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Shapes and Colors

3/1/2023

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PEGI EYERS


My abstract painting entitled Sacred Songs of Maricopa is currently being showcased in the online exhibition Shapes and Colors organized by Gallerium~! Shapes and Colors runs from March 1 - 31, and you can browse the full exhibit here:
www.gallerium.art/shapes-and-colors-2022


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"SACRED SONGS OF MARICOPA" acrylic on canvas by Pegi Eyers

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Sacred Songs of Maricopa
Pegi Eyers
acrylic on canvas 
6 X 6 feet



This large-format acrylic on canvas was painted with the joy of movement, shape and colour, and inspired by the landscapes and magic of Mexico and the American Southwest.  My goal with abstract work is to evoke cultural elements and the ancient mysteries with symbols and patterns, that flow with an evocative geometry on the canvas. 
– Pegi Eyers


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​Pegi Eyers is also the author of  Ancient Spirit Rising: Reclaiming Your Roots & Restoring Earth Community, an award-winning book that explores social justice, nature spirituality, the ancestral arts, and resilience in times of massive change.  www.stonecirclepress.com

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Jazz Witch

2/11/2023

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PEGI EYERS


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JAZZ WITCH
The Curious Art of Gertrude Abercrombie
A Discovery Workshop for Ekphrastic Writers
​
HOSTED BY THE EKPHRASTIC REVIEW


                          The Queen of Bohemian Artists​
 
Writers and poets find endless inspiration in the curious artworks of Gertrude Abercrombie, a Chicago area surrealist painter known as the "Jazz Witch." Abercrombie developed a personal visual language, and her intriguing art is filled with recurring motifs such as eerie moonlit landscapes, empty rooms, owls, cats, broomsticks, and inscrutable self-portraits.

“I like to paint simple things that are a little strange,” she once said.

Abercrombie’s life is as fascinating as her art. The daughter of globetrotting Christian Scientist opera singers, she was a self-described witch who became a fixture in Chicago’s bohemian scene in the mid-twentieth century, and a friend of jazz greats such as Sarah Vaughan and Dizzy Gillespie.

Inspired by Abercrombie's jazz connections and art, in the "Jazz Witch" work-shop we discussed her peculiar themes and paintings, and engaged with several writing exercises.  Ekphrastic writing workshops with artist and writer Lorette C. Luzajic are truly amazing!  Look for future events at The Ekphrastic Review website here www.ekphrastic.net

Ekphrastic poetry as inspired by Gertrude Abercrombie
​by Pegi Eyers

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"Self-Imprisonment" by Gertrude Abercrombie, 1949


In the Cage
​by Pegi Eyers

In the cage
my walls are beautiful, the surface smooth.

The contours are pleasing
jigsaw shapes that should fit together.

I wait
for the darkness to lift.

Looking out over a land of terror
the bars of my cage are strings of luminous beads.

Treasures of past glory
threads that bind me to circles of care.

Turning,
I see the walls have vanished.

And yet, I remain frozen
in that same non-place.

The immense sky,
the fingernail moon calling me.

I slowly turn and make my way
removing the dress
removing the cage
I cycle back to the healing place.

​The land holds me
and I am free. 



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"The Dinosaur" by Gertrude Abercrombie, 1964


Haiku by Pegi Eyers


dinosaur extinct
dark cloud hovering​
immense white egg speaks of hope


Learn more about the life and art
​of Gertrude Abercrombie
>here<


A sampling of work by Gertrude Abercrombie~


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"White Horse" by Gertrude Abercrombie 1938
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"Alice through the Keyhole" by Gertrude Abercrombie, 1971

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"Flight" by Gertrude Abercrombie, 1946

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"Still Life - Leaf, Shell and Jacks" by Gertrude Abercrombie, 1957

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"Levitation" by Gertrude Abercrombie, 1953

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"Self-Portrait" by Gertrude Abercrombie, 1940

