Belcastel art of Scarlet Sinclair

Day 2 of a week of Magical Encounters

Belcastel is just magic.  Tattoo artist Scarlet Sinclair discovered this upon first visiting the local market there and driving into the valley of Belcastel.  

“This place felt like a wellspring of inspiration in things I had already seen but never quite understood until you get there and see where it actually comes from,” Scarlet said.

One of her favorite daily excursions was the zig zagging walk up a cobble paved road to the castle built into the hillside above the village.  Belcastel is one of many points along the Knight’s Templar route, which had long interested and inspired Scarlet.  

“It’s beyond words to describe all the things that had always inspired me coming together in one place and being so real and so full of history.”

One of the most poignant memories of the trip for Scarlet was the historical significance of Mary Magdalene.  Brian shared with Scarlet and her class how aware he was of the Magdalene energy in Belcastel.  The original chapel had remnants of an old fresco of her on its walls, and the town church was dedicated to her.  Scarlet said that Brian could feel the healing energy of the Magdalene’s tears at the castle.  He told them how the Madeline cookies were named after her because of their teardrop shape.

“He called our little group his Madelines - his little lady cakes,” Scarlet said.  “We ate that up with a spoon… we loved it.”

In true Froud fashion, the conversation through the week continued on a tangent that bordered hilarious as they discussed the folklore of Mary Magdalene as the sacred prostitute.

“The story of Mary Magdalene is the one I tell the most,” Scarlet said.  “One of my best friends ended up naming her daughter Madeline…  and I have this little fairy baby now that reminds me of this whole experience.”

Many of Scarlet’s clients and friends were curious to see how the Belcastel experience would affect her work as a tattoo artist.  She too was curious about this, as until then she had considered herself an artist for hire with little time to delve into her own specific creative interests.

“It was about feeding myself and keeping myself as an artist healthy and nurtured.  It put me in tune with more of the things that inspired me naturally: Faeries and art nouveau because it’s so inspired by nature.”

As Scarlet put more energy into work that fitted her she ended up attracting likeminded clients.   

“It’s wonderful because [the experience] continues to inspire me and continues to draw and attract the kinds of clients I want to work with,” Scarlet said.  “How it unfolds it doesn’t stop.  It keeps evolving into my current everyday world.”

Scarlet has also been moved by the vandalism of the tomb of Marie Laveau, Voodoo Queen of New Orleans, with whom she has a special spiritual connection.  She created prints of one of her original paintings of Laveau which are for sale on her website.  Fifty percent of the proceeds of the sale go directly to the restoration fund for Marie Laveau's tomb located in the St. Louis Cemetery No.1 in New Orleans, Louisiana. Click here to purchase a copy of this print, and visit http://www.saveourcemeteries.org and Scarlet’s friend Lilith Dorsey’s blog to learn more.

To find Scarlet or book an appointment visit her at www.scarlettattoos.com.

Blog Roll:
 A week of Magical Encounters
Grace Ng Dung
Scarlet Sinclair
Bats Langley
Soso Erlenkamp

A week of magical encounters

Once upon a time in a magical castle in France, believers from around the world met with renowned artists Brian and Wendy Froud, to embark on an adventure of a lifetime.

As is true of many of the world’s modern-life adventures, much of this story took place in the minds and imaginations of these men and women.  This is not to suggest, however, that imagination equates to fiction.  Indeed, the beauty of these stories is that although they may have seemingly come from the mind, their translation onto paper only proves their inherent truth.  

In fact, this was exactly why most of these adventurers came to learn under the tutelage of the Frouds, who see and sense the faerie realm so acutely.

It began with a vision from Heidi Leigh, owner of AFA Fine Art Galleries in NYC and worldwide.  Gentle mastermind, Brian Froud was at first hesitant to translate his art into a lesson for others, but with the encouragement of family and friends such as Carol Douglas, he subsequently agreed to lead three week long master classes at Heidi’s most enchanting castle-turned-art-gallery in the Aveyron region, Belcastel, France.

We were questers, seeking insight, understanding and a mere glimpse into the Froud’s world of faerie, and in doing so we discovered more about ourselves than art.

The content of these classes remain a mystery, as those who did not attend could not experience the full extent of Brian’s magic without direct contact (and perhaps we only touched upon his magic as well).  As too is their connection to each other - a story best told by friends over a cup of coffee or glass of wine, perhaps with a plate of fresh cheese and bread.  How each student arrived at this destination between worlds is another story altogether - one that tells of manifestation and destiny.

Perhaps most importantly is that the stamp of faerie is on each student who experienced these weeks in Belcastel over two years ago… and this week’s blog  posts will begin as a feeble attempt to tell their unfolding saga in time for another reunion with the Frouds during their book signing at AFA galleries in Soho on October 10th.