Useful and Beautiful

This gorgeous print can be found at the V&A Shop.

Well, I'm about out of crafts for the time being, but since spring is a time of cleaning and decluttering your home and life, as well as a time of creation and newness, I thought we could talk a little about getting rid of some of the excess in our homes.

Personally I love a slightly cluttered-looking "Cabinet of Curiosities" look, and my own collection is still in its growing phase, rather than its "paring back and getting rid of excess" phase. But as someone (I can't recall who!) on the Facebook group pointed out, Domythic decorators are often prone to collecting and over-stuffing their houses with lovely things. How do we pare it all down?

Well...to find the solution one only has to look as far as the Grand Master of all things Aesthetic, William Morris. Not a single book on home decluttering, and very few books on home decoration, fail to include his most famous quote somewhere in its pages. And here it is.

"Have nothing in your houses that you do not know to be useful, or believe to be beautiful."

This motto is not only lovely to read, but it quite thoroughly sums up an entire philosophy by which we can explore our homes and choose what to discard and what to keep. It's very straightforward, but I still think we can glean a little by a line-by-line closer examination.

"Have nothing in your houses"

William Morris' statement here is absolute. He isn't saying "have very little" or "Try not to have." His statement is a direct command, and one that brooks no room for leeway. William Morris lived his life by the philosophy that if you want to learn about something or do something, take it as far as it can go. He was a role model when it came to starting projects and seeing them all the way through rather than abandoning them. Of course he was only human, so there are some exceptions, but for the most part he lived more of a life than any five other men as far as how much he accomplished, learned, and did. It should not surprise us then that such a man found no room for a tepid statement. Have absolutely, positively *nothing* in your houses...

"that you"

William Morris gives the individual the responsibility for judgment in this situation. He could have easily adopted a more passive tone..."have nothing in your houses that is not useful or beautiful"...but instead he leaves it up to the homeowner to decide for him or herself where to draw the line in the sand. I really consider this aspect of the quote to be the most important...that Morris is telling us that taste and beauty are in large part an individual thing. Of course he was also saying this during a time when people would stuff their houses with the stereotypical objects of the day: stuffed peacocks and layer upon layer of tassled curtains covering up any light coming in from the windows, ornately carved furniture and frail teacups Morris would have crushed in his hand with a single distracted wave of his arm. None of these objects were of personal significance...the entire point was to fill one's house with objects to impress others. By emphasizing the word "you," William Morris was putting the importance of interior decoration on what the individual deemed lovely and useful, not society or conventional wisdom. But of course, we don't have this problem at all nowadays, do we?** This epidemic of styling our houses according to trends and public popularity rather than a personal aesthetic or artistic expression?

"do not know to be useful"

Here's an extremely important word as well. We aren't supposed to keep what we suspect might be useful, or what we think perhaps someday might come in handy. We are to keep what we *know* to be useful, present-tense. This is the piece of advice that is repeated time and time again in modern books on decluttering.

"or believe to be beautiful."

Again Morris emphasizes the importance of individual taste in the decision making process in one's home. But beyond that, the simple inclusion of this line into the directive indicates just how integral beauty is to our daily lives. For Morris, a man who was a huge inspiration to the Aesthetic movement, beauty was just as essential as usefulness in helping a person get through the basics of an every day life.

Have nothing in your houses that you do not know to be useful, or believe to be beautiful.

Whole books have been written and haven't expressed the idea of what a home should be 1/100th as well as that simple sentence.

I'm absolutely in love with this photograph of Morris, found by my friend Kirsty of The Kissed Mouth.

**Link contains language some may find offensive

Celebrate the First Day of Spring

Image source

Signed etching by Isabel Saul

Froudian creatures by Wendy Froud enjoying the daffodils.

A field of daffodils from the movie Big Fish.

It's the first day of spring! Here in Ohio, and apparently in many other places as well, spring came early as temperatures rose to the mid-60s to mid-70s two weeks ago. As I drove to work this morning, I noticed all the daffodils in bloom (they began opening a few days ago). The Hellebore in front of my house has exploded with large saucer-size dark purple blooms, and the bushes behind the library are dotted with pink buds. The Forsythia in the neighborhood is a tumble of yellow, and my lilac has begun to bud with green. Spring seems to know that today is a special occasion, and she twirls her earthen skirt for all to see, with a flash of pink here and yellow there.

