Work: Kami

"Out of the trees wild people stepped forth, gods and goddesses of the wood; with them came Fauns and Satyrs and Dwarfs. Out of the river rose the river god with his

Naiad daughters."

(Lewis, C.S, 1990, pg171)

I decided to produce some of my own work based on the information I had gathered about the idea of Kami and spiritual beings in nature. Using my text, which is The Magicians Nephew by C.S.Lewis, I found a passage which described beings emerging from the forest linked with elements of the natural world (see above quote)

This first Kami is based on the Silver Birch tree. I decided that if there was to be a Kami who personified the beauty of this type of tree she should be an elegant female form to reflect the gracefulness of the Silver Birch.

This Kami was designed to hold control over Autumn. Her hair therefore is a tangle of beautiful golden leaves.

Both characters link with Samuel Taylor Coleridge’s development of the theory of Suspension of Disbelief, as both characters still take part of their form from the familiarity of everyday life- the female figure is clearly present in both characters.

The female figure I used for both images was drawn by myself as part of the life drawing classes I attend (which are turning out to be more and more useful).

Lewis, C.S (1990) The Magicians Nephew, Collins, UK