When I first started doing soul portraits in 2004-2005, I tried using a variety of different styles and techniques. The slideshow below shows some examples of the results that came out...
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This is the Soul Portrait blog of Toby Ouvry, in it you will find information on what soul portraits are and slideshows of different soul portrait works.
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What Are Soul Portraits?
I have been drawing and painting soul portraits now for about five years; this blog has been created to display the body of artwork that has been created over that time
Almost everybody understands what a portrait is, but if we ask ‘what is the soul?’ the answer may not be as clear. Therefore, in asking the question ‘what is a soul portrait?’ the main key lies in understanding what we mean by the soul. When working on my soul portraits, the definition of ‘soul’ that I work with is as follows:
“The soul is the interface between the spirit and the personality of a person, animal or other form of living being.”
The spirit of a person is the formless essence or primal life/light that lies at the very core of an individuals being. It is this divine spark of spirit from which the other less subtle and more distinctive aspects of the individual arise. To say that the spirit of a person is formless is to say that it has no physical, emotional or mental characteristics. It cannot be known or perceived directly with our senses. It can however be sensed or felt by quieting the mind and entering into a silent or non-conceptual state of being such as can be cultivated in various forms of meditation.
The personality of a person is the form level of a person, that is to say their physical, mental and emotional characteristics. Each person is unique, and this uniqueness is seen through their physical appearance, their speech, the way they think, feel and express themselves. All of these things are the personality level of a person. When we say ‘I know so and so, she is like this and this…’ we are referring to the personality of that person.
So then, the soul is the interface between these two levels of our being, between the formless essence of our spirit, and the form level of our personality. As such the soul of a person partakes of both worlds. It has access to the limitless light and spaciousness of our spirit, but at the same time the soul can be said to have form and structure. However this form and structure is on a more subtle and abstract level than the manifest thoughts, feelings and physical appearances of the personality level of our being. So, when we talk about creating a soul portrait, what we are trying to portray through lines, forms and colours is the relatively abstract energy of a persons soul matrix or ‘energy signature’. These are the key energetic patterns and themes that are present in a person’s soul. To give an analogy, in the same way that everyone has a written signature, we all also have a soul energy signature, or a particular arrangement of patterns and energies within us that are unique and characteristic to our particular soul.It is these ‘soul energies’ that I am trying to tap into and portray when I do someone’s soul portrait.
It should be noted also that the soul can be both an individual and/or collective phenomenon. In the same way that you can have soul of an individual, you can also have a ‘collective soul’ of a group of beings, such as a family of humans or a species of animal.
Almost everybody understands what a portrait is, but if we ask ‘what is the soul?’ the answer may not be as clear. Therefore, in asking the question ‘what is a soul portrait?’ the main key lies in understanding what we mean by the soul. When working on my soul portraits, the definition of ‘soul’ that I work with is as follows:
“The soul is the interface between the spirit and the personality of a person, animal or other form of living being.”
The spirit of a person is the formless essence or primal life/light that lies at the very core of an individuals being. It is this divine spark of spirit from which the other less subtle and more distinctive aspects of the individual arise. To say that the spirit of a person is formless is to say that it has no physical, emotional or mental characteristics. It cannot be known or perceived directly with our senses. It can however be sensed or felt by quieting the mind and entering into a silent or non-conceptual state of being such as can be cultivated in various forms of meditation.
The personality of a person is the form level of a person, that is to say their physical, mental and emotional characteristics. Each person is unique, and this uniqueness is seen through their physical appearance, their speech, the way they think, feel and express themselves. All of these things are the personality level of a person. When we say ‘I know so and so, she is like this and this…’ we are referring to the personality of that person.
So then, the soul is the interface between these two levels of our being, between the formless essence of our spirit, and the form level of our personality. As such the soul of a person partakes of both worlds. It has access to the limitless light and spaciousness of our spirit, but at the same time the soul can be said to have form and structure. However this form and structure is on a more subtle and abstract level than the manifest thoughts, feelings and physical appearances of the personality level of our being. So, when we talk about creating a soul portrait, what we are trying to portray through lines, forms and colours is the relatively abstract energy of a persons soul matrix or ‘energy signature’. These are the key energetic patterns and themes that are present in a person’s soul. To give an analogy, in the same way that everyone has a written signature, we all also have a soul energy signature, or a particular arrangement of patterns and energies within us that are unique and characteristic to our particular soul.It is these ‘soul energies’ that I am trying to tap into and portray when I do someone’s soul portrait.
It should be noted also that the soul can be both an individual and/or collective phenomenon. In the same way that you can have soul of an individual, you can also have a ‘collective soul’ of a group of beings, such as a family of humans or a species of animal.
About Me
- Toby Ouvry
- My name is Toby Ouvry, I am a mindfulness & meditation teacher and artist based in Singapore.
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