Last year, in my first warm months as a home owner, I discovered quite quickly that I absolutely adore gardening. Therefore, in advanced warning, my posts will become more and more garden-centric as the weather warms and the yard beckons. But after all, there is very little quite as mythic as a garden.

So, spring has sprung! To celebrate, here are a few ideas...

-Grow something from seeds.

This year, I am trying this for the first time since I was a little girl with a styrofoam cup and a trowel of dirt. Three days ago I bought a seed-starting plastic terrarium and planted 30 Hollyhock seeds, and 6 Morning Glory seeds. Now the little divisions of dirt are sitting in a south-facing window, and all I can do is keep the soil moist and wait. I am exceedingly excited to see the seedlings make their way from the potting mixture and grow into small plantlings large enough to replant outside.

For a lover of magic and myth, there is an added step to the process beyond impressing a hole, dropping in seeds and watering the soil. I would advise you also ask the faeries and/or spirits of your home to watch over the plants and flowers you are growing from seed. Green and growing things are kin to fey, and it certainly wouldn't hurt to ask them to add their energy and enthusiasm to the growing process. Surround your seed pots with crystals and other enticing objects, and be sure to express your appreciation for any help they can provide. (But of course, do not thank them...one must never thank a faerie)

-Cut a few daffodils and bring them inside.

If you have daffodils in your yard, even if they have only begun to bloom, cut one or two of them to bring inside to celebrate the first day of spring. If you don't have daffodils, try to find something that has begun growing and tend to it in its own space. Talk to it, clear the weeds and crumbled leaves from around it. Focus on the beauty of new life in spring.

-Plan your garden even if you can't yet plant your garden

Even the most experienced of gardeners know that there is new planning to be done every year. If you live in an apartment, think of what herbs you could plant in a windowsill. If you live in a basement apartment with no natural light at all, try succulents, cactus, or imagine ways you can infuse a touch of plant life into your decor (painted vines? A large garden artwork?) Or if you have a home, think of a few new areas where the earth can be tilled for new flower beds.

-Create a seasonal space in your home

We've seen Bryony's beautiful example of a seasonal mantle above her living room fireplace. Set aside a space in your home to celebrate the beauty of the current season. Blow the yolks from eggs and decorate them with natural dyes or paint. Add the daffodils you picked. Find whatever it is that makes you smile about the current season, and celebrate it.

And it should go without saying...take down those dried and browning evergreen boughs. ;)

-Open a window

There are so many symbolic ways to freshen up your house for spring (and I hope to talk about Domythic spring cleaning soon), but there is no easier way to literally give your home a breath of fresh air than to open up a few windows. Let the sheers billow out in the breeze coming from the back yard. Watch your cat as he sniffs the air with his eyes closed from the windowsill.

-Buy one new thing for your house

If, like me, you have a tendency to prefer jewel tones and dark colours, try to buy one new thing for your house to lighten it up. This could just mean buying a tulip in a pot for your windowsill (yes, plants again) or a throw pillow with Art Nouveau flowers on it. I'm currently searching for a new bed set to put on our bed in warmer months that will be more cheerful and light.

-Hang windchimes

I know not everyone feels this way, but I absolutely love the sound of windchimes. Their merry tinkle (or as I prefer it, deep and resonant gong) signifies that weather is warming and spring is here. There is no ancient lore to back up this idea, but I do believe the faeries are drawn to windchimes as well. In our old apartment, I painted a faerie by our patio door named Saoirse who held chimes in her hand. Every time the chimes on our patio would sound, we knew Saoirse was making herself known.

-Clean up your faerie spaces

If you have any circles of pebbles in your flower beds devoted to the faeries, or beds of moss where they especially like to lie, clean them up. Straighten any stones that might have been moved aside in the cold months. Reaffix the tiny wooden doors to the bases of the trees where they reside. Faeries may not hibernate, but they certainly rejoice in the return of spring as we do, and deserve our celebration and acknowledgement.

