A Silk Painting about a very special Place - Machu Picchu in Peru

As the next post will be about Peruvian textile art I am re-writing this post from a long time ago. Machu Picchu has always been a mysterious and magical place for me and I cannot get enough from listening and watching all sorts of documentations regarding this sacred place. To visit this spot in reality must be an incredible experience where already due to lack of oxygen the sucseptibility to spiritualism probably grows noticably. How could this place leave anyone untouched?

The silk painting Machu Picchu belongs to the Magic Symbols Series. I love the warm colours and the golden ornaments leave a feeling of preciousness. Even if you choose an art print instead of the original it will leave the same feeling as I use to add gold pigments by hand after the printing process to all prints where the original has been painted accordingly with gold metallic pigments.

Machu Picchu is truly a magical place, an archeological site which still holds many secrets. Thousands of tourists undertake each year an incredibly exhausting trip to this place which is not easy to reach as it is hidden high in the mountains of the Andes. 

"Most archaeologists believe that Machu Picchu was built as an estate for the Inca emperor Pachacuti (1438–1472). Often referred to as "The Lost City of the Incas", it is perhaps the most familiar icon of the Inca World.
The Incas started building the estate around AD 1400 but it was abandoned as an official site for the Inca rulers a century later at the time of the Spanish conquest of the Inca Empire. Although known locally, it was unknown to the outside world before being brought to international attention in 1911 by the American historian Hiram Bingham. Since then, Machu Picchu has become an important tourist attraction.
Machu Picchu was declared a Peruvian Historical Sanctuary in 1981 and a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1983. Since it was not plundered by the Spanish when they conquered the Incas, it is especially important as a cultural site and is considered a sacred place." (from wikipedia)"

Whatever might turn out to be the real purpose of Machu Picchu - there is no doubt that this is a place full of magic and an incredible aura. Until today artefacts are found at this site and may lead to new discoveries.

"Machu Picchu"
40" x 13" 

silk, stitched

The ancient golden ornaments certainly add a special touch to the historical city and dreams about the lost treasures of the Inca people...

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Purple - the Colour of the Senses

The colour purple means something special for me. On one hand it is the colour of the holy, spiritual and was reserved to be worn by royals only and the high ranking clerical staff. In some countries and way back into history purple was and is the colour of mourning.

According to Feng Shui rules purple should not be used too often and especially not on walls because it could trigger blood diseases. The only possibility to use purple in a room is for healing purposes - remember the amethyst being one of the strongest healing crystals. Purple has alway been associated with mystery.

But purple has also been connected to poison and rage, it has been an attribute of homosexuality, is associated with contrition and all kinds of extremes. Btw - Dior created a perfume called "Poison" which was filled into a wonderful dark purple glass bottle. I find these components of psychologically tinted attributes extremely interesting. This might also be the reason why the bourgeois, the bores and deadheads of this world consider purple being flagitious, voluptuous, euphuistic and simply vulgar - at least in the times when I was a child. Purple was not a colour a decent girl would be wearing. Today a ridiculous interpretation! Thank heaven the times have changed...

But some tiny bits and pieces of this former interpretation may have survived in a rebellious mind because I find this colour extremely inspiring and juicy. Isn't it the forbidden that intrigues us most? And what do you think about the colour purple?

 original image source and with courtesy of 

http://www.livingetc.com

And what would go best in this room with the wonderful purple sofa? One of my favourite paintings Haleakala, inspired by Maui's dream landscapes.

"Haleakala"
(from the Magic Landscapes Series)
silk, 21" x 40"
©Petra Voegtle

This silk painting has been inspired by the breathtaking landscapes on the Hawaiian Islands, especially the Haleakala National Park. You can read more about it here if you like and what's so special about this painting.

More room examples you can find here.
 

The Elegance of an Entry Hall...

Now look closely at the picture below and see what is wrong?
This is truly a wonderful and very elegant entry hall. I love the colour scheme here, the light and airiness of this entrance, the filigree door, everything composed with great care besides the mirror above the table. How could this have been overlooked that a mirror was placed into the alcove that does not fit at all? In my opinion this does not look good. No doubt that mirror is beautiful and would have looked wonderful on the side table but not in the alcove.

   original image source from http://www.getdecorating.com

I had a different idea for decoration: a delicate and realistic painting in a nicely carved frame, matching colour and style of the side table: Contemplation on a Predator from the Pigeon series.

To make this part of the wall even more interesting and in order to give it a bit of a mysterious (you know I like mystery) touch I would even place a beautiful skull on the table, something similar to the painted one. "Ebony and ivory" would make a perfect match. I am sure any guest would be intrigued...

"Contemplation on a Predator"
(from the Pigeons series) 
18" x 26" (without frame) acrylic
©Petra Voegtle

The painting itself is acrylic on cotton. You can read more about it here if you like. Inspiration comes from the feral pigeon family that lives on my balcony and whose lives I am documenting in another blog since nearly 3 years now. Read the Pigeon Tales with lots of stories and photos.

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