much delayed, Solstice project

[joebanks]

My solstice project that has been years in the making.



My first idea, was to do a sort of "eternity spiral". One of the major setbacks was choosing the colors.. Since this was based on Native American designs, what would the colors be? You go to Sedona Az. and all the new age type arts and crafts there, are done in pastels; i suppose, reflecting the red rocks and soil, but it never seems true. Native American art isn't pastel, the colors on pottery and textiles are striking and bold.

The actual spiral that inspired me, is a calender at Chaco Canyon, New Mexico, that marks the extremes in the sun's passage - solstice to solstice
 

www.solsticeproject.org/lunarmark.htm

So how do i combine a Native American image with stained glass, a European media? I got the idea to use the predominant colors of 12th century stained glass.



I can't find a date, maybe it's unkown; but the spiral may date to around the time the great windows in Europe were being constructed.

I hope this doesn't sound too pompous!

Finally, i've read that because of people visiting the spiral at Chaco Canyon, the stones have shifted and the spiral no longer marks the celestial events.

Comments

[k2rider78.livejournal.com]

Excellent job your spiral is beautiful!
I've always been fascinated with spirals, the also have ancient celtic spiral symbols too.

[joebanks.livejournal.com]

Thank you. Yes it seems onbe of those universal designs that made sense to many far flung peoples.

[farranger.livejournal.com]

This is pretty cool. I'd hazard to say that the spiral is one of those primitive designs that predate history. Unlike, say, the labyrinth or the swastika, both old, but not paleolithic.

[joebanks.livejournal.com]

Thanks. I'm sure your right; take a stick draw it in the sand, there it is.

[rafqa.livejournal.com]

What a brilliant idea to use those colors. The minute I read "twelfth century" I thought "Anasazi," though I'm not very up on it. And they're wonderful deep winter colors, especially against all that snow-- it's beautiful.

[joebanks.livejournal.com]

Brilliant? Yes! No i'd have trouble showing the differences. That would be offensive, yet those different cultures influenced each other.

[sahlah.livejournal.com]

Beautiful work and the colors are absolutely perfect!

[joebanks.livejournal.com]

Thanks! Nice icon too!

[kabuldur.livejournal.com]

Hooray! It's finished! A lot of thought went into this. No doubt doing a spiral was difficult, too. Well done!

[joebanks.livejournal.com]

Thanks. Yes it was difficult; it's not really that well made and i need new glasses too!