There are so many more ways to celebrate spring and the return of warm weather and longer daylight hours. Go for a walk, play a beautiful song through the open window while you sit on your patio or porch, start a new artistic project in celebration of all the creation and new life around you. It all boils down to this: whatever you do, don't go through life, or this changing season, with your eyes closed to the beauty of the world and the miracle of your every day.




Oh, and buy The Muppets.

Shveta Thakrar - Domythic South Asia

Artist Niroot Puttapipat has illustrated a gorgeous version of the Rubáiyát of Omar Khayyám. This illustration is for Quatrain 70 -
Indeed, indeed, Repentance oft before
I swore - but was I sober when I swore?
And then and then came Spring, and Rose-in-hand
My thread-bare Penitence apieces tore.

Tonight's blog is written by guest blogger, Shveta Thakrar. Many thanks to her!

At the Sirens Conference in 2010, young adult fantasy author Malinda Lo pointed out that cultural exchanges have taken place throughout history and indeed are necessary for a civilization to survive. As the saying goes, the only constant is change. Language, food, fashion--without a constant trade of fresh ideas and new ways of being, cultures become stagnant and die. It only turns problematic when the "exchange" becomes one-sided, when instead of a relationship based on mutual respect, one party preys upon the other, seeing the latter as a cave to be mined for shiny objects while impressing its own values and notions of beauty and correctness on the latter. In other words, colonialism.

Let's take a moment to imagine South Asia. Picture its vibrant colors, sumptuous fabrics, and sparkling jewels. Consider its rich epics and lush lore, its lavishly dressed rajas and ranis of old, its elephants and peacocks, snakes and tigers. Envision the Hindu and Buddhist panoply of deities lovingly depicted in both art and ritual. See yourself before the fine architecture of the Muslims, the most well-known example being that dazzling wonder of the world, the Taj Mahal. Seat yourself before a steaming plate of food, complex and layered with spices as delicious to look at as to eat, and feast your eyes on it.

Sounds beautiful, doesn't it? Fancy and mysterious and--gasp!--exotic! However, as tempting as it is to think of "the exotic East," it's a fallacy. South Asia is made up of a number of smaller cultures and regions, each made up in turn of people with their own identities and languages and philosophies. People who struggle and prosper and live and love, who run businesses or treat patients or paint and sculpt and dance. People who don't all believe or want the same thing. South Asians are people like any other. Not only is Western influence becoming more and more a force in their lives, making the above romantic vision less and less accurate every day, but for them, the things listed above are just life, the same way celebrating Thanksgiving and going to prom are everyday occurrences in North America.

What I'm trying to say is, when decorating in a South Asian style, we can't forget to remember the people behind the seemingly romantic exterior. It's extremely important that care be taken when choosing what elements to use, because unfortunately, the current cultural exchange in the world is not equal. Western culture has found is way nearly everywhere, but the reverse is not true. I personally believe domythic decorating can help bridge this gap, but we ned to be mindful in order for that to happen.

In decorating on an international level, we need to make sure we know what we are using and why. For instance, if someone or something is considered sacred or endangered in some way, we should give a great deal of thought to whether we really need to use it. (Think the image of the god Ganesh on commercially produced flip-flops, something considered profane to Hindus, as shoes are unclean.) We must remember that the folklore and traditions are very much alive for the people they belong to, and they're not just toys for our amusement. Also, when we buy, why not do so in a way that properly compensates the people who made our products?

With all that in mind, let's talk decorating! When I was growing up, my mother filled our house in Texas with beautiful objects like metal plates engraved with peacocks. We had cloth paintings of scenes from the Mahabharata, such as Lord Krishna dancing with the gopis (cowherdesses), of lovers sitting together in swings.

Krishna with Gopis, painting from the Smithsonian, via Wikipedia.

Statues of the gods and lovers Radha and Krishna stood tall in corners, Krishna playing his flute. Stairwells were bright with colorfully embroidered wall hangings dotted with tiny mirrors in the Rajasthani style. Metal elephants rested on curio shelves (except when they somehow became my playthings). Torans hung over doorways, their bells swishing when a tall person walked from room to room.

