How it Started
I have been wanting to create a new series of Shrines for YEARS! I first made shrines to the Seasons all the way back in 2014 (I had to look it up and I'm shocked so much time has passed.) In 2017 I returned to the form with a series of Dance Shrines, to honor my amazing Belly Dance Troupe. Thanks to Open Studios Pop! Gallery I dusted off many of these shrines that had been lingering around my studio for years to sell in the space on Pearl St. They were met with lots of great attention and I've sold more than half of these original beauties.
One of the benefits that came from this stroll down memory lane was interest in a commission inspired by the first series of the seasons. More on this commission in a later post, however, the commission forced me to seek out more of the wooden canvases I had used in the past. With the public reception I finally found the name of the little fence pieces I had scavenged for free from my college campus. Cedar Edging!
I made a trip to the local hardware store where they were conveniently in stock and voila! A new set of canvases to begin a fresh set of shrines. Once sanded and primed it took me a while to decide what the focus of this new project would be. I let it stew in the back of my mind until, while cleaning my studio, I stumbled across a collection of Watercolor Crystal Paintings I had created late last year.
The Magick Process
Last year I explored the realm of crystals in 52 Facets Zine. Wanting to harken back to the simultaneously grounded and celestial magick of the crystal realm I began weaving mixed media elements with the watercolor crystals. I love working with the watercolor version of crystals because I can craft the perfect crystal for the spell I am currently working on, without removing something precious from the beauty of the Earth.
May these shrines bring a crystalline magick into homes. Shining with clarity. Surrounded with colorful life. Summoning joy. Attracting beauty and harmony. Dispelling negativity. Sparking curiosity, inspiration, and a spectrum of pleasure. So Mote it Be!
Between speaking powerful invocations, and painting with directed intention, these images feel like a powerful substitute for a real stone. I think of them almost like a sigil, infused to bring specific magick or to honor the energy of a specific crystal itself.
These shrines will be available to take home and shower you with their magick at my Open Studio Sat 16th and 17th, 2021, and then at the Pop! Gallery on Pearl St, Boulder through the middle of November. Each one is a unique expression! I love making them and make them with love.
May Beauty Thrive ~ Khiri