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​​Pegi Eyers is also the author of  Ancient Spirit Rising: Reclaiming Your Roots & Restoring Earth Community, an award-winning book that explores social justice, nature spirituality, the ancestral arts, and resilience in times of massive change.  www.stonecirclepress.com

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Ekphrastic Poetry

11/27/2022

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PEGI EYERS

Engaging Poetry with Art


This November, I participated in the workshop Frida Wine and Art led by Lorette Luzajic, editor of The Ekphrastic Review, and had a wonderful time viewing Frida's works, re-visiting the Frida mythos, gaining insights, creating new poetics, and meeting kindred spirits.  The poem I wrote during the workshop is entitled "Sparks in the Embrace." I highly recommend Lorette's future workshops and events at www.ekphrastic.net ~!

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"The Broken Column" by Frida Kahlo

SPARKS IN THE EMBRACE

Am I the pain
or is the pain me?
pain is merciless
unrelenting disability
boundaries and barriers
blocking
my real life

Pain is terror
but I rise above
I transcend
I explode
Andre Breton says
"my art is like a ribbon around a bomb"
pain can be grounding too

Pain is numbing
but I rise above
I AM HERE
the real me must pass through
and beyond
in spite of the frustration, the sorrow
the anger that borders on madness

Clasp the joy while I still can
the sparks in the embrace
of friends, lovers, Diego
of canvas, paint, palette
rise above
carry on
I am not the victim

I illustrate the pain
but the pain cannot define ME

- Pegi Eyers 11/27/22
​

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"Mexican painter Frida Kahlo was a larger than life character and epic talent. She is known for her epic love affair with Diego Rivera, for her heroic struggle with numerous illnesses, and for her fascinating paintings. Join us online for a night of lively discussion, writing exercises, and wine sipping."  Ekphrastic Review


​What Is Ekphrastic Poetry?  Read more >here<


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​Pegi Eyers is also the author of  Ancient Spirit Rising: Reclaiming Your Roots & Restoring Earth Community, an award-winning book that explores social justice, nature spirituality, the ancestral arts, and resilience in times of massive change.  www.stonecirclepress.com

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Upcycling Old Records

11/20/2022

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PEGI EYERS

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​Old LP's are perfect for mandala creations and other paintings. Such an interesting format~! They hang on the wall with a cord threaded through the hole. This is my first attempt~! I will be exploring more detailed (or expressive?) compositions soon......


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​​​Pegi Eyers is also the author of  Ancient Spirit Rising: Reclaiming Your Roots & Restoring Earth Community, an award-winning book that explores social justice, nature spirituality, the ancestral arts, and resilience in times of massive change.  www.stonecirclepress.com

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Descent II/Water

11/1/2022

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>CLICK ON IMAGE TO ENLARGE< "Descent II/Water" by Pegi Eyers // "Rosca de reyes" (Mexican baby figurines), cut paper, fibres and collage elements 16x30"

​Artworks created entirely from cut paper are fascinating!  From this simple and humble material, surprising effects can be achieved with texture, detail and shading.  Each piece is painstakingly cut out with scissors, and like a mosaic, individually glued into the composition. I have explored cut paper techniques in smaller pieces, and decided to expand to a larger format with the work "Descent II/Water," that is part of the Art Gallery of Northumberland collection.

Working with positive/negative space and colour values, the many shades of blue were planned ahead of time, to form an "underwater spectrum." I also enjoy working with mixed-media, and incorporated other elements such as fibres, stitching, grommets and small plastic figurines into the work. Many of the papers has been heavily textured with paperclay and gesso, and layers of mark-making, paint and pigment. My overall concept was to honor the water as sacred ("Water is Life"), and to depict a series of underwater shrines. The black overlay offsets the original poetry, and functions as lines of energy.