A gorgeous example of a Toran, from Flickr.

Carved copper bowls shone on tables, and round copper lamps lit the living room, their light gleaming through multicolored tiny panes. A huge black chest encrusted with stones in beautiful designs was one of my favorite things to open and play with.

Now, in my own Victorian Dollhouse, I have a one-string mobile of elephants in bold colors. Torans in various sizes, shapes, and colors adorn doorways and windows.

Shveta's beautiful home.

I'm Hindu, and my husband is Buddhist, so we've hung up an assortment of deities on the walls. As a wedding gift, my grandmother bought us sheets for our bed, a gorgeous dark red satin with a vivid blue peacock motif. Less fancy but wonderfully comfortable is my cotton blanket, called an ajrak, from the desert area of Kutch where my great-grandmother's house stood prior to the earthquake of 2001.
An elaborate Ajrak on Ebay.

I'm a collector of lotuses and have lotus-shaped candle holders. My husband acquired a set of carved wooden furniture from the state of Kashmir, which is impatiently awaiting reupholstery. I hope to add a set of these poufs to the mix as time and money allow.


I also really, really want this nagini door handle for my future writing room.

Speaking of words, literature is a wonderful place for inspiration, particularly since we're talking about myth. Try the Mahabharata, an incredibly intricate epic tale about five brothers and their war with their cousins. Find out how Queen Kunti came to bear these sons, or how Draupadi came to marry all five. Or try the Ramayana, another epic. Familiarize yourself with the story of Sita and Rama, how the city of Ayodhya was lost and then won again, and the various retellings thereof. Enjoy fables older than Aesop's in the collection called Panchatantra. Read the same comic versions of history and stories I did as a child: Amar Chitra Katha. That's how I learned about Birbal and how he saved the mango tree from quarreling neighbors Rama and Shama. Definitely read South Asian fairy tales!

Check out history books and biographies and get a feel for the place and its past and present. Ever heard of Phoolan Devi, the bandit queen? Learn about the many types of South Asian fey, some of whom are part of the various religions. Listen to traditional and modern South Asian music. Research the instruments used to make it, some of which are no longer in use. Watch Bollywood old and new, Indian art movies, and modern Indian TV for ideas of what South Asia actually looks like. Pick up a cookbook by Madhur Jaffrey or Tarla Dalal and prepare dishes from different regions. Look at the vessels used both before and now.

If you have friends or family from any part of South Asia, look around their houses. What sorts of mythic objects do they keep, if anything? What tales can they recount? Myth, after all, is a reflection of those who tell it, a record of our hearts. It remembers for us how we survived, rejoiced, grieved, loved, and of course, grew. And that is certainly international in scope.

Why?

The main purpose of the Domythic Bliss blog is to answer the question of how to create a mythically inspired abode. However, one question that I have yet to address is another basic query...why create a mythically inspired abode?

1. To honor the place where you live

There's a quote I found recently from Mark Twain that I especially love. "To us our house was not unsentient matter--it had a heart & a soul & eyes to see us with, & approvals & solicitudes & deep sympathies; it was of us, & we were in its confidence, & lived in its grace & in the peace of its benediction. We never came home from an absence that its face did not light up & speak out its eloquent welcome--& we could not enter it unmoved."

If you ever get a chance to see Mark Twain's house, you will agree it is definitely a Domythic abode, with Walter Crane wallpaper in the nursery, and wonder around every corner. But Twain wasn't just lucky enough to live in a rare home with a personality and a spirit...he acknowledged the presence of a soul in his home that can be present in any abode where people live, grow, share emotions, and tell their stories. He helped to create the environment around him that helped to tell the story of the house.

This is one reason to decorate Domythically...because the places where we live deserve it. Those of us who are lucky enough to live in a house with some history owe it to this place that has sheltered others before us to help reveal and share its story with others and celebrate it among ourselves. And those of us who live in new homes have a blank page ahead of us on which to write the beginning of the story of a new home that may shelter many after us. Domythic decorating is about storytelling, and those of us who love it do so in part because we love stories. But the primary story we have a duty to tell is the story of the home we live in. This is why I find it so jarring when people who own a Victorian home decorate the inside with modern minimalism, say, or someone who owns a cottage decorates in safari prints. I understand a home is a reflection of the people inside, but we should show respect to the home itself by decorating in a manner that flows with the style of the house.

