The Visit (Soul Map)

a painting

The Visit (Soul Map), acrylic and chalk pastel on card and paper, 176cm x 226cm

I spent three weeks of January in Iceland, and two of those weeks in the East fjords in a very isolated fishing village in what used to be a fish factory but is now an arts centre called the Fish Factory that hosts art residencies. I wrote this when I was there.

This is a self portrait. It is a story full of possibility. It is a story that I painted there. It’s big, it took me a long time. It is a story that takes place inside of a dream and in a place where time is porous, and of an angel who watches over it all, and of loss and fear and stories and prayers and lessons and a journey after a splitting open and one of the ways it could be retold.

There I am lying peacefully in my bed dreaming. What should I do with this painting? Let me know.

The story has lots of pieces to it. It is completely full of angels. I had a lot of very vivid dreams in Iceland. I felt sure that there were strange ghosts visiting me every night through the open window, which had to be left open for air because it got so warm inside because it was so cold outside. But that left the windows open for ghosts to come in and infect my dreams. It took me back to somewhere I thought I had left behind. I’ve realised that is ok! I painted it.

January wasn’t that long ago, but it feels like it could have been years ago. I’ve been taking a moment to stop and think. I met a fortune teller there who read my palm, and now I am wondering if I need to take what she said less literally. But I liked what she said so I’m going to make it happen instead.

Lots of love

Dana x

A big thanks to Kajsa Wingerup for photographing this painting for me.

ps. beyond the paywall are some photos from Iceland in January including a video of me playing i came as a rat by modest mouse on guitar in front of a giant window in front of a giant mountain that you can’t see in the frame. thank you xxx