My Process: Creating Energetically Charged Rune Paintings

Creating Rune Paintings With Intention

The Elder Futhark runes carry profound wisdom that has guided rune magicians for centuries. In my artistic practice, I've developed a method that allows me to channel these energies onto canvas. There are a number of ways to connect with the runes, but engaging in artistic projects, I feel, is particularly rewarding. Here's how I create my rune paintings:

Determining Which Rune to Paint

My process begins with reflection and meditation. I sit quietly, allowing my mind to clear, and wait for a specific rune to call to me. This initial connection is important—it's not about forcing a choice but listening for which rune's energy is most relevant to the present. Sometimes I'm surprised, and at other times I've been sitting with a specific rune for a while, so the one that presents itself becomes obvious.

Deep Meditation and Receiving Insights

Once I've identified the rune, I enter a deeper meditative state where I focus specifically on it. While being aware of its traditional meanings, I try to remain open to any personal or collective insights the rune has to share with me. Often, the rune presents questions for me to consider or specific images that want to emerge through my art.

Journaling the Experience

After meditation, I immediately journal about what I experienced. This helps me process the sometimes abstract messages and solidify my understanding of what the rune is communicating. Some insights are deeply personal and remain private, while others inform the artistic direction of the painting, and become somewhat public. (I say "somewhat" because art remains subjective.)

Conceptualizing the Visual Representation

With the rune's energy fresh in my consciousness, I begin contemplating how to translate these experiences into visual form on canvas. I consider colors, other symbols, and compositions that might best convey the essence of what I've received. Sometimes the images I receive in meditation end up directly on the canvas; other times the images painted end up being quite different while maintaining the same "essence" or "flavor."

Creating the Initial Draft

I approach the canvas with reverence, sketching the initial designs in pencil. This step is about creating a framework while remaining flexible to how the energy wants to flow through the painting. There have been several paintings along the way that have had minds of their own, which means they dictated the process, not me!

Painting with Intention

The final step is where magic happens. As I apply paint to canvas, I consciously infuse the work with the rune's energy. This isn't merely an artistic exercise but a spiritual practice—each brushstroke becomes a conduit for the rune's power and wisdom.

A Note on Creating Art in General

I have always been a creative person, though I didn't start regularly painting until the pandemic. While I don't necessarily consider myself to be "an artist," I do enjoy the process of creating art. For me, painting is a lesson in releasing perfectionism. Rather than continue to tweak the design or correct my lines over and over again, I usually end up finding myself (the version of me that I am now) willing to call it a finished product even with imperfections on the canvas. This has been quite freeing!

Conclusion

I believe that what makes these paintings special is that they're not just representations of the runes; they're vessels that carry their energy. Each piece gives me the opportunity to deepen my own connection to a specific rune while simultaneously becoming a focal point for meditation for others; a reminder of ancient wisdom, and a tool for personal transformation.

Written by: Laina Pilkenton