2. To never, ever grow up.

Have you ever been over to a person's house, and you gawk and wonder at how pristine and well put-together it is, but you feel like you have to perch at the edges of the cushions? You look around at the decor of the room, and everything matches...you can tell they bought the drapes to match the pillows, the shower curtain to match the trash basket. It's very pretty...very styled. In fact, maybe they even hired a decorator to put it all together. The bathroom is so huge, you could hold a masked ball in the middle of the floor between the jacuzzi tub and the double sinks. But there's no life in it at all whatsoever. The person decorates that way because it's what society tells them they should want. Similarly, many people graduate college and enter the real world, and over a period of time...sometimes a few years, sometimes a few decades...they lose all sense of what it is to be childlike...not childish, but childlike in their sense of wonder and imagination. They cut their long braids into short business-like haircuts they maintain monthly. They throw away their gypsy skirts and velvet and put on business suits and pantyhose.

Now, mind you, I am aware that not all of us work at places where we can dress in Froud-print t-shirts and hand-painted Chuck Taylors. Not everyone who wears suits and heels is automatically the enemy. But there's a certain energy you can feel from someone who you know has a secret stash of faerie postcards in her cubicle drawer, and someone who you can tell has just given in to the disease we and Peter Pan know as "growing up." And for those of us who have to hide our dreaming souls during the work day, having a place to come to that is all about art and creativity and storytelling and wonder and imagination and myth and fairy tales (I get excited just writing all those words in a row) is essential to our well being. It's a way of balancing out the world of politics and bills and budgets and shopping lists we have to live in with a reminder that we are always, at heart, the little boys and girls who played imaginary games with our pet dragons and unicorns.

3. To be a part of the story movement

The amazing artist (and incredible writer) Rima Staines recently wrote a post on the first day of 2012. I could summarize it here, but then you might not go over there and read it, so instead I'll just link it here so you have to! But in the post, she discusses the idea of a subtle revolution against the bland, homogenous and commercial aspect of modern society. I was definitely roused and inspired by the idea of this revolution or movement. It got me thinking about how we all are participating in a subtle revolution by trying to carry on and revive the folklore and fairy tales from our mythic history. We are like the green eco-movement, only our goal is to save folklore instead of nature (although of course the two go hand in hand!) We want to save the stories of the past, and create new ones.

I work at my local library, and my boss, knowing my preferences, put me in charge of shelving and maintaining the fairy tale section of the children's department. I've discovered more and more over the years I've worked there that the fairy tale section is among the least utilized in the library. Of course, there are many books in other areas of the library that are liberally inspired by fairy tales, but it's sad to see fewer and fewer parents reading their children the original source material. Painting quotes from romantic poets and fairy tales on your walls may not seem revolutionary, but all of us together, through surrounding ourselves with fairy tales and myths and supporting the mythic arts, help keep modern storytellers and the arts alive.

4. Because it just feels right

In October of 2008, my husband and I were married. We had a simple elopement to a local park. Only the minister (also a photographer), my husband and I were present. My mom and I made my wedding dress together, a purple dupioni silk medieval-inspired gown with autumn leaves embroidered on the bodice and the full skirt. When I showed people our wedding pictures after, I frequently was told how great it was that I wore purple, etc. But let me tell you...I went to David's Bridal long before the wedding and tried on dresses there. And standing on the platform in a strapless gown and veil, I felt more like I was in costume than I have at any sci fi con or ren faire I've attended. Wedding gowns are gorgeous. Wedding gowns are perfect if they feel just right to you. But wearing that purple gown on my wedding day wasn't done to make a statement or be different...it was done because it was a reflection of who I am inside, and felt natural.

Okay, I hope you see where I'm going with this. Our houses are like that purple gown. We don't fill our houses with quirky and fantastical and magical objects in order to impress others or do what people expect of us. We simply do it because it is what comes naturally to us. It is, simply put, an expression of what we love.

