in the spotlight: steelgoddess
In the Spotlight is a feature we have created to celebrate the contributions of our fellow Pagans to our communities and our lives. This issue, it is our pleasure to feature the artwork of Steelgoddess.
Steelgoddess, a self proclaimed "Wiccan Illustrator", is a solitary practioner who works out of her studio in the home she shares with her husband and her four children. She uses her artistic gifts to capture the mystery and magick of the Craft.
Although Steelgoddess creates hand-painted signs, original "Enchanted Gift Boxes", decorative parchment paper, Handfasting Certificates, and even "Stick Witch" decals (delightful witchy counterpoints to the "Soccer Mom" decals), her true love is digital art, which she uses in the vibrant illustrations she creates specifically for Books of Shadows.
Inspired by her creations and intrigued to learn more about her and her artwork, we chatted with Steelgoddess.
AWH: What inspired you to create your illustrations?
Steelgoddess: Like many Witches, I have a Book of Shadows. My very first BOS was a spiral notebook filled with spells, recipes, and scribbled diagrams. I have terrible handwriting and have always yearned to be one of those lucky few gifted with the ability to create elegant script. Oh, I tried but after the first few minutes, my writing would be a jargled mess. The desire has always been there to create something beautiful that I may pass onto my children as a treasured heirloom (even though my handwriting was not up to par).
AWH: I think we can all relate to the desire to pass down our thoughts, spells, recipes, and traditions to our children in a Book of Shadows that will not only inform, but be treasured for generations to come. How did this desire lead to the art you are currently creating?
Steelgoddess: One day, I was watching my most favorite movie "Practical Magic" for the 20th time. They have the most exquisite Book of Shadows I have ever seen. The pages are absolutely gorgeous with stunning art and elegant handwriting. It is exactly how an heirloom Book of Shadows should look. All of a sudden, it was like a lightening bolt hit me. I thought, I CAN DO THAT! Maybe not the handwriting part, but the art I can surely do. Throughout my school years, I was always sketching and drawing and knew I had an artistic gift. I promptly paused the movie and froze the image of one of the pages and set about recreating it. And what fun I had! By the time it was finished, I had a pretty close replica of the page. I knew that I was onto something. Like the sisters in Practical Magic, I wanted to own a beautiful heirloom and knew that others Witches like me would as well. And that is how "Steelgoddess" was born.
AWH: Many of your illustrations depict Witches.
Steelgoddess: Yes, and this is no coincidence. It is an exciting process to see my visions slowly coming to life with their own unique personality that I hope causes the viewer to experience a strong feeling. I find great inspiration in Norman Rockwell's ability to illustrate normal everyday people in snapshots of their ordinary lives. His work inspires the viewer to identify with the subjects in paintings and draws them in. As my talent continues to evolve, I yearn to capture the same style as this great artist and depict Witches in similar snapshots as it pertains to the Craft.
AWH: How do you come up with ideas for your BOS illustrations?
Steelgoddess: Each of my illustrations are designed with a particular theme, depending on a specific ritual or spell included. These spells were designed to be truly unique. The cover page is the true expression of my artistic vision while the accompanying spell pages are designed with the look of aged parchment that has been locked away in a Witch's Book of Shadows for centuries.
AWH: When did you start sharing your artwork with the world?
Steelgoddess: In 2003 and I am still amazed at how quickly the interest in my Wiccan art has taken off. This continues to be very encouraging to me.
AWH: Creating a beautiful heirloom BOS to pass down to your own children is a great accomplishment. Knowing that so many Witches are adding your illustrations to the BOS they will pass down to THEIR children must feel just as good, if not better.
Steelgoddess: I feel great pride and happiness knowing my illustrations continue to be considered worthy enough to be placed in a Witch's personal Book of Shadows.
AWH: You offer all of your artwork on your website?
Steelgoddess: Yes. In 2005, my modest website, www.steelgoddess.com, was launched and my fan database kicked off. Hundreds of Witches from all over the world have signed up on my website to be kept up-to-date of my latest releases. This would never have happened without my wonderfully artistic and computer-wise husband. He developed both my website and created an additional E-commerce webstore (www.ceridwensmagicweb.com/catalog) to sell to both private individuals and offer wholesale orders for store owners. He continues to be a great source of inspiration to me and helps me keep my sanity!
AWH: You have already accomplished so much. What's next?
Steelgoddess: As any artist starting out, I am still in the grass roots phase of exposure and getting my pen name of "Steelgoddess" out there in the Pagan and Wiccan community. To that end, I am very proud to announce that I was chosen to illustrate an article for "New Witch" magazine in March! I will be providing the illustration for an article titled ""Bringing Harmony Home with Feng Shui" written by Leslie Budewitz. I am truly honored and can't wait to see what the Goddess has in store for me in my spiritual and artistic journey.
We thank Steelgoddess for taking the time out of her very busy schedule to share more about herself with us. It was a great pleasure to meet her and an honor to feature her work here In the Spotlight. We hope you have enjoyed getting to know her better and seeing just some of the unique, vibrant, and beautiful artwork she has available. To see more of Steelgoddess' work, please visit her website at: www.steelgoddess.com.