MF Mini's

"PsychicHog"

acrylic on birch panel

3 x 2.5 inches, framed to 3.75 x 4.25 inches

"PentaBat"

acrylic on birch panel

3 x 2.5 inches, framed to 3.75 x 4.25 inches

Here are my two little miniature paintings (one is a three-eyed albino hedgehog, and the other is an albino bat with a pentagram) for MF Gallery's 10th Anniversary show, coming up soon.

Everything in the show is only $100, and the artist lineup is both humongous and exciting. 

Fox Magic

"Fox Magic"

acrylic on birch panel

8 x 10 inches framed to 13.5 x 15.5 inches

2012

email corylou311(at)yahoo(dot)com for availability

A gray fox and a white, arctic fox converge around the pentacle made of pussy willows (representing never-ceasing remembrance in Floriography, the Victorian language of flowers) while an owl sentry flies above, and one perches on a skull below.  

Dark and light; as above, so below.

Forest Altar

"Forest Altar"

acrylic and silver leaf on birch panel

8 x 10 inches

2013

inquiries: corylou311(at)yahoo(dot)com

A young red fox sits besides his forest altar while a cardinal rings the altar's bell, with the insignia of the inverted pentagram.  The blue jay observes from below.  Candles burn upon the skull, lighting the night.

The animals are guardians of the occult; their secrets and magic elusive to humanity.

They are invincible ghosts of the forest....

Winter Guardians

"Winter Guardians"

acrylic and silver leaf on birch panel

18 x 24 inches, plus frame

2012

$1,300.00

(SOLD)

For Bold Hype Gallery's "Far Away, So Close" show

This painting was an intense experience for me; I haven't had time enough with all my projects to work on a large painting like this since before my solo show in August, and even then I was racing to create several large pieces in a very short amount of time.

***

For this piece, I wanted to create a scene about my most favorite of seasons; winter.

There is a barn owl, albino doe and raven, and two arctic foxes and two white wolves.  They are flanking a snowflake-like acanthus pentagram, which is silver leafed and painted with white details.

There are also icicles hanging from the pentagram, snow falling in the background, and some pink roses and pine cones and branches.

The concept deals with my fascination of the opposition between nature and christianity.  Throughout history, christians viewed nature as of the Devil; pagans and witches of all kinds seen as heathens.  I myself see the Devil not as a god that should be worshipped literally, but as a symbol of all that which I hate about the life-hating religions, including christianity.

Thusly, I seek to paint the beauty and majesty of animals and nature.

Before christianity, there were beautiful old ways that seem to become buried and forgotten.  

I wanted these animals, which may be seen as spirits, to be the ones who guard the old ways and make sure that some part of the magic of nature cannot be forgotten or destroyed by christianity.

These Guardians are as old as the seasons; as the winter itself, and cannot be destroyed.

***

I had an extraordinarily difficult time photographing this painting because of the white highlights on the silver leaf, and the lights and darks I painted onto the birch.  Hopefully I will have a chance to get a better picture of the painting at some point.

I'm hoping to make three other paintings dealing with spring, summer and fall over the next year.

Here's the flyer for the show, I'll be in NYC for the opening!

So excited to be with such a great group of artists, at such an amazing gallery.  This is actually my first time showing in the city, so it will be a fun experience.

Far Away, So Close

Here's a recent picture of my progress on "Winter Guardians" for Bold Hype Gallery's Far Away, So Close show.  

If you're interesting in seeing more of my progress shots, you can follow me on Instagram at @corybenhatzel or instagram.com/corybenhatzel .

The show is coming up soon in January, and I'll be traveling to NYC for the opening and some sightseeing!

Talisman Print

"Talisman" print

fine art giclee print

signed and numbered by the artist

limited edition of 25

image size= 8 x 10.25, paper size= 9 x 12 inches

$30.00/each

Available HERE at Modern Eden Gallery

Talisman

"Talisman"

acrylic on birch panel

16 x 20 inches, framed

2012

please email info@moderneden.com or call 415.3303 for inquiries

In this piece of mine a mourning dove wears the Circle of Protection talisman, which is best used in rituals and spells involving protection of self and home and most effective when worn around the neck.

Two kestrels sit waiting in attack mode under the dove, flanking an inverted pentagram made of acanthus; my own Talisman. Around the birds are dahlias, that symbolize misrepresentation and heather, which means protection from danger in Victorian Flower Language, or Floriography.

This is the namesake painting for my show this Saturday, August 11th from 6-10PM at 

San Francisco's Modern Eden Gallery

403 Francisco St

San Francisco, California

Conjuring

"Conjuring"

acrylic on birch panel

16 x 20 inches

2012

I've been ignoring this blog for a while because I've been working my ass off in preparation for my August 11th solo show at Modern Eden Gallery, called "Talisman".

 As the name Talisman implies, this show is about the magical amulets typically worn around the neck which protect and help the wearer. I'm fascinated by these amulets, I have been interested in them since I was a kid.  I wanted to make a series incorporating them into my favorite animals' lives.

Here's a new finished piece called, "Conjuring". This one portrays a male fox who has lost his dear wife and is conjuring her spirit using her skull and the Magic Hexagram amulet.  I found online that "although it is not as famous as the pentagram, the hexagram has been used as a magical symbol for thousands of years.  It is frequently viewed as a form that can act as a portal to the spirit world.  As such, the the Magic Hexagram amulet is a great tool for anyone seeking to invoke or evoke spirits, angels or demons."

The barn owl also is assisting the husband fox with a heart-shaped Ouija planchette which bears the symbol of the pentacle.  Between the wife's ghostly image and the husband's solid one is the flower astilbe, which means "I'll still be waiting" in Floriography, the Victorian language of flower meanings.  Astilbe leaves float down from the sky around them.  Beside the husband fox are white tulips, which mean "lost love".

Talisman WIP's

"Conjuring"

"Talisman"

"The Sonnenberg Mouse"

Here's a couple sneak peeks of the paintings I'm working on for my August SOLO SHOW at San Francisco's Modern Eden Gallery!

I couldn't be more excited and am working furiously on my most favorite paintings I've ever made for "Talisman".  We (my husband and I) just got our plane tickets for the show and I feel very lucky to be making another trip out to San Francisco.

Many more details to come...

Two Shows, A Print, One Night!

Tonight I have paintings in these two amazing shows;

my piece, "Succoria: The Grand Demon Witch, The White-Winged Death" will be at OhNo! Doom Gallery in Chicago for a video game tribute show, and my other painting, "Forest Beauties" will be in San Francisco for "Menagerie", 20% of which the proceeds will go to the SPCA!

Please come out and support these two amazing shows if you are in town.

***

Also, the print for "Satanica Naturalis" is finally available!

"Satanica Naturalis"
12 x 16 inches
cotton rag archival paper
each print is signed by the artist
professionally scanned/printed
*****SOLD OUT******