THE HISTORY

      This painting was created during the final trimester I taught at The Vienna Academy of Visionary Art - The Alchemy of Paint in the winter of 2019. Together with my students, we developed the painting's foundation as kind of prima materia or massa confusa - a swirling alembic that we could stare into to see what kind of imagery might evolve. 

     Later in the course I demonstrated how to apply gold leaf, and the circle of gold at the centre was the result - the Aurum Philosophorum as it was called, the Philosopher's Gold. To me, it symbolizes the final accomplishment of Ars Magnum, which is the Philosopher's Stone.

THE ALCHEMY OF PAINT

      During the course, I gave a series of lectures on The Alchemy of Paint which were filmed and are now available below as well as in the Lecturer section of this website.

TEACHING THE ALCHEMY OF PAINT

      I was blessed to have a wonderful group of students who were willing to go deep into the alchemical process. One evening in the Temple space below the Academy, we went on a joint vision journey, using the alchemical elements and metals in a symbolic soul-ascent through layers of the cosmic framework. 

ALCHEMY, VISIONS & ART

A series of seven lectures on ALCHEMY, VISIONS & ART were recorded

(the most popular ~ The Gnostic Worldview ~ has received over 100,000 views)

1. AN INTRODUCTION TO ALCHEMY 
2. THE SOURCES OF ALCHEMY 
3. A HISTORY OF ALCHEMY 
4. THE ALCHEMY OF COLOUR 

5. ALCHEMY AND VISIONARY ART 
6. THE ALCHEMY OF PAINTING MEDIUMS & PIGMENTS
7. THE GNOSTIC WORLDVIEW