Category: Art

Mesopotamian Eye Idol Amigurumi Pattern

Posted on by Jennifer Wilber

I made an Amigurumi Eye Idol pattern, which is available from my Ribblr shop: Nya’s Magickal Crafts

Eye idols are small figurines that were found at the site of the “Eye Temple” at Tell Brak in Northern Mesopotamia, modern day Syria. They are thought to be offerings to the gods, representing worshipers, with the large eyes representing unwavering attentiveness to the gods.

I am making this available at a special discount for the next week!

This pattern is pretty easy, but it may be a bit confusing for beginners when you get to the eyes. I designed it in such a way that you don’t need to sew any pieces together, but the eyes might be a bit tricky. The eye rows essentially have you make two separate panels, then the last row crochets the two halves together.

Try making them with different types of yarn!

I provided instructions for standard facial features, but feel free to experiment with other ideas! Try safety eyes or extra accessories! I’ve been playing Hello Kitty Island Adventure lately, so I made this little Hello Kitty eye idol!

I also have a few free patterns in my Ribblr shop; a charm featuring Inanna’s star, a moon, and Sanrio’s Big Challenges (also inspired by Hello Kitty Island Adventure).

Mesopotamian Artwork by Samuel David (Plus me rambling/infodumping about Pazuzu and Inanna)

Posted on by Jennifer Wilber

I’m showing off some artwork I received from Samuel David (​⁠‪@rodandring‬) from his Sum(m)er of Giving raffle to raise money for The National Domestic Violence Hotline, The Trevor Project, NAMI (National Alliance on Mental Illness), Iraqi Children’s Foundation, and the Central Asian Institute. I also infodump/ramble about Mesopotamian polytheism, history, and my practices.

The Queen of Heaven and the Night – Devotional Art Piece

Posted on by Jennifer Wilber

For maybe a month or so, I’ve started getting into posting Reels on Instagram/Facebook as sort of a way to get more comfortable speaking in public/being visible in general/etc to work on my social anxiety issues. This past weekend, I also decided to start making longer videos to put on YouTube. I wanted to show off an art piece I made based on the Burney Relief, and I knew my explanation for it would go beyond the 90 seconds that Instagram allows, so I took the plunge and put it on YouTube.

Anyway, here is my first YouTube video about my mixed-media devotional art piece that I made for Inanna.

Follow me on YouTube and Instagram!

NyaTheLioness on YouTube

NyaTheLioness on Instagram

Fiber Magick – Crochet Projects

Posted on by Jennifer Wilber

Aside from my religious/spiritual activities, over the last couple months in my free time I’ve also been getting back into crochet and I started taking an improv class. I know I try a lot of different hobbies. I’m not sure if improv is going to be another all-consuming interest or if it is going to become one of the many different art forms I cycle back and forth between. It’s too early to tell, but so far I am really enjoying it and I plan on taking the next class after this one is over.

Anyway, in this post I wanted to share some of my recent crochet projects. I got a book called “Fiber Magick,” which shows how to use fiber arts, particularly crochet, as part of magickal workings. I love being able to combine my different interests together, and crochet is particularly well-suited for crafting magickal items.

My favorite project I made from that book is my prayer shawl. It was made using basic stitches and was an easy pattern, but it is the largest project I’ve crocheted so far. The pink/black/purple yarn (Lion Brand Mandala Ombré in Felicity) represents love, protection, and spirituality. The blue border (Lion Brand Mandala Ombré in Harmony) represents Inanna. I also thought I was clever using Lion Brand yarn for something representing Inanna. Its one of my favorite yarn brands I’ve tried so far anyway. I’ve been wearing my prayer shawl during my daily devotionals to Inanna since I finished it.

I also made this Goddess of Journeys poppet project from Fiber Magick. Instead of using it for protection on physical journeys, I made mine to represent Ninshubur, who I usually evoke when doing spiritual journeying work to help guide me back should I get into trouble. I gave her a staff, which I made by writing out the part of the Descent myth where Ninshubur asks for Enki’s help in rescuing Inanna from the Underworld on a piece of parchment, rolling it up like a scroll, and crocheting all around it.

