Living the Handless Maiden

[WildCherry]

As I go through the Handless Maiden series, my painting style is evolving and changing drastically. Its as if I'm really living out the process of the story...

See the latest incarnation at my blog and why not get the feed so you watch out for more changes in the next few days as things hot up in the final stages!

[June Walker]

Dear Wild Cherry, I have only just found your handless maiden series of art work...it is so wonderful and unusual. I wonder what the 'handless maiden story' is. It seems to be a kind of myth/traditional story. Is it one that is published on the web? And how did you get involved in it? I am very happy to hear it is directing your art progress and doing it SO WELL!!

[WildCherry]

You are quite right, June, it is a traditional story that appears in various forms in cultures throughout the world. It appears in Clarissa Pinkola Estés' book Women Who Run With The Wolves. If you've never read it, its throughly worth it as its full to bursting with mythologies that have as much to teach us in the present day as when they were originally conceived, back in the mists of time. Visit the Women Who Run With The Wolves group for more enlightenment!

[June Walker]

I did a little rooting around and read a version of the story on... Wikipedia, I think. I have never read the Estes book but I will see if our library has it. I like folk tales and myths myself, especially ones with animals, and retold a few traditional stories for kids magazines, years ago, when I did some writing. I never tried painting inspired by traditional stories though. I like your paintings very much. They have so much interesting imagery in them.

[Barbara Ann Storrier]

June, I hope you do read the book ... I've read it twice, recently and about ten years ago. Depending on your current circumstances in life, there are different perceptions and insights for each reader ... there are many tales in the WWRWW book. The first time I read it, I really didn't get a lot of it ... I suppose I was more ready this time.

I too love the way Wild Cherry is creating these paintings, inspired by The Handless Maiden story ... the last story in the book, delving into wounds and the healing of them. Beautiful!

[WildCherry]

Its certainly turning out to be a much more inspiring journey than I ever expected. I'm learning SO MUCH!