The Painted Drums Series

I couldn’t show you pictures of these drums before my project partner saw them live, so now that I’m done and she’s seen them, you get the full show & tell! Please comment below to let us know which you prefer and why.

Katie Power of Alive Adventures asked me earlier this summer if I would be interested in painting drums that she could sell to her clientele. She’s an inspired and inspiring woman who is really making a difference in our community.  She’s also been a fan of my work for a few years.  As this project brought two of my loves together – painting and drumming  – I didn’t hesitate to say “Yes!”  Drum circles, both of the community and shamanic kind, were an integral part of my life during the five years I lived in Saskatoon.  When I moved to St. John’s in 2011, I was thrilled to learn of Katie’s work and am now happy to be collaborating with her. I trust that these five unique hand-painted drums will enrich the drumming experience of those who choose them as well as enhance the beauty of their environment.  If you’re interested in them, contact Katie.

The Communion Drum by Dominique Hurley

This drum is infused with the spirit of communion: between the self and Higher Self, between the conscious and subconscious, between Humanity and Nature, between yourself and your Creator –  between all that is in Oneness.  This is represented in the faces gazing at each other and in the spiraling flow of their hair uniting them.  This drum is also about balance, represented here in the roots and branches of the tree of life and in the double spiral repeated three times- both Celtic symbol of balance.  I used a little metallic gold paint so that the drum would catch the light within you and your surroundings, no matter what the lighting conditions are.

work in progress

2.  The Astral Drum: SOLD

The Astral Drum by Dominique Hurley – SOLD

The woman on this drum has again been stylized in a manner that represents humans as both physical and energetic / spiritual presences.  She is standing on the crescent moon, a symbol of new beginnings and the transformation of dreams into reality. The moon itself is a symbol of the deep, intuitive, subtle, and feminine energies in our lives.  Reaching up in exaltation, her heart-shaped hands are framed by the sun, a cosmic power representing vitality, clarity, action, and resonating with masculine energy.  This drum is about the inner and outer influences in our lives – whether these be spiritual, planetary, or environmental.  The orbs represent both the planetary movement and its influence on our lives and the presence of seen and unseen helpers on our life’s journey.  It is also about our own personal commitment to love, growth, and making the choices that are right for us.  The many light-filled spirals represent evolution, personal growth, surrender, letting go, awareness of the whole, union with cosmic energies, and natural progress.  Again, the use of both metallic and interference paints gives this drum different appearances at different angles and in different lighting conditions.

3.  The Destiny Drum: SOLD

The Destiny Drum by Dominique Hurley – SOLD

The horse is an ancient symbol with a multitude of meanings in various cultures.  I have chosen to paint it on this Destiny Drum because it is an emblem of life-force and the four elements.  It is also a symbol of power, grace, beauty, nobility, strength, longevity, and wisdom – all necessary in the co-creation of our destinies.  While I was painting this drum, I felt deeply attuned with certain aspects of my Fire Horse energies (in Chinese astrology, that of those born between January 21, 1966 and February 8, 1967 or January 25, 1906 and February 12 1907). Much is said about this sign – both with great enthusiasm and dire warning.  Painting this drum called me to read about the Fire Horse again and to reflect on how we are all predisposed to certain destinies by the circumstances of our birth, but that with awareness and Guidance, destiny is really a co-creation, not inevitable fact.  Indeed, our destiny is shaped by vision and choice and enhanced by being in tune with both our strengths and our weaknesses. It is also best shaped by loving what is and moving from that space. In other words, we may be influenced by intricate underlying factors (represented here by 8 hours worth of zentangle patterns in white on turquoise that I glazed in magenta), but there’s more to it than that.  I have represented this here with the phoenix, a mythical bird that sets itself on fire and re-creates itself from the ashes.  It is a symbol of life, rebirth, renewal, power, transformation, clarity, strength, and creativity.  Both the horse and the phoenix face the future, inviting you to embrace their energies within you.

4.  The Vision Drum: SOLD

The Vision Drum by Dominique Hurley – SOLD

This drum also has a very rich deep voice that is sure to ground those that play/hear it.  Being grounded, I find, is a necessary factor in connecting us to both our True Selves and to an overall vision for our lives.  This is what this drum is all about.  The hawk, one of my childhood totem animals, was often sent off on its winged missions to fly above the myriad of details (represented here by 6 hours of zentangle patterns in the background) to see the bigger picture.  Indeed, we often are so caught up with our noses stuck in what’s right in front of us that we can’t see the beauty of the tapestry we are weaving with our lives.  It’s all about the forest for the trees.  It’s all about that deep inner knowing that all we are and all we do is leading us down the path to something we currently can’t see.  This drum’s imagery calls us to both love the mystery and connect to a higher vision.  It’s about faith, trust, and listening for that hawk’s cry as its clarity of vision leads and reassures us.  This drum is also about being like the tree – solidly rooted and reaching for the heavens, perfect in who and what we are as we naturally and inevitably grow on our path to our Highest Good.

5. The Gratitude Drum: SOLD

The Gratitude Drum by Dominique Hurley  – SOLD

The woman dancing in bliss on this drum is facing the Heavens in gratitude for all forms of abundance in her life.  The spirit of appreciation that courses through both her physical and energy bodies (represented in my stylization of the figure) in turn attracts a continued shower of love and blessings from the Universe. These orbs of light also represent Divine presence – be it angels, universal energy, the Holy Spirit, etc. Through the yin yang symbol, this drum is also about the interconnectedness and interdependence of all things. Indeed, it is about the complementary forces within the Wholeness of our Selves and the world we live in.  It is also about opening up to both giving and receiving.  As such, this imagery is about the perfect harmonic balance of all that is.  The use of both metallic and interference paints gives this drum different appearances at different angles and in different lighting conditions.  It has a very deep rich voice, aligned with deep gratitude.

In darker lighting conditions

Here’s a note from Katie:

Alive Inspired Drums…

The first time I ever experienced a Native Frame Drum was when I was at my first evening of Community Drum Circle Facilitation Course in Calgary with my teacher Judy Atkinson and she came around to welcome each of us who had arrived to become certified in connecting and inspiring community through drumming. As she walked around the room beating the drum I felt a deep connection, the sound of the drum was penetrating and powerful, as she came close to me and my heart I felt a warm energy and a ray of sunshine enter my soul. I left that weekend with a hand painted frame drum to bring this beautiful energy to Newfoundland.

I was inspired this past year to want to bring these beautifully painted inspiring and powerful drums to people who have been wanting them at our drum circles and other events. I knew Dominique was the perfect artist to express Aliveness and pure inspiration as her work has always brought this out for me.

We are so excited to share these drums with you and look forward to meeting the new owners of these originally painted and blessed drums.

www.aliveadventures.ca and http://www.facebook.com/aliveadventures .

These drums can be used for healing purposes, teaching, recreational use at drum circles or music circles, or even on display in your home spreading energy and light. “

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