In closing, I wanted to include a few quotes from Domythic readers from the Facebook group. I recently asked the same question..."WHY Domythic?" to the group, and got some really great responses.

"For me it is the dissatisfaction with the mundane 'real' world, the feeling of not really belonging in this time and place. It is magic and myth that calls to me and gives me that elusive sense of belonging, and that is reflected in what I chose to surround myself with. My home is literally a refuge from the outside world so it really couldn't be anything but an interpretation of the magic and myth that I love! It is also very beautiful, and generally upholds a craftsman ethic - I can't understand why so many manufactured goods are just downright ugly. I totally understand 'form follows function' and simplicity has a beauty in itself, but there is no excuse for poor design whether you're talking about a doorknob or a kettle or a house or car." -Bryony Whistlecraft

" I have always needed for there to be more to the world than meets the eye, and for me to feel truly at home in a place, the decorating has to echo that to a certain degree... I grew up peering down rabbit holes and digging around in the backs of wardrobes in the search of magic, and nothing has changed as I've got older - if anything, I am worse now!" -Ali English

" I don't make a conscious attempt to express it in my home decor. Yet the things that charm and delight me are much the same as they've always been: organic, nature-inspired forms - animals, mushrooms, Art Nouveau; natural objects like shells and feathers; pretty things - lace, embroidery, coloured and reflective glass. I'm often drawn to objects with nostalgic appeal - framed children's book illustrations, a glass sweet jar full of marbles, my Peter Rabbit egg cup. So what is the common theme? Bryony spoke of feeling out of place in the mundane "real" world. Many of us share that dissatisfaction with the world. Can there be anyone who doesn't sense that there's something wrong with the world, or with us? I believe that deep down we all yearn to return to a simpler, innocent time, to be more in touch with nature, especially with our own true nature and innocence. So, sensing that what we've lost is buried somewhere in our past, we turn to ancient myths, and things that recall happy memories of childhood." - Helen Virginia Bye

"When I was little, my parents didn't have a lot of money, but they made sure we always had books. I grew up on fairytales and mythologies of every country imaginable. Those early childhood fantasies of "I wish I was there..." left me with the desire to re-create some of those dreams within my own home, so I do! The collection of beautiful brass pieces on top of my dresser remind me of Ali Baba's cave, the glass balls hanging over the kitchen table are tangible soap bubbles blown by fairies, and all the artist's dolls, Pre-Raphealite pictures, the art glass, instruments, wreaths and loops of leaves and greenery ...well, you need no excuse for beauty." - PattyLynn Winters

"Well, the need to create a safe place, a cocoon of my own. And the stronger-than-me way of making sense of everything that is in my head. I dress/decorate the way I listen to music and see art. It's a whole. I need my inside to be coherent and reflected on the outside." - Alexandrion Drallipo

"I just need to be living a magical and creative life. The more we tend to make things cold and sterile in the world, destroying nature and ignoring beauty as we build and make things, the more it hurts my heart to see, and I need to counter that in my own existence. Stories and imagination and enchantment are great for that. So domythic bliss all the way!" - Shveta Thakrar

The Green Man - A Verdant Post I

A few weeks ago on the Domythic Bliss Facebook group, the Green Man came up in conversation, as should come as no surprise to any of us who know the important role he plays in the Mythic Arts. Artist and Abbot of the Beloved Order of the Green Man (B.O.G.) Shane Odom suggested that a post on his presence in house decorations might prove to be an interesting blog post. I then sent out a call for submissions. And oh my, did I receive some replies.

It seems as if to quite a good number of us who find meaning in myth, legend and fairy tale, the Green Man is an important symbol to use in our home decoration. And it led me to wonder just why? What is it about the Green Man that we find so important to bring into our homes?

First, let me quote from an article by Shane and Joelle Mellon to explain a bit about who the Green Man is. This article originally appeared in Faerie Magazine in Spring 2006.

