Trickster Energy
I’ve always loved archetypes. As a lit major (many moons ago), I loved reading books and stories that featured archetypal characters--the trickster, the crone, the hero, the everyman, the sage. I’m still a fan of books and movies that re-imagine these archetypes in new contexts that reflect an ever-changing world, but somehow still manage to tap into whatever weird part of our subconscious that recognizes these characters as part of the human condition. The trickster has been defined as “sacred” but also a “bricoleur” (I had to google that one, and got the annoying definition-someone who engages in “bricolage,”; a definition of the second term translates roughly to someone who engages in improvisation, which as an artist I can appreciate).
In exploring the themes and images of urban wildlife in my painting and illustration this past year, two of my favorites feature animals historically associated with the trickster— Coyote at Cobb Estate and Tricksters/Crows at Sunset (featuring either the common raven or crows, not sure which I captured).
I’m not sure if it was crows or ravens perched on the streetlight outside my house. I’m forever trying to snap photos of crows and ravens, but I’m convinced that they can sense a person’s gaze (especially when a camera is involved), and usually fly away before I get the shot I want. But this time they cooperated long enough for me get the pair of them framed with power lines. I used this photo as inspiration for my painting “Tricksters at Sunset”(sold) and added a sunset background in, and even played with creating a gray background for subsequent prints.
I have this secret dream to make friends with a crow or raven, and that I will leave it treats and peanuts, and in exchange it will bring me little shiny things, or retrieve my earring when I accidentally drop it off a bridge, or possibly warn me about some impending danger. This might have to wait until I’m retired and have grown a white lock of hair…
Coyote as trickster is well-known in many indigenous populations. Like tricksters in other cultural lore, he can be a shapeshifter, is alternately benevolent, mischievous, deceitful, or selfish. When I painted “Coyote at Cobb Estate”(original now owned by an Altadena resident), I was simply out walking and took a picture with pretty sunlight dappling the scene. When thinking of making a painting from the photo, the image of the coyote popped into my head as a perfect focal point with colors that tied in to the overall scheme. But I was also drawn to the image of the coyote because of the stories in my head around it. On the one hand, the coyote is the mischievous trickster that seems to slip away without a trace, that is clever and might lure you away from safety, the reason I keep my cats inside. Some stories feature people following the coyote to go on a quest..
I can remember the day a coyote was trotting across the hillside in my yard about ten feet up from me, without giving me a second thought. On impulse, I decided to whistle up at it. It was just a “yoo-hoo” type whistle, at which point the coyote stopped directly above me, and locked eyes with me, its pointed nose and head seeming comically triangular to me at the time. I didn’t actually expect the coyote to pay attention to me, so when it did, I decided to make a careful retreat inside–I didn’t follow her. But I did wonder where she was headed, and what quest I might have missed.
But mostly, I see the coyotes as a beautiful part of our urban environment, that need protection from our ever-expanding urban development (like new sports stadiums, ahem), and I love hearing the haunting sound of their howls and yips when I have the windows open at night.
My other urban wildlife pieces are less trickster-ish, but hopefully convey a bit of the magic I feel when observing our local wildlife and the natural world we share. I’m not sure what the coming year will bring in terms of art, life, or quests, but in the meantime, I hope to encounter some trickster energy—the good kind, not the mischievous revenge kind. And best wishes to you on your own quests. I leave you with a quote from the book Rooted, by Lyanda Lynn Haupt: “Coyotes well-deserve their reputation as sacred tricksters. If stuck in the rut of your old route with no coyote coming for you, then make one up. Follow her.”
**Announcements: 1) New art to be on display at Rosebud Coffee in Pasadena starting in mid-April—more details to come 2) I have a new newsletter that will share new art, discount codes, and any events I’ll be participating in..If you go to my website, a pop-up will invite you to subscribe. I promise not to spam you weekly..it will most likely go out monthly or quarterly. It’s a good option if you’re trying to spend less time scrolling social media like I am ;-)
