A planet, moon, star or other natural objects in the space
Heavenly Bodies
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Print sizes and editions
- Regular museum archival paper print – 497 x 805mm (limited to 275)
- Large museum archival paper print – 712 x 1153mm (limited to 195)
- Extra Large museum canvas print – 840 x 1361mm (limited to 175)
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- Sofia Minson creates your exclusive signed print
- We ship for $25 in NZ and from $50 internationally
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Original painting SOLD, flashe on moulded fibreglass board, 1900 x 1280mm (including antique wooden frame), 2018
The story of Heavenly Bodies
Te Whānau Mārama is The Family of Heavenly Bodies. These are the celestial lights of the sun, moon, stars, phosphorous light, gloomy light and the smallest star in the sky.
In the Māori creation story, Ranginui (sky father) and Papatūānuku (earth mother) were joined in a close embrace. Their 70 sons lived in the darkness between them. Their strongest son, Tāne-nui-a-rangi (Tāne of the heavens, who is also the progenitor of humankind), pushed his parents apart. He then hunted for a source of light for the world created by their separation.
Tāne found Hinerauāmoa, the smallest and most fragile star in the sky. She was also the female element he’d been searching for to create humankind. From their union came Hine-te-iwaiwa.
The first woman, the first human
This portrait is of Hine-te-iwaiwa, the guardian of weaving, childbirth, and the cycles of the moon. She is also Papatūānuku, and represents our own relationship with the Heavenly Bodies. Papatūānuku is the clay from which our ancestor Hineahuone, the first woman, the first human, was formed and given the breath of life by Tāne. The background colour of the painting is that of earthen clay.
The form of this portrait was inspired by dozens of 19th-century black and white photographs of Māori, pieced together to become something entirely new in the process.
Cosmic whakapapa
She wears a pounamu tiki pendant, which is the male element. Her moko kauae (chin and forehead tattoo) is an indelible link to her cosmic whakapapa (lineage). She wears a korowai (cloak) with golden tāniko designs that are traditionally woven into the borders of fine garments.
The karearea (NZ falcon) feathers in her hair suggest the importance of acute vision and perspective. Her eyelids are lowered meaning the sight is not outward but rather inward.
The huia feathers suggest ascension of consciousness. Manu huia travelled through the Twelve Heavens from the uppermost to our earthly realm. He was charged with delivering a message to Tāne, that it was time for him to come and receive the baskets of knowledge.
Divinity and manifestation
The overall composition forms a cross. Her power and vision exist in the tension between the vertical pull of divinity and the horizontal pull of manifestation on this earthly plane. The most illuminated point is in the full circle at her third eye. The phases of the moon cycle into lesser and lesser light, the further away from the centre you go.
If we serve only God-consciousness, we become disembodied spirits, adrift in an unreal world, and if we serve only matter, we become gluttonous and lack vitality. As Jesus on the centre of the cross, the call is to be equally aligned towards divinity and connected to this earthly realm.
Sofia Minson Paintings | New Zealand Artwork
Icon Diploma Student
By ronniecruwys on October 17, 2015
Cartoon of the Virgin and Child Enthroned
Hello icon friends,
The summer before I embarked on the icon diploma course, I asked Aidan if there were any practical steps I could take to help my ability as a student icon painter. His answer was immediate: ‘Learn to draw!’ So I signed up to a really good local drawing class with David Brammeld and a year later Drawing the Street was born, not long before I was accepted on the Diploma course.
Drawing is becoming a way of life for me and I am always exploring ways to develop. There are many online classes and one which I have found refreshing and energetic is Sketchbook Skook
In the meantime, there is so much to learn with icon painting that I thought that I could share my cartoons of the figures for the triptych I’m working on, which might help you get started with your own icon studies.
You should be able to save these drawn images to your computers and print them off on A4.
The four images of the Angels of Chora are all borrowed from Aidan’s library. I hope to be able to credit the photographer in an update to this post.
Meanwhile, happy drawing!
