Katherine Skaggs, Visionary Artist, Soul Portrait Artist, Intuitive, Shamanic Practitioner and Teacher, reveals her inner journey with art and spirituality, and describes how visionary art can assist people to reconnect with their eternal essence.
How did art transform your journey here on Earth?
Whether it be drawing, painting, doing a soul portrait, writing, or making a shamanic tool (yes, I make drums, rattles, feather tools and more), I experience healing, connection, and joy.
Creativity is the very essence of life. This summer I redesigned my front garden, put in a medicine wheel and recreated various flower beds and that was equally joyful for me. My yard was my canvas.
Early in life I would escape into my room and draw, and later paint to get away from the rumble of ordinary life chaos I felt in my family or the world at large. Immersion in the creative process put me in touch with my inner world, that has led me to my true spiritual nature.
How and when did you start to combine your artistic abilities with your spirituality?
I was in my late 20s when I began upon my metaphysical, spiritual path. As I began to get exposed to these teachings I began to see art that conceptualized the ideas of dreams and the spirit world and that which is beyond the physical world.
This inspired me to draw and explore these ideas through my art. Yet, it was when I opened a metaphysical store that I began to dive in wholly. I saw art by Alex Grey and Susan Seddon Boulet in books and on calendars during that time and ‘knew I was supposed to do something like that.’ This is when I began to paint and go further on the path. Then I asked my guides, “How does my art and spiritual path come together?” It took a little while, probably a year!
But finally I heard, “Soul Portraits!” It was loud, and clear in my mind as if I was speaking with someone right in front of me. And I knew exactly what it meant…and it scared the holy daylights out of me! LOL. I have to laugh now as it is the most wonderful experience I can share with another person, couple or family.
What exactly is ‘visionary art’?
Visionary art is transcendent art. It is art that reflects the mystical, the spiritual worlds, and the unseen world that animates the physical world. It connects our conscious mind to the eternal Divine essence. It is not only ‘visionary’, but energetic and often very healing for an individual to engage with. Visionary art awakens higher consciousness.
What does a soul portrait promote within a being?
Soul Portraits are the process of reflecting a true soul’s essence back to them through a channeled image, words, and energy flowing onto canvas. Soul portraits are truly living paintings, assisting an individual in reconnecting with their eternal essence.
Each painting is a beautiful portal to the Divine. It has inspired color, symbol, and story to ‘see’ the recipient, and to remind them who they truly are beyond this physical life, supporting them in fully connecting to their essence.
You can see some examples of my soul portraits here.
Spirit Guide Paintings
It has continued to flow out from there, evolving to channeling Divine Beings, angels, masters, and light beings into form on canvas, with their messages and healing energies. In addition to soul portraits I bring in spirit guides for individuals and groups. There are personal spirit guides, and animal totems, in addition to larger group guides who make themselves known.
When they come in they bring higher guidance for an individual to heal, awaken, and grow similarly to a soul portrait. Yet I find the power and presence of a guide is powerful in another way, helping one to know they are never alone, and have support in their human life. I have brought in guides during group sessions too, who bring a message for that specific group, but also for the collective.
Tell us about your 44 card Masters of Light Oracle.
I am very excited to say I am working diligently to finish the cards and writing so we can go to press by the end of 2021. This is a culmination of guidance that has come for many years now. There will be images of Divine Masters that I have painted since 2004 to 2021. You can see a sneak preview here.
Angels, Ascended Masters, Mayan Masters, Goddesses, and many other Divine Beings of Light are here to bring guidance, healing, activation, awakening and support for discovering your true Divine Self.
Every image and its message is high frequency, loving, and awakening when viewed. This oracle is vibrationally transformative to one’s consciousness and is a tool for awakening beyond the sleepiness of ordinary human life. These are master beings who are here to assist us in awakening on the soul’s journey, that we may love more greatly.
Where do you find inspiration for your artwork, particularly for your cards?
Sometimes the guides just come to me and ask to be painted, and to bring their message to the world through my own personal experience and needs. Other times, individuals commission me to bring a guide in, known or unknown, and then I engage with them on a spiritual level and ask them to reveal themselves to me. And I work with my intentions and call them to me if I know I want to engage them.