The term "The Green Man" came into popular usage in 1939, when it was employed by Lady Raglan for her article, "The Green Man in Church Architecture". She was examining the carvings found in many churches and cathedrals. These showed a face made of leave, sometimes with vines coming out of their mouths, noses, and eyes. Lady Raglan theorized that these "foliate heads" must bear a relationship to the leaf clad characters found in folk traditions. However, these carvings were descended from sculptures dating back to ancient Roman, Greek, and Celtic sources. To the medieval mind, vegetation, being of the material world, was sometimes associated with sins. Therefore, some of the Green Men carvings showing "disgorging" greenery appear to be in pain. However these associations with greenery were reversals, showing two sides of the same leaf, if you will. Green Men and some Green Women carvings exist that are not in pain or disfigured. These are often reposed, letting their greenery issue forth from their mouths like fountains. Indeed, many fountains throughout Europe use foliate heads to surround the spout, perhaps linking Green Men with the guardians of sacred wells and springs. Other carvings show Green Men grinning, frowning, or laughing.

I can think of a few reasons why the Green Man may appeal so strongly to the mythic mind beyond his obvious role as supernatural being or deity as he appears in some personal spiritualities. He represents transformation: the in-between quality of someone who is neither fully human being nor fully leaf and twig. The Green Man quite literally represents bringing the spirit of the natural world into our domesticated lives. To hang a Green Man image in a house is to invite the essence of nature into a place where we have to live mostly apart from it (in our modern brick and plaster abodes). And isn't that a central goal of Domythic decorating?

In addition, from a purely aesthetic point of view, the Green Man is an incredible source for artistic creativity. You can search the internet for images of artistic renderings of the Green Man all day long and still never find a repeated version. There are as many versions of the Green Man as there are species of trees in the forest. Ask Shane about this...he has been creating masterful Green Man masks from leather for years, and I still have yet to see an exact duplicate from one mask to another.

Because of this incredible diversity, it is quite possible to find a version of the Green Man that appeals to practically anyone. I myself discovered this quite distinctly when I stumbled upon the below plaque at the Ohio Renaissance Festival. I had never found a version of the Green Man who so utterly enraptured me until I saw this piece. His fey eyes and gender-neutral face struck me as quite perfect, and he has hung in my home ever since.


Green Men (and Green Women, too) also can be displayed in numerous forms. Gorgeous artworks like Brian Froud's "The King of the Green Men" at the top of this blog, or Maria Sender's Green Man, below, can be framed in oak wood, or put in frames covered with leaves.


Green Men can also be seen in plaques and ceramic wall hangings


And, perhaps most versatile, in three-dimensional masks that act not only as decoration, but also as costume at ritual and festival.


Over the next couple of days, I hope to share with you more examples of Green Men as they appear in the homes of Domythic decorators. Clearly this mysterious figure of nature from so long ago still has a very real and solid presence in the modern lives of those who love enchantment!

Windling Trees

Today I want to talk to you a little bit about one of my favorite kinds of trees: Windling Trees.

You may or may not be familiar with this type of tree; most likely you have not heard them called by this name. A couple of years ago, I saw a blog post written by the author, artist, editor, and muse Terri Windling. She shared pictures of her old home in a cottage in Devon. On the walls of her bedroom, glowing with a ghostly golden glow, she had painted tree shadows. There was no shading, no bark detail...just the ghostly silhouettes of trees in a shade lighter than the color of the wall, to the point where you almost wondered if it was just your imagination turning the room into a forest.




Well, I was instantly smitten. The same blog post showed her paintings of similar trees on the walls of Endicott West, an artist's retreat in Arizona. Those trees were similar, but the background was shaded with a few colors of the rainbow sunset the desert could boast.

I saved the photographs from Terri's blog, and when my husband and I moved into our first home together a year ago, the bedroom was the first room I painted. I chose a golden warm color called "Peanut Butter" (Behr) to cover the walls, and then added a small amount of white paint to the color, lightening it slightly to paint the trees. Painting the Windling Trees on my wall was a wonderful experience. The painting of a tree can be feasibly done without vast amounts of artistic talent...each tree can have flaws and asymmetry. And the process of painting the tree...from thick trunk to ever-thinning branches, to spindly twigs...was quite like a meditation to me.




