Devotional Art

[TeaDidikai]

The idea of devotional art doesn't seem as common as it once did.

Myself, I am madly in love with the Slavic Icons- but I also do religious artwork for myself and my friends.

This takes on many forms- my staff is a piece of art to me, but I also bead, carve, paint and draw.

Some of my traditions are tied into clay sculpture as well.

I've heard the saying "Witches are crafty people". Not a witch myself, I still think it is punny.

What kinds of art have you done in service to your gods?  

[queertastrophy]

Not to gods, but cooking and preparing for the feast of the ancestors was fulfilling, to me, in ways other forms of expression aren't (because, frankly: outside of the kitchen, I have absolutely no artistic talent).  

[TeaDidikai]

BlueRoseTorn

Not to gods, but cooking and preparing for the feast of the ancestors was fulfilling, to me, in ways other forms of expression aren't (because, frankly: outside of the kitchen, I have absolutely no artistic talent).

What did you like the best about it? How do you feel it was received by the ancestors?

Did you do anything to make it "sacred"?  

[queertastrophy]

TeaDidikai

BlueRoseTorn

Not to gods, but cooking and preparing for the feast of the ancestors was fulfilling, to me, in ways other forms of expression aren't (because, frankly: outside of the kitchen, I have absolutely no artistic talent).

What did you like the best about it? How do you feel it was received by the ancestors?

It was detailed and well-planned. Hard work and sweat were put into it (and, in my case, because of the news I had received from family earlier that day: tears, as well)--it wasn't tossing a pizza in the oven for a quick meal.

To me, I felt that it was received overwhelmingly well. While the company was more than good, there was an extra warmth about the evening that couldn't be attributed to the wine. The room felt full. There was a buzz in the air, which left me when the ancestors were dismissed before turning in for the night.

I still consider it to be my most fulfilling spiritual experience to date.

TeaDidikai

Did you do anything to make it "sacred"?

I ran through memories all day of family members I was lucky to know. Prayers were said to the deities I know they worshiped, and others given to those who are of my ancestor's homelands. Centering and attempts to meditate were done before and after.

This summer I'm trying to plan a dinner for my Slovakian ancestors, based around the tradition my mother has of making halupkis every year before fall. Now that I have (somewhat of) a direction in which I know to face, I can prepare for this event better than the other, as the full force of the aforementioned feast knocked me in the head as we asked our ancestors to join us at the dinner proper.  

[patch99329]

I do art sometimes and then dedicate it to certain gods.
For the forum I run, our next banner is going to be dolls (pixel art people) of Gods related to summer and the sun.
I chose helios, and I'm going to dedicate the doll to him.

I write hymns and poetry as a form of votive offering sometimes (as in, I promised the deity I would).  

[maenad nuri]

I am not a crafty person. I have so few artistic bones in my body. I write, and thats about it.

The only thing I have done, are things for my altar. A lot of that is just arranging (I like big fake feathers!), but I have done rubbings on wooden plates. An easy wal-mart inspired craft.  

[PurpleDragonsGems]

I love the cross stitch. I've done one cross stitch that I dedicated to Athena. Its an olive branch. Its sitting on my altar waiting to be framed. I did one I found on a pagan website called the "grapeman", but mom and I call him Dionysis. I changed a bunch of the colors and gave it to Mom, because it was the closest I could come to the Greenman, which is what she actually wants.

I wrote a poem to Artemis. After I get some practice in calligraphy, I'm going to write it on some nice parchment paper and frame it.  

[Neko_Bast]

I've done some drawings for the gods. One I did for Bast. It was just a simple colored pencle drawing of her. Sometimes I'll do a abstract watercolor just leting the divine move my hand.  

[EternalHearts]

Whenever I do a cross-stitch, I honor Athene and offer the work to her. I also write hymns to the Theoi, usually as a thanks-offering.  

[SpudCannon]

I mostly see butchering, cooking, and brewing as devotional, particularly if I am going to be sharing my work with others. Food is very spiritual for me: a combination of the joys of the world and our helpless place in it.  

[TeaDidikai]

My progress on my statue of Saint Sarah is stalled. gonk  

[CuAnnan]

Poetry or Ogham work to Ogma
Shriving of another to Annan
Metalwork or woodwork to Lugh
And on the rare occasion I do bonework or ravenfeatherwork (on the two occasions I've found them), it goes to the Morrigan  

[niamhybeag]

I've never done anything specifically devoted to any gods, but if I make something, it's rarely for myself. Most of what I make is gifts for my friends, family, people who are important to me, or tea/coffee to make them feel comfortable and at home in my home. I like to knit, sew and do random things with paper.  

[queertastrophy]

TeaDidikai

My progress on my statue of Saint Sarah is stalled. gonk

Gah! What happened?  

[Labores Luna]

That depends on what you mean by "art"...

In some ways I consider the arts that I do to all be devotional in some way or other.

But if you mean art in specifically making things such as drawings, I enjoy photography, and sometimes an object or scene reminds me of one of my gods, or a specific aspect in nature. I try to capture this, while I see them in it...

I also bead, but not much. Used to a lot more than I do now. Each necklace that I make has a theme and a symbol, such as the ocean one that I have.

I also write poetry about my gods, and about nature in general as well.

I plan to take up painting soon, which will be much more spiritual than "realistic" as I am not good with trying to get details perfectly. I have made pictures in the past depicting gods and spirits that I have been in contact with.

Things such as food and water are also very spiritual to me, and when I do cook, I usually end up incorporating something spiritually/magically related into it.

But yeah, in a way I feel as though I am experiencing and producing art all of the time, and since I am "devotional" everything that I do is for the divine.