                      Hidden treasure in a grotto 
                   Depths of illuminating wisdom 
       Stored in the subterranean caverns of the soul 
​

The text for "Descent II/Water" enlivens the spiritual importance of water to the natural world, our human identity, and our entire Earth Community.  "Descent/Fire" and "Vessels" are the other works in this cut paper series. 


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>CLICK ON IMAGE TO ENLARGE< DETAIL "Descent II / Water" cut paper by Pegi Eyers

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​​Pegi Eyers is also the author of  Ancient Spirit Rising: Reclaiming Your Roots & Restoring Earth Community, an award-winning book that explores social justice, nature spirituality, the ancestral arts, and resilience in times of massive change.  www.stonecirclepress.com

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New Growth

10/15/2022

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PEGI EYERS


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HOPE
mixed media by Pegi Eyers
Submission by Pegi Eyers for New Growth


​The New Growth community art project has one simple mission: to spread hope around the world. New Growth  is a collection of hopeful messages to inspire hope and healing, through an online exhibition and illustrated novella. Hosted by the artist and curator Mean Pretty based in Oshawa, Ontario.  

"If the last three years have proven anything, it's the power of community in overcoming hardship. Change is really hard. Let's get through it together." 


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​Pegi Eyers is also the author of  Ancient Spirit Rising: Reclaiming Your Roots & Restoring Earth Community, an award-winning book that explores social justice, nature spirituality, the ancestral arts, and resilience in times of massive change.  www.stonecirclepress.com

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"Spring" Mural Mosaic

10/14/2022

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PEGI EYERS


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"Spring" by Pegi Eyers. Acrylic, cut paper and mixed media on canvas.

My completed tile for the Global Roots mural mosaic project is based on a magenta palette, and the theme is Spring.  It's so exciting to be part of this unique collaboration~! 

"We hope to plant trees of love, hope and inspiration around the World to (re)connect our communities, teams, families and long-distance loved ones through the joy and legacy of Mosaic Murals." 
​
​Learn more about this exciting project here ~ Mural Mosaic Partners
https://roots.muralmosaic.com


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​Accolades for "Spring" by Pegi Eyers on social media:

“Wonderful Pegi Eyers! Love the colouring and shapes you’ve created!”  Mural Mosaic's Global Roots Project
“Very impressive! Unique design with wonderful meaning!”  
​Barbara Gegan
“I love the concept.....roots, seed, leaves unfurling.”  
Marietta Steransak
“Love this tile - unique and beautiful! It dances…..”  
Barbara J Petersen
“Love this so much!” 
Vicki Gatza
“Love it!” 
Cynthia Truesdell-Jones
“So original. Very pretty.” 
Susan Martin
“Beautiful.”  
Wendy McIntosh


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​​Pegi Eyers is also the author of  Ancient Spirit Rising: Reclaiming Your Roots & Restoring Earth Community, an award-winning book that explores social justice, nature spirituality, the ancestral arts, and resilience in times of massive change.  www.stonecirclepress.com

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Sunflower Festival for Ukrainian Relief

8/29/2022

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PEGI EYERS


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"HOPE" by Pegi Eyers
Sunflower Festival for Ukrainian Relief
acrylic and cut paper on canvas

The sunflower, the symbol of Ukrainian resistance,
rises out of the chaos.


As a response to the war in Ukraine, I was happy to participate in a fundraiser initiated by Studio 21 on August 20, 2022. In conjunction with the Artisan’s Centre, members of the artistic and artisanal community of Peterborough and surrounding regions, including the visual and performing arts, contributed their talents. 

The theme of the event was the sunflower - the national symbol of Ukraine - and a powerful representation of the endurance, optimism, and hope of the Ukrainian people.  Although  participation took many forms, artists portrayed the sunflower and the Ukrainian national colours of blue and yellow in their work, while others opted to represent the themes of loss, compassion, memory, promise, gratitude, community and hope. All proceeds from the event went to the Global Giving Ukraine Crisis Relief Fund.

