As an auto-deduct artist, my work is not attached to any particular location or time frame, and it's free from any familiar set of rules. It is a medium of transferring knowledge about things that are beyond linear time and thinking.

I am often asked about the source of my inspiration and if the unearthly themes I paint appear in my dreams. There is nothing extraordinary about my dreams, and I usually forget them shortly after I wake up. Imagination would be the easy answer to these questions, but only if we view imagination as an expansion of consciousness that encompasses a wider spectrum of experience.

My source of inspiration is experiences from alternate states of existence. I am blessed with the ability to see things that originate at another realm, in which, to my belief, I existed before. In a meditative state, I tune in and can see glimpses of information that are channeled to me from there. Although the landscapes, figures, or objects look familiar, they obey a different set of rules.

My major motivation as a visual artist is to translate the channeled information into a visual form, so it can be shared with others and perhaps expand their consciousness and inspire new ways of thinking. This is my contribution to society as an artist.

My painting process starts with a clear vision of a location, a situation, a process, an experience, or a ritual that exists somewhere in time-space. I ask the guides to send me a vision, and then, wait. Thereafter, during a routine activity, a picture may suddenly appear in my mind, clear and vivid. Once the visualization process is complete, painting the picture is simply a technical task. I cannot fully explain most of the motifs I paint. Nevertheless, I strive to expand my perception in order to comprehend how entities behave in this mysterious environment.

I have learned that the figures I paint are constantly exploring life in a realm of boundless possibilities. Can you imagine life without limitations, where mind power is so dominant that it can control matter? Released from the bounds of gravity, the objects in my paintings move freely in space. No normal feet are necessary, just a pair of cones that allow bouncing from one point to another. There are many bodies of transparent energies or entities, defined within colorful threads. These invisible energies or entities play major roles in the alternate reality.

Angelic figures perform duties for which they were created. Their faces are innocent and pure, their existence is lucid—they can appear from nowhere, quietly do what they were called for, and disappear.

The process of energetic cleansing is present in many of my visions. Ongoing rituals of rejuvenation are performed by entities in order to maintain vitality and the free flow of energy.

Another important topic of exploration concerns the transformation from one dimension to another. What symbolizes this transformation is either a scene of a journey, or a door opening into another world.

Guardian angels are depicted as flying figures that observe and direct the flow of events. There is a continuous interaction between guidance and quest. Wooden birds, representing thought patterns, are flying in some of the paintings. These thoughts are transformed into realities.

Though there is a lot of activity and development in my paintings, the overall sensation they create is peacefulness and reconciliation. From studies of esoteric philosophies, I have learned that all humanity shares the same pool of experiences. There is a "collective memory" shared by everyone who ever existed, exits now, or will exist in the future.

In our regular state of consciousness, we can only conceive a small fraction of the universal experience (or "cosmic intelligence"). An artist who is blessed with the tool of painting can be a vessel that transforms this knowledge into a visual form. The main purpose of all arts is to become an important teaching tool.

It is said that observing metaphysical art induces lucidity and reduces stress. Many people who view my artwork comment that they can deeply connect to what they see, even though they do not necessarily understand it. In others, it simply evokes positive and uplifting feelings as they are influenced by it subconsciously. It is a rewarding and elevating experience when I succeed to channel this knowledge and create a positive impact on the viewer.

"The Magnificent Art of Orna Ben-Shoshan"
Website: http://www.ben-shoshan.com
Email: orna@ben-shoshan.com

Background

Orna Ben-Shoshan's artwork gives the viewer a rare and insightful visit to places beyond consciousness. Her paintings release the imagination and extend the limits of ordinary perception. In her colorful scenes, which take place in a distant world, creatures and objects interact in creatures, and objects interact in unpredictable ways.

Artist Orna Ben-Shoshan conceives the images she paints through channelling. All of her paintings are completed in her mind before she transfers them onto the canvas. Her work infuses deep spiritual experience with subtle humor. Critics remark that each one of her images is a world onto itself.

Like other surrealist artists, Orna creates links that are only possible in a different dimension of existence, taking the conventional and weaving it with unique and inimitable stitch. Her images are executed with intractable detail and seasoned by a multitude of colors and decorative patterns.

During her career as a fine artist for the past twenty-five years, Orna has created a large body of work and is presently focusing on oil painting. In addition, she creates digital art, which is transformed into limited edition prints on canvas. Currently, she also works as a free-lance illustrator and graphic designer.

Orna Ben-Shoshan was born in Kibbutz Yifaat in Israel, 1956. She acquired her training as a graphic designer in Tel Aviv. In 1982 Orna moved with her family to the U.S.A. where she lived for nearly fifteen years. Since her first one-person show in 1983 (in Lancaster, PA), Orna has exhibited in museums and galleries throughout America and abroad, and won several awards. Her art has been published in magazines and news articles in Israel and the U.S.A.

Orna returned to Israel at the end of 1996 and continues her work at her studio in Raanana. She holds several solo exhibitions a year and wins remarkable reviews. Her paintings are on exhibit in galleries around Israel, America, and Europe.