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Raymond Blum's unearthly goddesses

Raymond Blum

Interview with Raymond Blum

1.      Please tell us something about your background and your art journey so far.

My earliest memories of art are of drawing science fiction themed illustrations at my kitchen table sometime before the age of 10: spaceships, celestial bodies and such.  The need to give life to the fantastic, to make it real and attainable, held fast through my teenaged years; from superhero characters to sword and sorcery scenes of elves and demigods.



For a few years I studied, practiced and considered pursuing a career in the comic book industry, but the “industry” part of that term felt like a barrier. I did not want to crank out prescribed images at a rapid pace, driven to attain a rate; rather than a vision.

Before the web and social media existed, I created and maintained “Aquanet” an internet mailing list for watercolor artists. After a decade of a hosting a strong community, this gradually withered due to the rise of new technologies and my own waning interest.

I then took a pause from art in my life for over a decade, still consuming and appreciating art but ignoring the urge to create it.  As that denial became ever more painful, I resumed creating, exploring new media and technique rather than any specific subject.

While bouncing between themes and media, I was revisited by my first passion: the desire to bring the fantastic into the common, objective world for all to share.

 

2.      Can you tell us more about the theme in your art and your inspiration?

I am fortunate, very fortunate, to recall dreams worth remembering. My current theme, which I have been exploring for over a year now with no signs of exhausting it, is that of giving form to female divinities that once embodied the world around us.  We now accept some truths as understood, labelling them as "laws of physics" but they once had names, faces and personae.  I would just as soon call "the conservation laws of physics" by their ancient name "She who measures."

I am painting a series of goddesses who have visited me in a series of dreams.  The principal deity is the pre-greco-roman god Meneswā. I came across a reference to Meneswā, "She who measures," in a book and was saddened to learn that all that survives are a few inscriptions of her name and references to being a lunar deity. How could a being worshiped by an entire civilization be reduced to one word on a handful of stones?  She deserves more.

After a few days I had my first dream about the goddess:  I am the last, she told me, and when I forget her, she will simply be gone. I promised Meneswā that I would not let her vanish with my mortal memory, for which she blessed me.

The next morning, I began the first painting.

Since then, I’ve had several such dreams, distinct and independent, but always consistent with that first visitation.  Other goddesses, less obscure but just as central to a worldview that appreciated feminine energy, have appeared and now live on either on my canvas or on my iPad.

 


3.      How does your art life impact other parts of your life?

I’m an engineer by trade in my day job which I’ve been able to enrich with my artistic and creative aspect. I believe that the matter-of-fact world we see and that society accepts is only a recent explanation of the very old, deep and constant universe. I strive to bring that acceptance of other views to my life, from relationships with people to technical situations and solutions in the business world.

 

4.      Is the artist life lonely? Please share your thoughts and experiences.

As a part-time artist, I’ve struggled to identify as an artist and to feel that I really belong in any artistic community.  It has been difficult to attend art shows, workshops and other events and proclaim myself as an artist, rather than solely a consumer or appreciator of art.  Fortunately, my wife has always been my fan and I have some wonderfully supportive and sincere friends, and with that collective push, I’ve broken through the barriers of imposter syndrome and found many other artists to be welcoming and appreciative. In contrast to all the other shortcomings of the internet, artists on social media are a supportive and open community.  It is still difficult to open up and be vulnerable, but a little less so every time.

 


5.      What are you working on at the moment and are there any upcoming events you would like to talk about?

When I was getting an early digital image of Meneswā printed, the manager of the print studio I use asked me about "…this unearthly beauty?“  After I told the story of that first dream to the studio staff, she looked me squarely in the eye and said very deliberately "Raymond, I would buy that graphic novel.“

I am now working on enough paintings and drawings in a variety of media to fully illustrate the episodes of my dreams. I will break the fourth wall a bit and include the overarching story around the visitations, and plan to self-publish the work. If even one person reads, remembers, and retells the story, my promise will be fulfilled and I will prove a worthy devotee to the goddess.


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