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"HOPE" by Pegi Eyers
- cut paper detail -


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The energy at Peterborough Square was palpable, and the set-up - both in the outdoor market space and the atrium - was dazzling! The many donations from the artists and artisans of Peterborough and surrounding area came together in an extraordinary collection. Thank you so much to Studio 21 for hosting this important fundraiser. It was an amazing event with live entertainment, and a diversity of beautiful works in oil, acrylic and watercolour, mixed media, photography, textile arts, and other surprises.

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​Pegi Eyers is also the author of  Ancient Spirit Rising: Reclaiming Your Roots & Restoring Earth Community, an award-winning book that explores social justice, nature spirituality, the ancestral arts, and resilience in times of massive change.  www.stonecirclepress.com

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Soul Art

8/22/2022

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PEGI EYERS

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"Ancient Echoes" acrylic and mixed media by Pegi Eyers

INTERNATIONAL SOUL ART, an annual event with Laura Hollick, is an entire day for women worldwide to engage in the creative process. This year's theme was "Roots and Wings," and accomplished artists Alexis Cohen, Shiloh Sophia, Feather Redfox, Q’orianka Cornejo, Tracy Verdugo, Whitney Freya and other featured artists were livestreamed as they created their paintings. The collaborative process was incredibly inspiring, and supported the intuitive and spontaneous art-making of all participants. Using masking tape to outline a grid on the canvas, I created an abstract pattern with acrylics, and finished the work with a layer of primordial symbols.  As a creativity coach Laura Hollick is amazing, and generously offers this empowering experience each year with a complementary "Soul Art Day Guided Journey Journal." I highly recommend joining this beautiful event in 2023~!

View my artist's statement and art in the INTERNATIONAL SOUL ART DAY GALLERY >here<


Be inspired by hundreds of artists who submitted art they created for International Soul Art Day >here<

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Quote by Pegi Eyers (!) in the event  follow-up from Laura Hollick


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Explore the creative world
​of Laura Hollick >here<

"Ancient Echoes"

C$170.00
Add to Cart

Original painting by Pegi Eyers ~ acrylic and mixed media on canvas, 12x16"

135.00 plus 35.00 for shipping


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Ninhursaga ~ Ancient Womb Symbols

8/11/2022

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PEGI EYERS


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"Ninhursaga"
mixed media by Pegi Eyers 

available as a notecard >here<


             Ninhursaga ~ Birth Goddess ~ Ancient Womb Symbols

A fascinating study of the reverence held for Birth Goddesses in ancient times, the following excerpt is from Johanna Stuckey's article Of Omegas and Rhombs: Goddess Symbols in Ancient Mesopotamia and the Levant. Accessible from Wayback Machine, as the original publisher Matrifocus Journal is now off-line.

Ancient Mesopotamia boasted many Goddesses whose main, but not only function was birthing. They were regularly identified with each other. Dingir-Makh "Exalted Deity" was the Sumerian birth goddess par excellence. Other Sumerian Birth Goddesses included Ninhursaga "Lady of the Mountainous Areas", Nin-makh "Exalted Lady", Nin-tu" "Lady of Birth", Nin-mena "Lady of the Crown", and Nin-sikila "Pure Lady". Many of these Goddesses have multiple names or variants.

The best known of these birth goddesses was Ninhursaga , a great earth deity. Among her titles were "Mother of the Gods" and "Mother of All Children." In the pantheon, she ranked as equal to the sky god An, the god of executive power En-lil, and the god of water/wisdom En-ki. The Sumerian myth "En-ki and Ninhursaga" made it clear that the Goddess had power of life and death even over great deities. The wisdom god En-ki impregnated his and Ninhursaga's daughter Nin-mu, then their granddaughter, and finally Uttu, their great-granddaughter. When Uttu gave birth to eight plants, En-ki ate them all. At this point, Ninhursaga demonstrated not only her anger but her power. She cursed En-ki with death, and soon eight of his body parts began to die. Eventually, when the goddess's anger cooled, she "seated En-ki by her vulva" and gave birth to eight deities, each assigned to heal a particular part of the God. A great deal of Ninhursaga's power was obviously situated in her vulva and womb.

