The Pregnant Virgin, Creative Vessel
Painted wood and clay, 55" x 16" x 16"
Sybil Archibald
Sold! I’m not going to do a post for every piece I sell from my show but this one is special. The Pregnant Virgin marked a significant moment in my artistic evolution. When I was studying medieval mysticism at NYU, I took three art classes. Two of which, painting and drawing, were taught by the same professor who hated my work and made it known. For example, this professor would often have a class critique and refuse to call on me until the end when they would announce there was no more time and end class without looking at my work. When they did address my work, very rarely, it was in extremely dismissive terms. At that time I was quite shy and my confidence level was low so it really shook me. I stopped going to class and stopped working in these mediums. After graduating I became very sick and couldn’t work even if I wanted to. There was a deep emptiness in my life. I had lost touch with the creative flow, the one constant from my childhood. It was a time of great struggle. Doctors offered no hope for healing so I turned inside to heal what I could. There I found my creativity again. Creativity is a generative healing force and as I embraced my art I started to heal. It was sheer force of will coupled with the support of family and friends that kept me going during this time. It felt like clawing my way up a steep hill, but eventually I found creative flow again and with it my artistic voice. This is the piece that opened everything up, before her I had been making smaller more tentative pieces. Making her allowed me to access something that was buried. I found my confidence again. It was like taking a deep drink from a healing well and I started to bloom. I hope she brings her buyer (who is anonymous) as many deep blessings as she has brought me. I am grateful she has found a new home.