Mary Kathleen Scott* - St. Paul
Artist Statement - Bio
Dolls as Intuitive Teachers
“We feed the deep intuitive self by listening to it and acting upon its advice. It is a personage in its own right, a magical dollish-sized being which inhabits the psychic land of the interior woman.” Clarissa Pinkola Estes’ My Journey So far Like most artists who are ‘lifers’, I have created in a number of diverse mediums. My poems and illustrations have been published in SageWoman Magazine; New Moon: A Magazine for Girls and Their Dreams; Gaia: A Journal of Literary & Environmental Arts; Orphic Lute and Gypsy Cab magazines, and Sidewalks. My paintings and stories were guests of a riotous art exhibition in St. Paul’s Cathedral Hill neighborhood which was sponsored by the Wild Woman’s Artisans Guild and Estetica Salon. I was also part of a group show at the Art Colony in Grand Marias, and my daughter and I collaborated on a multidimensional piece for an exhibit at Macalester College. I have participated in spoken-word events and poetry readings, and was privileged to be the writer/conductor /creator of a performance piece for the first Wild Woman’s Artisans Guild summer festival. I am an artist-member of International Dark Sky and of the Society of Children’s Book Writers & Illustrators Just a shout out….I welcome the opportunity to create dolls on commission. This allows me to incorporate family heirloom fabric or clothing, and other personal, treasured trinkets and mementos into the doll. More mojo. More love. Just email me and we can meet to make it work. Reindeer as Goddesses and Guides Reindeer are an ancient animal race whose ancestral roots stretch deep beneath the Ice Age. Vast herds of reindeer (called Caribou on the North American continent) circumnavigated the Earth like a slow moving river of bone, muscle, hide and heart. When the Ice Age glaciers were sliding far south of the Arctic Circle, Reindeer herds ranged as far south as Italy and South America. Artemis, Greek Goddess of Birth, Death and the Hunt, traveled with antlered deer at her side. Reindeer are the only female deer that bear the same powerful antlers as their fathers, brothers, mates and cousins. Fiery and independent Artemis was well known for preferring the company of females in her entourage. The skulls of female Reindeer were found in woodland temples dedicated to this Goddess, and were also used as warnings and guideposts at wilderness crossroads. Reindeer are deeply connected to their mating and feeding grounds, and highly migratory. Elder females lead the way when the season comes for the herd to depart for spring or winter feeding grounds. Reindeers’ broad hooves are capable of spreading out like snowshoes to enable them to graze and travel more comfortably on the icy, moss-covered tundra’s of Northern Europe. Many wild herds still roam Northern Europe, mostly on the tundra above the Arctic Circle. The Sami tribes, one of the last indigenous peoples in Europe, continue to herd Reindeer in Norway and Finland. The Reindeer women represented in these art works of clay, cloth and wood are Goddesses, Elders and Guides in their own right. Because of their calm demeanor, patience and generosity, they are excellent helpmates when dealing the shrill, buzzing energy of the modern world. Their migratory nature also makes them excellent companions for journeys of the heart, mind and body. Reindeer Revelations I had already completed my first Reindeer Woman art doll when I learned that reindeer are the only female of their species to grow and shed antlers along with their male mates, brothers, fathers and cousins. My new doll’s antlers had simply appeared in the clay I was working with; “We’re here,” the antlers declared, “ And we’re staying.”. I believe they spoke in the voice of Freya, a beloved Nordic goddess, and I had no intention of arguing with her. The more I researched reindeer and Nordic mythology, the more I was drawn in. I learned that Flidhais was one of the many goddesses who took the form of a deer, or hind. In Norse myth the White Hind led heroes to Hinderfjall or ‘Hind-Mountain’, another name for Valhalla. The warrior women identified as Valkyries often took the form of deer. They also shape-shifted into ravens or swans and were considered the mistresses of magic knots. I was close to completing the second of my reindeer dolls before I learned about the ravens and knots. And the new doll was, of course, covered with amulet ravens which I had intricately knotted into place. My first reindeer art doll has finally shared her name with me. She is Sonja the Basket Bearer. Her name in Old Norse means ‘wisdom’. Sonja tells me she is the carrier of the sacred seeds which must be sown when the long dark winter finally ends. Her solemn, penetrating gaze seems to be seeking out the deep and fertile soil necessary for a successful spring planting. My newest doll identifies herself as Karina the Constant Bride. Karina in Norse translates as ‘maiden’. The marriage Karina is entering is not our modernized institution of wedding showers, cake and ‘getting to the church on time’. She is becoming a bride to her own soul; her true ‘anima’ self. Her vows will be a promise to love and support the dreams she has brought with her to this side of ‘the veil’. With Freya’s help, I hope to create a whole herd of female reindeer As Barb Kobe, this site’s ‘birth-mother’ pointed out when I told her of my plans, maybe this herd has been waiting to be ‘heard’. I’m listening. As I worked on the third in the herd of Reindeer Women who are migrating through my home studio, I was humbled again by their energy of kindness and composure. Nothing seems to rattle these ancient herbivores. If I stop resisting and let the energy of the herd take over my hands and head (and heart), I feel the same way. Anja Offering Amulets is the name of the newest Reindeer Woman. Throughout the creation process, she radiated attentiveness, generosity and tender regard for my artistic process. In Old Norse, the name Anja means ‘grace’ or ‘favor’. This Reindeer Woman is garbed in the deep blue of a spring sky; a spirit-lifting sight for all who live in the Northern Countries. The amulets Anja offers are protecting charms and emblems of good fortune. All of the Reindeer Women seem to have innately affectionate natures, and Hulda the Cloud Augur especially so. Her name in Old Norse means “lovable”. It is she who calmly studies the clouds both day and night in order to guide the herd on their migratory journeys. Cumulus, cirrus and stratus; all clouds have their own unique mood, shape and color. It is Hulda’s patience in gathering vital travel information from the clouds that makes her so cherished among her kind. But it is the clouds themselves who love her best because she watches them always with true joy and respect. |
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