This began very clearly when I called in the 22 Goddesses for the Mythical Goddess Tarot in 2006 to 2008. I have many stories of how each Goddess came to me and showed me how to paint her. It was a conversation with the Divine, with her essence, archetype, story and message. Believe me, each Goddess, each Divine Being I paint is alive and well.
Prior to that, Mother Mary presented herself to me in 2004 in visions for three days, showing me she wanted me to paint her. Then she woke me on the third night and told me to get up and get the largest canvas I had and paint her. Well, I did get up in the middle of the night. I could not ignore her! And I painted 85% of a 3 foot by 4 foot canvas during that night. She beamed unconditional love to me and through the art that night she let me know the sacredness of sacred art that is created to transmit unconditional love and vibrations of wisdom into the world.
That was the beginning of me understanding that Mother Mary is one of my main guides and helpers to bring love and wisdom into this world through the art, and the products created from the art. The painting, a print of the painting, or a card and oracle of the works are each portals to bring light and awareness into a world that needs love and guidance.
What other works have you created to assist others?
I am the artist and original publisher of the Mythical Goddess Tarot (author Sage Holloway). This year it won an Iconic Gold award with the Coalition of Visionary Resources. And I just released my new book Artist Shaman Healer Sage – Timeless Wisdom, Practices, Ritual, and Ceremony to Transform Your Life and Awaken Your Soul.
It is a shamanic, spiritual guidebook to empower you to change your life through understanding ancient wisdom practices for current times. It is also filled with more than 70 full color pieces of my artwork to inspire and uplift.
How do you proceed with your clients?
Once someone has asked for a soul portrait or spirit guide painting, I ask them to be quiet and focus on their true heart’s desires for getting a soul portrait or guide painting. What is the intention? What do they most need now? How would they like to heal? What changes would they like? What does their heart, soul, body, and life need?
When a person is called to get a soul portrait or guide painting there is usually some seed of desire that gets them here. Their soul is calling them. It may come through desire to heal the body or heart, or to expand into their spiritual life, or work life, or… It can be anything truly.
Perhaps they have seen a soul portrait and think “I have to do that!” Once we have connected I know they have been called to waking up to a new level of self awareness. So I ask them, “What is your intention or prayer for yourself right now?” This is part of the opening of the doorway to their essence energies and the visions they give me energetically when we sit together for their session (whether it be in person or via zoom.) If they are at a distance I have them email me a recent photo for physical reference. Yet, it is their energy and spirit that guides me in the symbol, color and story they most need to experience.
Once the portrait has been painted and goes home with a client, I encourage them to then regularly sit in open eyed meditation with the painting. Since it is a painting, sitting in meditation, and reflection with the imagery and artwork, it is a place for the client to re-member, to receive, and to awaken through their experience. Journaling and reflection is part of their sacred journey once they have received the art and the session.
What words of wisdom do you carry for us mortals?
The Divine is within you, no matter your human experience. Be curious about it. Ask for support. Say hello to your guides and the higher energies of love, of wisdom. Your curiosity will open the doors of the Divine, as will your time and attention. Whatever you focus on does expand.
Be clear where you focus. Do your best to focus on love, beauty, and kindness. As you are a vessel for this in the best ways possible, you will change your world in the most beautiful ways. Learn to respond rather than react to this world. What if it just got better as you did your best to believe in a better self, a better world, and the possibility of greater harmony?
We are the ones who create our world. It is up to us to be the change we want. We are in times of great change that look chaotic, messy, and too often far beyond our control. At times we will feel defeated, sad, and exhausted from the messiness of the human world.
Do your best to take care of yourself and your world. Do what you can do in your body, your mind, and your emotions. Do your best to be kind to those you meet at the grocery store, in your family, and in your world for friends. Do your best to love in the microcosm of your Universe. What you think, what you say, and how you act creates.
This is how you make a difference. What you give will come back to you. What you give will bless another if it is loving. Be the love you wish to experience.
If you are a writer or an artist, let your writing and your art reflect this. If you are a chef, create your food with love and give that. If you are a gardener, the beauty you create blesses others as yourself. If you are a bus driver, how you greet people makes a difference in their day. If you are a world leader, as you act and speak to be good for all, the greater harmony you bring within and all around you.
You matter, no matter your role in this world. Use your life in a way that restores love and pleasure and it will be the biggest blessing you can imagine, and more than you can imagine.
