Elaine Sigwald

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Series: Mythology, Past and Future

The finished images in "The Immortals" are archival pigment Ink Photo Montages Digitally Hand Painted and combined to create a totally new works of art.

The Immortals/Photographic Mythology: All of these Immortal Beings have been inspired by something the artist saw hidden in the water. The Immortals are Iconic Beings that have always inhabited the Cosmos where they dwell in & beyond our mortal concepts of time & space. Somewhere deep within our primal selves we intuitively sense them. As children we are more open to feeling their essence & accepting them in all of their varied forms. As adults have you ever experienced seeing/sensing something in your peripheral vision, turned in that direction & it was gone? Have you ever felt someone was watching over you, or just watching you? Ever been saved in the eleventh hour? Wondered why so many of the mythic tales throughout the world are similar? Why history always repeats itself. Why we are calmed by the sound of water, feel joy looking at the moon, fall in love, fear death or contemplate the forces behind the heartbeat of our souls? Are the Immortals the answer to our questions or just more of the mystery? All Elaine knows is that she was compelled, invited & tricked into to bring them forth & presenting them to the inhabitants of this spectacular blue planet.

H 60" x W 55"

Visionteller is the Guardian of Legends all knowledge whether apparent, unknown or unseen, is cloistered in her ethereal Immortal being. Throughout the eons as mortals forget the Legends she repeats history so we may remember.

H 48" x W 48"

The work of the Immortals The Grand Experiment.

©2017Elaine Sigwald All Rights Reserved

H 28" x W 72"

Paradise is one of 20+ images in "Immortal Beings", a Mythological Series which is part of the "H20 Project". To enter the Portal one must first help the Guardian plant & tend a time bending, multi-dimensional, singing flower garden. Paradise is derived from a variety of sections of a photo of Autumn flora & sky reflected in a mountain stream.

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H 70" x W 75"

Tahquitz the "Spirit Catcher" was the first shaman. At first Tahquitz used his powers for the good of all mortals. But over time, Tahquitz  began to use his power to harm the Cahuilla People. They became angry and banished Tahquitz to a canyon that now bears his name. It is said that his Spirit still lives in this canyon and one should be ever vigilant when hiking there for he might just try to steal your Spirit. Legend has it that the strange rumblings heard deep within the San Jacinto Mountains accompanied by the shaking of the ground, and the crashing of boulders are all attributed to Tahquitz as he stomps about the canyon.  Hiking in his Canyon in Palm Springs California Elaine Sigwald photographed a rock in his stream that became the inspiration and photographic material for his portrait "Spirit Catcher".

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Bottom Left Corner

H 48" x W 48"

Be careful what you wish for you just might get it. This Immortal being is, The Gift Bearer. It is called forth out of our desire to want and possess. It is not a malevolent presence its purpose as it journeys though dimensions and time is to make humans more enlightened about the world around them and be able to experience joy without physical substances as the catalyst for their desires. To experience and grow from the wisdom of this Immortal, one must be willing to accept its gift of awakening and all of the pain and joy that comes with this journey.

Close-up

H 43" x W 59"

This Photo Myth is a pictorial depiction of the soul of Boudica a great warrior Queen. She is iconic & symbolic of the strength & intelligence of all women who throughout time have been presented with unimaginable odds against them, but find a way to rally against injustice. Even though she gave up her life for her cause she is a survivor. Her soul lives on in the collective memory of all women. When Elaine Sigwald first completed the work she called it “Soul of The Warrior Queen”, The artist felt compelled to name it that & nothing else. Elaine had never heard of Boudica. Six months later, she did an internet search using “Warrior Queen” & the name Boudica was at the top of the search engine. Instinctively Elaine knew it was Boudica’s soul that she was honoring & altered the name of the piece to reflect her primal connection with the Queen.

