Darlene the Artist

Through many different lines of greeting cards, I reveal the story of my unfolding journey as an artist. It’s with pride that I offer my first set of eight Fantasy Cards: The Guardian of Wisdom, Lady Knight, The Rainbow Maiden, The Prince of Wind, The Birth of Jasmine, The Alchemist’s Daughter, The Ice King’s Sentinel, and Riding on a Turtle.

FANTASY ART CARDS (set 1)
My artistic journey began in 1978 in Lake Geneva, Wisconsin. My first set of cards (offered individually) reflects the time I was the first woman artist to illustrate for Dungeons and Dragons, as well as other RPGs. That’s just my beginning point. In 2008, as I revisited my early medieval-fantasy RPG-related work, I found I could derive a deeper understanding about what metaphorical concepts I was exploring back then by applying my current understanding of archetypes. I share my understanding below.

Item #10-001 Guardian of Wisdom
$5.95 each (4.5″ x 6″ comes w/ blank envelope)

Cover Message: “The Guardian of Wisdom Grants you Three Gifts…”
Inside Text: “Since Yesterday is but a Dream,
And Tomorrow is only a Vision,
On this Special Day, May you Experience:
The Bliss of Health, the Glory of Right Action, and the Splendor of Beauty!
Because To-DAY well-lived makes every yesterday a dream of happiness,
and every tommorrow a vision of hope” The Guardian of Wisdom

Originally a character from the “Story of Jasmine” illustrated fantasy-adventure story published in The Dragon magazine in 1980, The Guardian of Wisdom easily fits the archetypal mould of Storyteller. The classic Storyteller archetype relates tales of the strange and impossible, of wisdom and foolishness, of mistakes and triumphs, facts and fiction, and of love but on an epic level. Nobody really knows how old The Guardian of Wisdom may be. He has lived a long time and has recorded the happenings of the past into “The Tome of Wisdom.” Writing it has earned him the right to point the way towards understanding one’s personal quest within the context of the greatest of life’s mysteries.

As is the case with Yoda, none can be certain what ancient strain of DNA the short-statured Guardian of Wisdom may possess but he seems to be the last of his kind. His favorite past time is punctuating his pontifications between by puffing upon a pipe. He has a wicked sense of humor and would definitely be considered curmudgeonly. I’ve personally know and have come to appreciate many men who share the above-mentioned qualities… But the most fascinating thing about the drawing I rendered in 1980 is that it happens to be a portrait of my husband as he seems to be today–only I created it nine years before I’d met him!

Item #10-002    LADY KNIGHT
$5.95 each      (4.5″ x 6″ comes w/ blank envelope)
Cover Message:    “Wish You Were Here”
Blank Inside.

 

This card reveals my wry sense of humor as “Wish You Were Here” can be interpreted in one of two ways. If the receiver is an optimist, he’ll take it as a request for assistance. If he is a pragmatist he’ll interpret the card to mean, “You know what I’d do if I get you within striking distance…” I think it’s funny that the image was originally created as my answer to bikini armor. But today, the concept holds much more meaning. Becoming her own protector, the image of the Lady Knight is playing off the knight/warrior archetype.

The Warrior archetype represents physical strength and the ability to protect, defend, and fight for one’s rights. In this acrylic painting, the Lady Knight is moving out onto the dark moors, away from the safety of her castle in an effort to protect it. For a male, warrior energy is erotic and represents the height of virility and physical power. For a female, warrior energy translates into having a toughness of spirit and an unbreakable will as well as a willingness to fight to the death.

The Lady Knight is actually an image of female integration representing the ultimate outcome of the Damsel/Princess/Maiden archetype choosing to fight her own battles. Her choice to empower herself progresses her closer towards her evolution into Queen.

Item #10-003    RAINBOW MAIDEN
$5.95 each      (4.5″ x 6″ comes w/ blank envelope)
Cover Message:    “I’ve Been Thinking About What You Said”

Blank Inside.Thinking deep thoughts, the reflective Poet/Visionary archetype combines lyricism with sharp insight and expresses wonder at the hidden joys and sorrows of the world. The Poet/Visionary possesses the sensitivity to read what is just over the horizon and brings into focus what could be if certain choices are made, or what is inevitable given choices that have already been made. Having already discovered the essence of beauty and truth in everyday existence, the Poet/Visionary archetype can imagine possibilities that extend beyond the scope of an individual life and always do it on behalf of humanity.

Item #10-004 THE PRINCE OF WIND
$5.95 each (4.5″ x 6″ comes w/blank envelope)
Cover Message: “Every Time I See You, I’m Blown Away”
Blank Inside.

 

This watercolor painting visually displays the fantasies of a young girl as she confronts the arrival of her Knight in Shining Armor. This Knight happens to be the Prince of Wind. Like being caught in a whirlwind, how easy it can be for girls to get blown away when reality doesn’t match their cherished hopes? Every girl’s challenge is to avoid the mistake of sublimating her true self for the sake of “being taken care of.” If she is not careful, she might get stuck with a young man with great feelings of entitlement, an heir apparent who uses his position solely for self-aggrandizement.

