and Phonecians. She has been well known to many ancient civilizations by many names and has been with humanity among Many other Gods since the dawn of humankind. Many disgusting lies have been spread about her as well as many other of our ancient Gods. The false christian holiday Easter in particular was a spin off of the actual pagan holiday Ostara or the spring equinox, and is antithetical to Lady Astarte in every way who symbolizes the ultimate feminine beauty, fertility, kindness and new life, where as the sacrifice of the fictitious christ figure is a symbol of a literal human sacrifice, something the bible is rife with. Learn the truth today and return to your origins. Our true Gods predate abrahamic filth by thousands of years. All the disgusting lies the bible tells about the pagan Gods are false. Exposingchristianity.com Kabbalahexposed.com
This is a painting I made trying to capture the simple beauty of a bird on a frozen tree. On a deeper level, this can symbolize appreacting the small moments in life, like the beauty of a bird on a snowy branch.
A pair of lungs being given in hands that represents my donors hands. The lungs are surrounded in flowers to symbolize the beautiful gift of organ donations. The lungs are also being represented with birds flying to symbolize life. This painting goes from dark at the bottom to lighter colors at the top to symbolize the darkness of someone’s death being transferred to saving of someone else’s life from their selfless act. I’m a lung recipient, and this is the story of my selfless donor!
What happens when I keep trying to capture that spiritual image seen from the mind's eye? A shapeshifting abstract that is anchored merely by symbols. Sometimes I really just want to convey a consistent image that the world can see, which is really, really hard...
The amaranthus are commonly used as symbols of eternity/immortality due to its ability to retain its color for a long time after dying/cut off". I thought that this phenomenon represents "hope" more than the more common meaning of "devotion/undying love". Having hope keeps us alive during difficult periods where we are cut off from the things that typically motivates us, whether it be financial resources, loved ones, etc., and I tried to convey this by juxtaposing the vibrant colours of the flowers (symbolizing hope and life) with the grayscale tone of the statue (symbolizing death and brokenness).
The idea is to show a figure crossing over two ` scripts’ with a bilingual suggestion. By standing in between worlds, we see opposing viewpoints.
Many artists have incorporated typography as symbols in their paintings since the 60s, but no one has attempted to approach lines in this `written’ manner. How different it is are the two writing styles of the East and the West; one with angular lines while the other in a smooth flow! This work juxtaposes the symbolism of cultures – script. At the same time, it questions the need to grasp the full meaning of the script to appreciate the aesthetic flow of calligraphic lines.
This sketch is supposed to symbolise the struggle we all have to accept our responsibilities at the cost of our own well-being. It's easy to ignore our problems when there are so many forms of escapism.
“Revising the Future” captures the exact moment creation becomes correction. Using my own drawing hand as the model, I built this piece through a cycle of sketch, pause, observe, and refine — letting the act of drawing guide the artwork itself. The eraser actively lifts portions of the page, symbolizing the choices we adjust as we grow, the mistakes we confront, and the quiet courage it takes to reshape the path ahead.
This piece critiques the modern tendency to hide identity behind brands and consumerism.
* Visual Focus: The mask is partially obscured by a fitted baseball cap, with the bill pulled down to cover one eye. The cap itself is a symbol of brand identity and fast-fashion culture. The uncovered eye retains an unsettling, almost mechanical gaze.
* Symbolism:
* The Cap: Represents the societal practice of hiding behind brands and allowing consumerism to dictate self-worth and block out unwanted truths. The act of seeing is deliberately curtailed.
* The Mask: Emphasizes that the consumer identity is often a façade-a manufactured mask that prevents others from truly
"seeing" the individual, while simultaneously restricting the individual's full sight of the world.