I also made a bunch of the smaller projects like spell bags, drawstring storage bags for crystals/herbs/etc, and appliques (which were called “sigils” in the book, but aren’t really what I think of when I think of sigils. I’m just using these as charms and decorations).

(I’m back dating this post, because I originally wrote it weeks ago, and forgot to come back and add the pictures and publish it. 4/23/2024)

Sales Channels for Nybiru Studio

Posted on by Jennifer Wilber

I’ve been busy getting sales channels set up for my business, Nybiru Studio. I’m currently using the following:

Threadless

Etsy

ArtPal

Fine Art America

I switched from SpreadShop to Threadless Artist Shops because the company seems to be more inclusive, professional, and have greater opportunities to help artists grow their businesses. I’ve also purchased enough items from artists who use Threadless shops to know that their quality is good. I would have probably started with them if I had known they were open to artists who are just beginning their business ventures. I’m actually pretty excited about this particular sales channel! (The others I’m more cautiously optimistic about tbh). I have some ideas for more mainstream designs to try to get noticed on Threadless. Like cryptids and general magickal things. I’m not going to sell out and do mainstream things I have no interest in at all, like sports or whatever.

I also went ahead and started my Etsy shop. Currently I have items shipped by two different printers/manufacturers. I currently have listings for a few different t-shirts and art prints. I also have a welcome mat featuring the Sumerian cuneiform for “Go Away.” I call it an “unwelcome mat.” I also have a few metal cuff bracelets, which are honestly my favorite item in my Etsy shop. It seems like a lot of Etsy sellers tend to be slightly less forthcoming about the fact that they use outside manufacturing partners to print/manufacture certain items in their shops than you’d hope, but I’m trying to be as transparent about my business practices as possible. It seems kind of sketchy to me to hide how you are creating items that people are spending money on.

I also have to print providers to manage printing and shipping for my art prints. Both sites have onsite marketplaces, so I thought it might be beneficial to promote my art on both sites for now. I’ll reassess down the line to see if it actually makes sense to keep both sales channels active.

Nisaba and the Invention of Writing, and Nanna and the New Moon (paintings)

Posted on by Jennifer Wilber

I made this painting for Nisaba, the Sumerian Goddess associated with writing, and also grain, after performing her rituals for Rod and Ring this month. I want to do something extra to honor each deity as I complete their rituals. I call is Dub Sar: Nisaba and the Invention of Writing. She was originally associated with grain, but became associated with writing after its invention due to the use of reeds as styluses. I used the most famous carved image of Nisaba as the inspiration, but switched the grain stalks she held for her lapis tablet and golden stylus to emphasis her importance as a patron goddess of scribes, know as dub sar in Sumerian.

I was originally writing articles for HubPage’s network site Exemplore (where they route all pagan-related topics, along with other, but decided to switch to paintings. I still need to go back and complete my paintings for Gibil, Ninurta, and Ishkur. I’ve realized that HubPages isn’t the best place to try to elevate the gods since they lump all things pagan in with garbage like conspiracy theories, UFOs and Aliens, New Age, etc.

I also did a painting for Nanna this month during the dark moon. I call it Udnua, which means New Moon in Sumerian. This one features Nanna seated before the dark moon. I made the initial sketch by tracing one of my favorite stone images of him. I tried to emphasize the shining gold details of the Shining One and his divine magical accoutrements.

Both of these art peices are available as prints from my various art sales channels. I particularly recommend these mini prints that come with wooded bases, available on my Threadless Artist Shop. These are perfect to use as images of the deities for your altar or shrine!

So far I have Inanna, Marduk, Nanna, and Nisaba. I’m working on making one for Dumuzi, and will soon start painting Gibil, Ninurta, and Ishkur. Next month I will start working on one for Ningal, and then Gestinanna after I complete their rituals for Rod and Ring. I’m already working on one for Dumuzi, but I might make another one once I complete his ritual.