Appropriately, Ninhursaga and the other birth Goddesses were represented by what has been interpreted as a womb symbol. It took the approximate shape of the Greek capital letter omega () and occurred often on seals dating from around 2000 BCE. to the seventh century BCE. The earliest known example dates to the Early Dynastic period (2900-2350 BCE.). Scholars have explained the symbol variously as weighing scales, a wig, swaddling bands, or — to me the most compelling interpretation — a stylized womb. This last interpretation is supported by a clay plaque showing a Goddess with an omega on either side of her and, under the symbols, "human forms resembling newborn babies", possibly stillborn infants. The symbol might also have been connected with the Great Goddess Inanna/Ishtar.
​

Johanna Stuckey is a scholar of the Divine Feminine, and the author of the classic Women's Spirituality: Contemporary Feminist Approaches to Judaism, Christianity, Islam and Goddess Worship.   >link<

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    BLOG

    Pegi Eyers

    Celebrating new work, updates, reviews, publications, and commentary related to inspirational themes and the creative process.

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    ARCHIVES


    ​Shapes and Colors

    ​Jazz Witch - Ekphrastic Poetry


    Frida Kahlo - Ekphrastic Poetry


    Upcycling Old Records
    ​

    Descent II/Water
    ​
    New Growth
    ​
    "Spring" Mural Mosaic
    ​
    Sunflower Festival for Ukrainian Relief
    ​
    Soul Art

    ​
    Ninhursaga ~ Ancient Womb Symbols


    ​Animalia
    ​

    ​Ancient Echoes

    ​The Green Lady Speaks-! ​

    “HerStory” Manhattan Arts International

    ​Sacred Body Sacred Choice

    Creative Women Leading Climate Action
    ​

    ​MOTHER TREE ~ Women Artists Creating for the Trees
    ​

    "Portraits of Resilience" Art Gallery of Ontario
    ​
    ​Inspirational Altar
    ​

    ​La Gioconda​

    Wisdom Across the Ages

    ​Nature as Muse

    ​Pisces ~ Mermaids & Water Goddesses

    ​She Rises

    ​"Spirit Soaring" A Women's Art Salon

    ​New from Lyssanda Designs~!

    The Medusa Imaginal

    NEW BOOK RELEASE ~ Ancient Spirit Rising

    FEMME: the exhibition

    Urban Art ~ One Wall at a Time

    Canadian Woman Studies

    Bella Botanica

    Room 34.2 Back to Natural Hush

    ​The Art of the Leaf
    ​

    The Art of the Turtle

    BLOOD: An Exhibition Honoring Women's Sacred Moontime

    Bibliotheca Alexandrina

    Stitch / Miniature Book

    "How Beautiful Life is When it Gives Us its Riches" ~ Learning to Paint from Frida Kahlo

    Cut Paper Magic

    Angry Seas

    Celtic Iconography

    Silent Lake Art Festival: Wildlife & Nature Art

    ​Artist Trading Cards
    ​

    Earth Goddess ~ Handmade Journals
    ​
    Soulful Rhythms 7

    Practice Resurrection

    ​Earth, Air, Fire, Water
    ​

    A Song of Abundance
    ​
    What is Goddess Spirituality?

    The Chalice and The Blade

    Societies of Peace: Matriarchies Past, Present and Future

    HARMONY ~ International Women's Day Art Show 2011

    Persephone Rising

    Pauline Johnson's "Easter" Revisited

    The Old Shes

    In the Beginning ~ Foundational Art Practice



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    Pegi Eyers' brilliant artwork sings of
    the power of the feminine soul and
    body.  A song of protection and procreative power. 
    ​ A song of abundance
    .

    Margot Van Sluytman
    Palabras Press