H 60" x W 40"

Series: Mythology Past and Future

Palm Spring Art Museum

Archival Print face mounted to Plexiglas, Dibond back 2014

"Sojourners Passing Through Time and Space", speaks to Elaine's lifetime exploration into the concepts of reality, time travel and multiple dimensions. This piece is from her new series of large format photographs called, Museum. The image used to create the finished print was photographed on October 18, 2013 at 10pm. Ms. Sigwald was curious about the new sculpture at the entrance to the Palm Springs Museum and decided to take a look. She was immediately drawn to the piece and became fascinated by all of the worlds she saw reflected on its surfaces. The resulting image presented here is the culmination of that one magical night photographing Zhan Wang's sculpture Artificial Rock #131. The reflected reality encountered in this print is presented to the viewer primarily as photographed. Some treatment of the image was applied to enhance the piece, including digitally hand painting the surface, thus blurring the perceived boundaries between fine art photography and traditional painting. © 2014 Elaine Sigwald All Rights Reserved

40” x 60”

Digital Painting

H -70" x W - 75"

Series: Mythology Past and Future

Palm Springs Art Museum

Archival Print

Homage to Zhan Wang's sculpture, "Artificial Rock #131"

© 2015 Elaine Sigwald All Rights Reserved

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H 58" x W 56"

Series: Mythology Past and Future

Palm Springs Art Museum

Archival Print

Homage to Zhan Wang's sculpture, "Artificial Rock #131"

© 2017 Elaine Sigwald All Rights Reserved

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Close-Up

H 60" x W 40"

Series: Mythology Past and Future

Palm Springs Art Museum

Homage to Zhan Wang's sculpture, "Artificial Rock #131"

© 2018 Elaine Sigwald All Rights Reserved

Close_up

H 60" x W 38"

This ancient Water Spirit watches over and records the activities of all who venture into or on the river. It does not interfere with the outcome of events even when the end results are tragic for some mortals. River Spirit is a Watcher Spirit. It is always an honored guest and the scribe at the Wedding of Ice & Snow.

H 40" x W 40"

River Keeper is the guardian of all beings who have lost their lives because of the boundless and relentless power of the water. This ice face literally floated up to the surface of the water and stared at at the artist while she was photographing ice floating in the Hudson River. Of all the beings Elaine has encountered this one was the boldest and most willing to be found. The only enhancement done to this photo portrait was the color gold Elaine added to the eyes everything else was as you see it.

H 60" x W 44"

Winter Counts are histories or calendars in which events are recorded by pictures, with one picture for each year. The earliest Winter Counts were painted on animal hides. Each Lakota Indian tribe had a Winter Count Keeper, whose duty was recounting the tribe’s history throughout the year and adding a new image to the winter count each year. This Photo Myth symbolizes the 1st. Winter Count.

H 72" x W 40"

Kachina is a spirit being in western Pueblo cosmology and religious practices. The western Pueblo, Native American cultures located in the southwestern United States include Hopi, Zuni, Tewa Village, Acoma Pueblo, and Laguna Pueblo. A Kachina can represent anything in the natural world or cosmos, from a revered ancestor to an element, a location, a quality, a natural phenomenon, or a concept. The central theme of the Kachina [religion] is the presence of life in all objects that fill the universe. Everything has an essence or a life force, and humans must interact with these or fail to survive.

Close-up

H 60" x W 46"

Vly Wolf is a soulful solitary wolf who watches over the creatures that inhabit her bog. Her spirit reaches out in sympathy and compassion radiating love, calm and safety to all sentient beings on planet Earth who feel her presence and call out to her for help.  She made her presence know to the artist one magical twilight while photographing her bog in Saugerties NY.

H 32" x W 68"

Friends of the Vly Wolf heeding her call for help.

H 63" x W 45"

Series: Mythology Past and Present

Palm Springs Art Museum

Archival Print

Homage to Zhan Wang's sculpture, "Artificial Rock #131"

© 2015 Elaine Sigwald All Rights Reserved

H 60" x W 40"

Series: Mythology Past and Present

Palm Springs Art Museum

Archival Print

Homage to Zhan Wang's sculpture, "Artificial Rock #131"

© 2015 Elaine Sigwald All Rights Reserved