Archangel Michael after one of the Angels of Chora
Archangel Raphael line drawing after one of the angels of Chora
Now for the full size images:
Full length drawing of Archangel Michael taken from an angel of Chora
Archangel raphael full length line drawing
Angel of Chora image courtesy of Aidan Hart’s image library
Angel of Chora images all courtesy of Aidan Hart’s image library.
Angel of Chora images all courtesy of Aidan Hart’s image library.
Angel of Chora – images all courtesy of Aidan Hart’s image library.
Celestial Bodies
You might have come across the word heavenly body in your science textbook sometime or the other. Have you ever wondered what are heavenly bodies? Celestial bodies or heavenly bodies are objects in space such as the sun, moon, planets, and stars. They form a part of the vast universe we live in and are usually very far from us. The glorious night sky is dotted with such objects and when we observe them using a telescope, they reveal fascinating worlds of their own.
Hence, we can define heavenly bodies as,
A planet, moon, star or other natural objects in the space
In this article, let us discuss various heavenly body names and their meaning.
Classification of Celestial Bodies
Stars
Stars are giant balls of hot gases that can produce their own light. Stars give out energy by converting Hydrogen gas into Helium in their cores. Stars are gigantic in size and have an immense gravitational attraction. The sun is a medium-sized star that gives us energy and makes life possible on earth.
Planets
Planets are large (almost) spherical objects that revolve around the sun. Planets move in fixed orbits around the sun. There are 8 planets in our solar system. Planets may be made of rocks, metals and gases like hydrogen, nitrogen and methane. The earth is also a planet and is the only known place in the universe which supports life. Planets that revolve around other stars are called exoplanets.
Satellites
Satellites are objects that revolve around planets. They form the essential part of the celestial bodies. These may be of natural origin or sent by humans. The moon is a natural satellite of the earth and revolves around it because it is bound by the Earth’s gravitational pull. Man has also placed artificial or man-made satellites around the earth and other planets to study them and for communication purposes.
Comets
These are small chunks of ice and rock that come from the outer edge of the solar system. When its orbit brings it closer to the sun, the ice on them vaporizes, creating a beautiful tail behind them.
Asteroids
These are small irregularly shaped rocks made up of metal or minerals that orbit the sun. Most of them are found between Mars and Jupiter in an area known as the asteroid belt.
Meteors and meteorites
These are objects from space that enter our atmosphere as they are pulled by the earth’s gravity. Meteors usually are small and burn up in the atmosphere as they enter the earth. This creates streaks in the sky as though a star has fallen. They are commonly called shooting stars. If a meteor is large enough it can reach the ground and create a crater. Such objects are called meteorites.
Galaxies
Galaxies are large groups of stars held together by gravity. The sun and the solar system are a part of a galaxy known as the Milky Way. Other galaxies are usually so far away that they look like stars in the night sky. The Andromeda galaxy and the Large Magellanic Cloud are galaxies that can be seen with the naked eye on a clear night.
The next time you go out to wonder at the night sky, try to identify these objects. If you can get a star chart, use it to find the different celestial objects mentioned in the night sky.
Frequently Asked Questions – FAQs
What do we mean by celestial bodies?
Celestial bodies or heavenly bodies refer to the planets, stars, moons and all the other natural objects present in space.
How many types of celestial bodies are present?
Celestial bodies or heavenly bodies include:
1) Planets
2) Stars
3) Satellites
4) Comets
5) Asteroids
6) Meteors and Meteorites
7) Galaxies
Where are most of the asteroids found?
Most of the asteroids are found in the asteroid belt which is a region between Mars and Jupiter.
What are comets?
Comets are small chunks of ice and rock that come from the outer edge of the solar system. When its orbit brings it closer to the sun, the ice on them vaporizes, creating a beautiful tail behind them.
Halley’s comet is one of the most well-known comets which is visible to the naked eye from the earth every 75-76 years.
Which galaxy are we a part of?
The sun and our solar system are a part of the Milkyway galaxy.
What is the one major difference between planets and stars?
Unlike planets, stars produce their own source of light. Planets just reflect the light coming from another star like the sun.
To know more about solarsystem, stay tuned with BYJU’S – The learning app!
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Select the correct answer and click on the “Finish” button
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