Swamp Zombie Art

Today's piece features a swamp zombie theme and uses the image of the only zombie ever photographed, Felicia Felix-Mentor. The original photograph, taken by Zora Neale Hurston, does not reveal much detail and looks as though her eyes are closed. I wanted to let her see so I painted some eyes for her. I also painted an image of les Grande Zombi on her forehead. In New Orleans Voodoo, zombies are often portrayed as Simbi, the water serpent. If you look closely, you will see a water moccasin swimming in the water in the background.

As the story goes, Felicia Felix-Mentor was found wandering half-naked on a road in Haiti's Artibonite Valley. To everyone's surprise, she was was identified by her father and brother as Felicia Felix-Mentor. However, in 1907 she reportedly died from a sudden fever. The now infamous ethnographer and writer, Zora Neale Hurston happened upon her while she was at the hospital and took a photograph of her. I can't imagine that she would have only taken one photo of her, given she was an ethnographer. But, this is the only photo I have ever found, and it is reportedly the only photograph of a real zombie ever taken. According to Zora Neale Hurston:

"The sight was dreadful. That blank face with the dead eyes. The eyelids were white all around the eyes as if they had been burned with acid. There was nothing you could say to her or get from her except by looking at her, and the sight of this wreckage was too much to endure for long."

At the same time Ms. Hurston observed Felicia, a psychiatrist named Louis Mars also observed her and attributed her strangeness to schizophrenia. You can read more about it here:
The Story of Zombi in Haiti

Sequin Effect with Photoshop

This piece was inspired by the drapo flags unique to Haitian Vodou art. Once I decided on the design, which incorporates the ritual symbol for the loa Agasou, the challenge was to make the image look like it was crafted out of sequins like a real drapo. After a bit of trial and error, I finally figured out a way to give the image the effect I was looking for.

Legba Bust in Earthenware Pot

Legba has his origins with the Fon people Of Dahomey (Benin) Africa and is said to be the guardian and trickster of the crossroads and entrances. He is one of the most widely worshipped loas and is known by several names. In Surinam in Brazil he is known as Exu, in Trinidad, in Cuba he is known as Elegua, and in Haiti and New Orleans he is known as Papa Legba. Papa Legba is the master linguist, the trickster, warrior, and the personal messenger of destiny. He has the power to remove obstacles and he provides opportunities. All ceremonies begin and end with Papa Legba, and there can be no communication with any of the other loas without consulting him first. His gift for linguistics enables him to translate the requests of humans into the languages of the spirits and loas.

This piece was inspired by the ancient Legbas found in terracotta and earthenware pots of Africa. Legbas come in many forms. Some are depicted as male and female, some with enhanced manhoods, some as healers, and some as protectors. Still others can be apologetic legbas and petitioned for forgiveness when a person has insulted the gods through awful behaviors like rape and burglary. Sometimes legbas are created with 2 or three heads. Many of the legba busts have cowry shells for eyes, nose, ears, and mouth.

Love Puppet, I Mean Poppet

The making of Voodoo dolls, poppets, fetishes, and ritual effigies has taken place since antiquity. Though the practice is ancient, their present use remains similar.

Poppets can be used for healing purposes, promoting health, finding love, creating happiness and good luck, for protection, for binding, cursing, and to manipulate energy in numerous other ways. Poppets comes in several forms, including wax, cloth, paper, wood, root, and clay.

Today's Voodoodle was inspired by one of the vintage poppets that can be found in the New Orleans Voodoo museum. This style of Voodoo doll used to be quite popular in New Orleans. He has a red pin for love and a white pin for attracting love to him.