After a much-needed break from the intensity that is my research, I am preparing to hunker down, since I have two chapters to churn out over the next couple of months, and a research trip to plan as I will be visiting the Péladan archives in Paris in the coming spring.
During my short break, I picked up my paintbrushes after a hiatus of almost three years. When I selected to study Péladan for my PhD, in my initial proposal I had planned to accompany the submission of my doctorate with an art exhibition of works based on Péladan’s curriculum for artists, since I am quite happy to admit that my interest in esotericism begins and ends with its influence on my own artwork.
After almost two and a half years of research and drafting, I’m now at a point where I am comfortable enough with Péladan’s ideas to begin that series, and the first two paintings, Shamash and Sin, based on his Comment on Devient Mage (1892), are now complete, with the rest of the series planned out. As I now put on my academic hat again, I will be writing up the chapters dealing with Péladan’s main symbolic motifs and then presenting his actual initiatory curriculum, but I won’t be letting the paintbrushes dry in the meantime!
The two new paintings have been posted on my personal/portfolio website http://sashachaitow.co.uk, complete with a detailed explanation of the symbolism used. Any new artwork will be posted on that website, while this one remains reserved for strictly academic material.