The Rebirth of Venus

After nine months of labor, I give birth to the Rebirth of Venus. The new symbol around Venus is an inverted Philosophers stone. The normal symbol represents an ascension of the consciousness or spirit above and beyond the mundane material world. Inverted it implies, in my opinion, the idea that the soul is not trapped in fallen flesh, but rather seeking a state of sensual bliss. The body then is not a curse to escape from, but rather a treasure to be exalted. So the soul is embracing the material world to partake in the joyful participation of the sorrows of life. The upside down triangle also makes a convenient V shape too. Likewise, the overlapping circles create a Viscera Pisces. This is the symbol I use for water in the elemental mandala being held by the multi-armed figure. This sacred symbol traditionally represents the inward and outward flow of spirit and matter. It acts as a portal between the two realms. Consequently, its shape when horizontal coincides with the eye into which the visible material world flows in to the awareness of the soul. When vertical it represents the vagina out of which souls emerge into the physical plane. I'll write a detailed artist statement about the symbolism of this painting in a few days. There's a lot going on that is not immediately conveyed.

This is my first "real" composition. Please take time to critique it if you get the chance. I welcome any thoughts on what I can do to improve my future work, or even this picture.

You can see all 200+hours of this picture painted from start to finish on Youtube here. www.youtube.com/user/ArtOfWarS…