Adobe Fresco Goddess Paintings

Posted on by Jennifer Wilber

I’ve been wanting to get back into drawing, and finally decided to splurge and get a drawing tablet (well, I did get a pretty good deal on it. It must have been a Labor Day sale, though I didn’t even think about holiday sales when I was shopping for it). I got the XP Pen Artist 16 and I’ve been experimenting with digital painting, mainly in Adobe Fresco, but also Photoshop and Illustrator. Here are two of my favorite paintings I did so far:

Inanna Rising

Inanna Rising was inspired by Inanna’s descent to – and subsequent ascent from – the underworld.

Ama Nita

Ama Nita is a pun on the Amanita muscaria mushroom and the Sumerian word “ama” meaning “mother” (“nita” is also a word in Sumerian meaning “male,” so I supposed Ama Nita could be thought of as a fusion of the sacred feminine and masculine properties, or as a “mother of men” – interpret it as you wish!). Mushrooms have been considered sacred in numerous cultures throughout history, so an Amanita mushroom as a mother goddess seems fitting to me. I’m not sure if the Sumerians or any other Mesopotamian culture had any sacred associations with mushrooms or any other entheogens. I don’t recall reading anything (from legit sources) about such things, but who knows?

I think I’m going to have prints made of these. Would it be too narcissistic to hang my art up alongside the art I bought from “real” artists? Idk. I might offer prints once I get my etsy shop up and running too. I might not be the greatest artist of all time, but I like my digital paintings enough to want to display them, so maybe someone else out there might too.

I don’t really have much to compare the XP Pen tablet to, but I’m really enjoying using it so far. Because of the large screen and matte finish (and matte screen protector I put on it) it is a lot nicer to draw on than my iPad mini or Surface tablet (1st gen I think?). I also like it much more than Hans’s old Wacom tablet (an entry-level non-screen one), which I never got the hang of.

Anyway, I’ve been throwing around a new idea for a children’s book for a while, and now that I have a nice drawing tablet, I think I can actually execute it, so stay tuned for whenever I actually make some progress with that. I have so many different projects I want to bring to life.

Til Zu-Bir Ki-Aĝ (Live Laugh Love) Cuneiform Tablet

Posted on by Jennifer Wilber

I translated the phrase “Live Laugh Love” into cuneiform to make a tablet to hang on the wall. I realized that, for someone who loves pumpkin spice lattes and is just generally a “basic white girl,” I didn’t have any of the the type of artwork that is generally associated with “basic bitches” hanging up in my house. You know the type, random words just displayed on the wall for no reason. So I remedied that with my own spin.

Most of my tablets I just leave plain because I like the old-timey ancient look, but this one felt like it needed something more, being a translation of a modern-day saying, so I carved a couple hearts and painted it with some metallic paint I had left over from painting a brick to make a bookend a while ago.

I’m working on utilizing print-on-demand services to offer canvas prints and t-shirts featuring this translation.

I’d also be open to taking a few commissions here and there if anyone is interested in commissioning a similar clay tablet (or one with something less silly written on it). I’m hoping to continue improving my art skills and developing them into a viable “side hustle” in case I get sick again and have to take a break from my regular day job (apparently I’m dumb for continuing to work in a daycare throughout chemo and radiation last year, but w/e. I do what I want!).

Statue of Inanna – Air Dry Clay

Posted on by Jennifer Wilber

After I made my smaller travel figurine of Inanna, I wanted to make a larger one with more iconographic details.

The clay was still a little wet in this picture, but this is the size difference between my original travel figurine and my new one.

I’m not sure where she will ultimately live in my house. I kinda want her on my main altar, but I also really like the statue I have on there already that I bought from a Ukrainian artist on Etsy. For now, I have her on top of my bookcase where I keep my pagan and magick books. It’s become a kind of secondary altar/shrine to Inanna as well as Ninshubur and Dumuzi. I place offerings of freshly cut flowers there, and light candles for those three deities. The main altar is in front of a big picture window looking out into the backyard, and is where I do my actual rituals and meditations and whatnot.