Walking Song
Acrylic on Canvas
30” x 40” x 1”
Original Sold
“If the doors of perception were cleansed, everything would appear to man as it truly is, infinite.” William Blake.
There are regions of unexplored feelings inside all of us that rarely are given an outlet in everyday life. Everyone recognizes in himself these things as the shadow side. Jim Morrison was a philosophical truth-seeking star, pushing him self to the limits, expressing his disgust at humanity’s insanity’s to the bohemian culture in a unified rebellion…sex, drugs and rock and roll. Shocked, spellbound, horror-struck and turned on, all at the same time, his audience and the media ate him up. Jim Morrison portrayed what ever they expected him to be and reflected back to them a mirror image of their own shadow selves.
Perhaps in the end Jim felt alone, a boy, a spirit fractured in his illusion and looking for love, but not knowing how to find it trapped in an external casing of a mans body.
“Ghosts crowded the child’s fragile eggshell mind.” J.M.
In Paris, on July 2, 1971, Jim Morrison died of a said heroine overdose. His death certificate read: James Douglas Morrison, poet.
The doors have sold more records, books, videos and discoveries of lost poetry in the years since his death than ever before. Jim Morrison’s image is stronger than ever, no mater what; nothing seems to tarnish his image. He is “stoned immaculate”.
“Death makes angels of us all, and gives us wings where we once had shoulders smooth as ravens claws." J. M.
The Story and process: When I began painting Jim Morrison’s “Spirit portrait.” My intension was to help heal his spirit, bringing love and compassion and understanding to him in the Spirit world. I felt how lost, how so very alone and shy he was. I’ve had huge parts of myself that deeply resonated with him and absolute frustration living in this world. In the past I easily drank myself into oblivion intentionally trying to escape my pain and dance with death. The idea and fantasy of death and returning home captured me from a young age.
Jim Morrison was so expressive of his anger. He helped me connect to my dark side, a concept I may never have thought of doing consciously. I believe it’s imperative and necessary for a complete healing to take place to explore these dark corners of the mind. Jim’s example gave me permission, I think he gave everyone permission and a challenge at the same time to step up and out of our “what is supposed to be norm.” He offered himself and willingly walked to the alter “his stage, the plank” on his own, daring his audience to follow him.
When I paint a portrait I connect at a deeper level than I could connect otherwise. I am blessed with a greater insight and an unsurpassable amount of love for that person or Being who I am painting. Moreover, this time I was connecting to quintessential rock star Jim Morrison the man...Walking Song… Mojo Rizen the transcended Light worker Spirit Angel celestial star.
I called in his spirit to paint, using his words and music to guide me all the way. perhaps because of his experience, he talked about when he was four years old where the Indian spirits went into him. (Although there is controversy on this subject, I believe him because something like that happened to me.) Perhaps because the Hopi snake priest learns the medicine of the snake and how to transmute the poisons. I was being guided to paint him as a Hopi Snake Priest. I can look back now on the process of painting him and his presence being so strong, I am a bit surprised, I could have been scared but I wasn’t in the least. I was so confident in my intension to heal his spirit and offer my love, that fear was not a concern. I could feel him communicate with me the whole time I was working on him. "Always been a word man, never been a bird man." Well Jim, I said, you are a birdman now, an Angel with wings.
It was a very powerful and exciting experience for me. Before actually completing him, I was planning to paint Jimi Hendrix and so I stopped painting Jim to listen to a CD of Jimi. “If six was nine” was playing and I was reading how Hendrix was an artist and really into numerology and getting excited to bring that into his Spirits portrait. “Mojo Rizen” sat next to me almost complete in his demure pout and feather headdress in blue. American Prayer was in my tape deck and Jim began inter-cutting into and stopped Jimi Hendrix music from playing on the CD player. I looked over at him and realized he was communicating to me that I needed to complete him before moving on to Jimi Hendrix. Which therefore I did, understanding his point, and giving him the respect he was commanding.
I believe perhaps when Jim as a child experienced the death on the highway and felt the Indian spirits come into him, the trauma triggered a deep fear and perhaps simultaneously an ancient memory of the spirit worlds that would not let him rest until he could explore them in depth.
“They leaped into my soul and they’re still there.” J.M.
When he tried to tell people his way, he knew they were not getting it, even with his wisdom filled brilliant knowledge, even with the fame and power he had risen to so quickly, the people still were not getting it. In telling people not to be afraid of the dark, of death, he scared them. I think at that point, Jim became prejudice against everything, and excepting of anything and he was making a mockery of it all.
“Weird, vague headed Mongols, I keep expecting one of you to rise…do you know we are ruled by T.V.? Quaint headed saints…I tell you this, no eternal reward will forgive us now for wasting around…wow, I’m sick of doubt, live in light of certain south, cruel bindings, the servants have the power…We’re trying for something that’s already found us…” J.M.
Upon completion of Mojo Rizen, I had planned to make a trip to the Four Corners area in the South West. We were bringing our love and support to a reservation there. I felt as though I was bringing Jim with me to once again experience this powerful area and these ancient beautiful people, in a less traumatic and more positive way. And to release the Indian spirits he felt had come into him when he was four years old. The trip was magical and I felt much light had been brought upon his spirit, I am grateful Mr. Mojo has risen.
The Eagle in the center represents Jim’s freedom in Spirit, and his spirit touching ground; touching Earth once again connected to Heaven bring illumination. The feathers are fading and melting into Oneness. Transformation is like the snake shedding his skin. The symbol below the eagle shows the mountain ranges near the Four Corners described in the Hopi prophecies.
There is a legend of a young Hopi man who tried to find the origin of all waters by following the Colorado River to its source. Along the way, the youth was initiated into the Snake Clan by the Great Snake himself, who controlled the waters of the earth from his kiva.
“Do you know the warm progress under the stars? Do you know we exist? Have you forgotten to keep the keys to the kingdom? Have you been born yet, and are you alive? Let's reinvent the Gods, all the myths of the ages, celebrate the symbols from deep elder forests. Have you forgotten the lessons of the ancient wars? Oh Great Creator grant us one more hour to inform our art and perfect our lives.” J.M.
I believe sometimes certain sensitive Beings come in and try to take on the pain of the world, not quite knowing that that is not their job, not quite knowing how to shield themselves, not quite knowing how to handle it all. Although there are many sensitive Beings who do make it through, we sensitive spirits can use the sensitive martyrs of the world to help teach us how not to do it and transcend our human lives to make a difference here on Earth. For Jim I feel he has transcended into the spirit world no longer needing to escape, a spirit walker doing his word and song from the other side... Transcended. I call him Walking Song…He is... Mojo Rizen.