September/October 2007 Featured Stories
Cover Artist - Pulling from the Past
Christina Nichols, who created Ancient Rites for the cover of New Connexion, is drawn to the natural world.
Ancient art and ethnic imagery are the wellsprings of her inspiration. Much like the artists who worked before recorded history, she's fascinated with animals as subjects, and she finds the charisma and essence of animal consciousness lead toward a more profound connection with nature.
Art is her way to travel into the world of the unconscious.
"While I'm creating, nothing else exists but the image in front of me, with my hand dancing around the canvas, as if it has a mind of its own," says Nichols. "Images come to me unsolicited from the collective unconscious. We are all connected through symbols that appear in our mind's eye."
Rock art of the American Southwest, dating back several thousand years, is a record of the cultural matrix and cosmology of early nomadic hunter-gatherers. Their designs give a glimpse into the sacred dimensions of the human past.
"Traces of their feelings inspire me to use some of these graphic images," adds Nichols. "I feel that these imageries have relevance and power in modern day life. Ancient Rites is an interpretation of these earlier works."
Visit www.christinanichols.com.