At this point, the maiden is still fresh, uncommitted, and hopeful. Like the Prince, she can always choose to undertake the classic Hero’s Journey herself. As defined by Joseph Campbell and others, the Hero’s Journey is an individual journey of initiation which awakens an inner knowing. The spiritual power of the true Self begins to emerge as fears are confronted and obstacles honestly faced. The journey ends in empowerment only when the forces arrayed against The Hero/ine are successfully conquered. After this, the next time these two happen to meet, whose breath will be taken away?

Item #10-005 THE ALCHEMIST’S DAUGHTER
$5.95 each (4.5″ x 6″ comes w/ blank envelope)
Message: “Leaping Lizards! What a Surprise!”
Blank Inside.

 

The archetype most suited to the acrylic painting of “The Alchemist’s Daughter” may be that of The Student because she is attempting to do some transformative experiments without proper guidance or mastery in the craft and becomes surprised by the unexpected. Her situation is strongly reminiscent of Mickey Mouse in Paul Dukas’ “The Sorcerer’s Apprentice” (from Walt Disney’s “Fantasia”) who gets carried away with his own unperfected talent and causes havoc. Trial by fire may not be the best way to expose oneself to new information and learning experiences, but it seems to work for “Hot Dogs.”

The moment a neophyte becomes startled by a jumping lizard can easily be interpreted symbolically. The surprise of the lizard’s appearance is a means of effectively getting a student’s attention. Behold the lesson here. Lizard medicine is “the medicine of dreamers” and gives a gentle but serious warning to someone whose curiosity overrode their better judgment. Her reaction betrays the fact she may not be emotionally prepared for what may be coming her way. Will she be able to act appropriately when her dreams visit unexpectedly, perhaps in the form of fears, nightmares or the very things she has been unconsciously suppressing? One thing is for sure, at this moment, the lizard is in control.

Item #10-006 BIRTH OF JASMINE
$5.95 each (4.5″ x 6″ comes w/ blank envelope)
Message: None
Blank Inside.

One of the main archetypes embodied by Jasmine is that of The Seeker, one who searches on a path that may begin with earthly curiosity but has at its core the search for God and/or enlightenment. The Seeker is in search of wisdom and truth wherever it is to be found. But another important component to Jasmine is her rebelliousness. Rebelling against her father’s wishes (that she marry) initially forced her on the path of becoming the Archetypal Seeker.

The Rebel Archetype happens to be a key component within all human growth and development. It leads away from conformity and towards the transformation of outmoded ways of relating to the world. Thus the Story of Jasmine is the story of one’s journey into power.

Item #10-007 ICE KING’S SENTINEL
$5.95 each (4.5″ x 6″ comes w/ blank envelope)
Message: None
Blank Inside.

Having grown up in Wisconsin, I have a healthy respect for how truly brutal the ice and snow can become. I remember winters with snow on the ground lasting from November to April. The idea of an Ice King with an army mounted on polar bears and reindeers marching through snow storms excited my young imagination. When I started on this water-color painting in 1981, I set it within the northern lands of the Mid-Realm, the world inhabited by my “Story of Jasmine” characters. I published the finished portion of the painting as a post card in 1983.

“The Ice King’s Sentinel” is connected with the Soldier/Warrior Archetype because he proudly and with loyalty serves his King. Self-sacrifice as well as devotion to service are other great virtues of this archetype. The willingness to go into battle for “honorable” causes provides the Warrior/Soldier Archetype with spiritual overtones. The concept of the spiritual Warrior has been pioneered by Dan Millman (The Peaceful Warrior), the Tibetan Buddhist teacher Chögyam Trungpa (The Sacred Path of the Warrior), and others who suggest using the classic Warrior “virtues” of heroism, stoicism, and self-sacrifice to conquer the ego as a means to gain control of one’s inner life.

Item #10-008   SLOW RIDE 
$5.95 each (4.5″ x 6″ comes w/ blank envelope)
Message: “Sorry I Haven’t Written Sooner. My Delay Just Couldn’t Be Helped.”
Blank Inside.

The path of the genuine Mystic is slow and arduous. Progress upon the Mystic’s Path can be like riding upon the back of a gigantic turtle progressing through tangle of vegetation. The trick is to have enough control and disciple not to succumb to the impulse to (“push the river”) jump off and run to the destination before the turtle arrives. The Mystic’s Way is not for the impatient or anyone who cannot control their desires. The lives of the world’s great mystics often include achieving extraordinary states of consciousness, prolonged ecstatic trance, preternatural abilities of precognition and even bi-location. But these feats can be accomplished only by those willing to pay the price in blood, sweat, tears and time. Often great physical hardships, spiritual suffering, and hard work, also accompany the turtle.

The Turtle is perhaps the oldest symbol for our planet earth and, as such, is the personification of Earth energy, especially in terms of cycles (because turtles have longevity). Turtles represent the need to ground one’s focus upon thoughts and actions while slowing to a pace which assures completion. Being water creatures, it’s not in the nature of turtles to “push the river.” Instead, turtles teach the art of becoming grounded upon a solid foundation of understanding, then giving things a chance to develop at their own rate to ripen in its own time.

The message of this Greeting Card honors how sometimes things, like relationships, need to unfold at their own pace, according to their own time-table. Only the person who understands the astonishing feat of “Riding Upon the back of a Turtle” will truly appreciate the sincerity behind the delay.