A few weeks ago, February twelfth to be exact (sorry, my computer is acting funny, and I cannot type the number one) I visited a very small mining town called Oatman, Arizona. It was a very typical old western town with a general store and a few gift shops, wild donkeys roaming the streets and a few tourists combing the area. It is just like what you would picture in your mind of the wild west.
I was very enthralled with a store located in Oatman, called the Dustwitch Gallery. The artist's name is Jeannine Sandoval, and she creates sculptures (mostly Native American themed) and then takes pictures of her sculptures. However, these are not ordinary photographs of sculptures. The sculptures are creatively arranged to look like they are paintings. Almost all of the work Sandoval does is accompanied by the Native American story it is based upon. The work is amazing and really captured my soul and my reason for this is I usually connect on a spiritual level to anything Native American.
I bought a picture of a photograph she took of a serene bust (just the face) of a beautiful Native American woman closing her eyes, and I couldn't take my eyes off of it. It is one of the most meaningful and gorgeous pieces I have purchased. Sandoval actually took three different angled shots of this sculpture, and each looks very different, capturing a different emotion each time. She said she was surprised I liked this particular angle I bought (it was basically face on). She said people liked another one that was more of a side view the most. Sandoval told me she thought the reason I liked this view was because I am "self assured".
My husband and I hung around her shop for quite a while, because quite honestly, I was too mesmerized to leave. I had to learn what the inspiration was behind her pieces and what motivated her to do this kind of work. In a sense, I had to connect with this artist myself. So, I did what I do best at and I asked her questions on where she went to school, and what she got her degree in. Some people do not like it when I ask a lot of questions, but it is my opinion the fastest way to get to know someone. She told me she did not even go school for art, and she was an electrician by trade. Sandoval explained math and science fascinates her, and she really enjoys trying to figure out mathematical problems in her head. Does this sound like a typical artist yet? Not quite. Except for the fact Sandoval is a very energetic and friendly woman, and almost too talkative at times, and even a bit unconventional.
I started to wonder about her as soon as she said she liked math and science. I was thinking in my head, I am not going to relate to this woman at all. As soon as I hear anyone talk about these two subjects, I almost immediately tune them out, because I have struggled with them for most of my life, and it brings up bad memories. But my gut told me instinctively to hang on just a bit more because the piece of the puzzle was just about to appear. So I told her I too am an artist, and although I haven't painted in years, I still drew and I make jewelry.
So, she brought me over to a picture she took, which I thought was a sculpture of a totem. But she told me, she did not sculpt a totem. She said "Look closely and see all the animals that show up when you look at this totem. And I did see so many animals...a fox, an owl a wolf and several other animals. Sandoval told me every time she takes a picture of her sculptures, a Native American spirit shows up every single time. She asked me if I would tell her where the spirit was and she would tell me if I was right. So, I showed her on all the works she asked me, where I thought the spirit was. Each time I told her, she said I was right. There is one picture still haunts me, and the spirit was so clear, it was an actual silhouette. It looked like a Native American person lurking on the side of the picture of the sculpture. I was not freaked out like some people would be. I was so enamored she had the gift of knowing her spirit guides.
I did question Sandoval on her beliefs, she said she is a God fearing woman, and believes very firmly in the Holy Spirit. She merely shrugged off the otherworldly beings in her pictures, and said very nonchalantly she was grateful for them. She really did not question the fact as to why they were materializing in her work. She did think they inspired her to create Native American works of art. And I think this simple, less complicated way of thinking, is the best way of welcoming psychic gifts.
Art is very spiritual, and most people who create it are gifted with otherworldly powers. The ability to create something beautiful and evoke emotion at the same time is a heavenly quality. I believe people who are talented artistically are essentially more in tune with the other side. I could be wrong, but I believe this is true. It is possible our former selves can communicate with us this way through creation of masterpieces. I would even go as far to say art does evoke us to be more empathetic to others in a way some are not able to be as deep emotionally. I think different art forms appeal to all types of people, and it is one of the greatest, forgotten forms of communicating with the soul.
I would recommend, if you ever have the chance, visit Oatman, AZ and take a peek into the Dustwitch Gallery of J. Sandoval. And if you never come here, think more about art, and do not be afraid to explore and discover what you are attracted to. It could be the very key to your psyche.
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