As I painted the trees on my wall, I thought about a special circle of old and leafless Hawthorn trees near my house. In one of Charles de Lint's books, he explains that everyone has a "forest of the heart"...a special place that can exist in reality or only in your mind, to which you can retreat when you need solace, comfort, or calm. This grove of Hawthorns has been my Forest of the Heart for over a decade.

Recently, I moved into my first house and researched the mystery tree in my backyard. I discovered it was a Hawthorn tree, and read up on its long and Faerie history. It was only after that, when I returned to my grove of trees, that I recognized them as old and wizened Hawthorns, and my own tree as a young offshoot of their sacred magic. I broke down in tears in the grove when recognition dawned...it seemed to be a symbol I was in the right place...had found the right space to call home.

I'm telling you this story for a reason. Because to me, my Windling Trees are the same. Even though the trees Terri and others have painted look quite different than my own, to have created the trees on my walls makes me feel like a part of things...like my trees are an offshoot of the same grove that shelters artistic minds in Arizona, or looks down on a magical house in Devon, England.

I'm not alone in my desire for these trees on my walls. Artist Danielle Earp, who also lives in Devon, England, painted her own forest on the walls of her daughter's bedroom... "A dark and mysterious forest, hung about with owls, of mossy green and lichen grey, just right for a dark and mysterious daughter of the earth. "


It's quite easy to find a variety of sources for wall decals of gorgeous trees. And if you truly hate painting, this might be the way to go. When I shared the images of my Windling Trees to friends, a few mentioned the easy availability of wall decals to me and queried why I hadn't gone that route. Well, to be honest...because to me, the painting of the trees on my wall was a meditative process. It was really a ritual...a way to claim a space in my new home, and say "please, magic. Please, inspiration. Please, Faerie...I invite you in. Here are branches in which to climb, roots in which to make a home."

Touch Magic, Pass It On...

Bonus points to anyone who can tell me within five seconds of looking at this whose room it is...

Well, I started Domythic Bliss last Friday, and I am absolutely thrilled by the response thus far. It is clear to me from the response to the accompanying Facebook group, and the number of you who have started following the blog here, that I am definitely not alone in having felt like there was a hole the exact size of what I love and prefer in the world of interior decoration. An especially big thank you goes out to Theodora Goss (whose innovative and wonderful new book, The Thorn and the Blossom, was just released today) for her wonderful post about the new blog. In it, she says, "The things you have should be magical. They should create a space that enchants. I think that’s what is missing from most decorating books. There’s loveliness, but no magic." And I very nearly stood up and cheered with agreement.

Those of us who are passionate about the Mythic Arts...about walking the borders between, and going beyond the Fields We Know...have experienced, to one degree or another, how the internet has brought us closer together; both with each other and with the founders and creators of the movement. A true community has sprung up among all of us who share the same passions. When an author or artist creates a new work, it is no longer entirely a matter of stepping into the roles of performer and audience. There is an exchange of ideas, a blending of inspiration. Artists and authors like Brian Froud, Terri Windling, Charles de Lint, Theodora Goss, Catherynne Valente, Neil Gaiman, create new works and are inspiring a new generation of creative minds. Now, Lisa Stock creates and directs a play inspired by a Neil Gaiman story (as well as her own original pieces). Musician S.J. Tucker writes songs based on the writings of Cat Valente. Musicians Faun produce a new album with integral art by Brian Froud. There is a whole web of interconnected inspiration.

The whole genre of Interstitial Arts from which the Mythic Arts sprang began to give a sort of a name for the artists and creative minds who didn't fit a genre label. So despite the fact that I (and apparently others) have been so frustrated by the lack of a real resource...whether print or web...for this desire we feel to base one's decoration on storytelling and fable, I am in a way thankful for that fact. This has awarded us the opportunity to together create something new, to be inspired by each other, which is exactly what the style is all about: creativity and expression.

I asked today on the Facebook list for ideas for future blog posts you might want to see here, and several people mentioned DIY and other inspirations. Absolutely, the plan is to include such posts. But I also hope to include posts trying to help all of us to get into the mindset of original creation as well. The Mythic Arts thrive on the interconnectedness of artists and creators inspiring work in each other. This is just as equally true in letting it inspire the way we live and the beauty with which we surround ourselves.