Spirit art
Works with a loved one in Spirit. The aim is a likeness, or the unmistakable essence of that person, together with whatever message comes with them.
A guide to spirit art & mediumistic art
What is spirit art?
Spirit art, psychic art, intuitive art and automatic drawing — explained by medium and watercolour artist Anne-Marie Bond.
Spirit art, psychic art and intuitive art are often spoken of as one thing. They are not. Here is a plain, unhurried explanation of each — written by watercolour artist and medium Anne-Marie Bond, who works across all three.
See it in practice at the online Spirit Art demonstration, The Intuitive Artist, or learn the approach for yourself on the Beginners Trance Art Expression Course.
Spirit art, defined
Spirit art is artwork made by a medium who is working with the presence of someone in Spirit. Most often it is a portrait: the artist draws or paints while attuned to a Spirit communicator, aiming for a recognisable likeness of a loved one — or, where a likeness does not come, for the character, manner and feeling of that person.
The picture is rarely the whole of it. Words, impressions, memories and small identifying details usually arrive alongside the marks on the paper, and the finished image becomes the anchor for the message rather than the message itself.
It is a slow, quiet form of mediumship. Nothing is forced. A sitting can be deeply moving, and it can also be gentle and unremarkable — both are honest outcomes.
Spirit, psychic and intuitive art
Psychic art
Reads the energy of the living sitter. The image reflects their life, their personality, or something moving around them now — no Spirit communicator is involved.
Intuitive art
Has no target at all. The artist follows colour, form and feeling as they arrive, and the picture is free to become a landscape, a figure, a flower, or something entirely unexpected.
In practice the three overlap. A painting begun intuitively can turn, part way through, into something clearly meant for one person in the room.
How a spirit art sitting works
- The artist settles and attunes — a few quiet minutes with paper, water and pigment, and no fixed idea of the outcome.
- The first marks go down. Colour and shape are followed rather than planned; a face, a landscape or a symbol begins to suggest itself.
- Impressions arrive alongside the painting — a manner of speaking, a relationship, a place, a small detail that only the right person would recognise.
- The painting is shown and interpreted. What has appeared on the paper leads the words, not the other way round.
- The artwork is given or sent to the recipient as a keepsake.
Examples of the work
Watercolour samples by Anne-Marie Bond. These are studio pieces, many of which took three hours or more, rather than paintings made at speed during a live demonstration.
What to expect — honestly
- A message may arise for a group as a whole, or for one individual. It is never guaranteed for everyone.
- A likeness is hoped for, not promised. Sometimes the feeling of a person comes through more strongly than their face.
- Nothing is rushed and nothing is dramatised. There is no theatre in it.
- You do not need to believe anything in advance to sit with the work.
About the artist
Anne-Marie Bond paints in acrylic, oils and watercolour, she paints beautiful paintings in digital art, draws in graphite pencil, paints in pastels and charcoal. She teaches others how to paint and draw. Her drawings and painting unfold organically, and at other times is spiritually inspired what to paint in advance. Under The Portrait of Spirit she brings together psychic art, intuitive art and Spirit art.
She teaches watercolour at watercolourmastery.co.uk, and runs Spirit Art and mediumship workshops at theportraitofspirit.com.
Spirit art questions, answered
What is spirit art?
Spirit art is artwork made by a medium who is working with the presence of someone in Spirit. Most often it is a portrait: the artist paints while attuned to a Spirit communicator, aiming for a recognisable likeness of a loved one — or for the character, manner and feeling of that person. Words, impressions and identifying details usually arrive alongside the marks on the paper.
What is the difference between spirit art, psychic art and intuitive art?
Spirit art works with a loved one in Spirit and aims for a likeness or essence together with a message. Psychic art reads the energy of the living sitter, with no Spirit communicator involved. Intuitive art has no target at all — the artist follows colour, form and feeling as they arrive. In practice the three often overlap.
How does a spirit art sitting work?
The artist settles and attunes, then the first marks go down and are followed rather than planned. Impressions arrive alongside the painting — a manner of speaking, a relationship, a place, a small identifying detail. The painting is then shown and interpreted, and the artwork is given or sent to the recipient as a keepsake.
Is a message guaranteed in spirit art?
No. A message may arise for a group as a whole, or for one individual, and it is never guaranteed for everyone. A likeness is hoped for rather than promised — sometimes the feeling of a person comes through more strongly than their face.
Do you need to be a trained artist to explore spirit art?
No. Spirit art, intuitive painting and automatic drawing are approaches to mark-making rather than tests of technique. Beginners explore them through gentle, guided creative work such as the Beginners Trance Art Expression Course.
How spirit art relates to other practices
Spirit art sits alongside several related practices. Trance art and automatic drawing describe creative work made in a quieter, lightly altered state of awareness, where marks are followed rather than planned. Intuitive art and intuitive painting share that openness without any mediumistic intention at all, while mediumistic art describes any artwork made while attuned to Spirit.
Trance mediumship, trance philosophy, physical mediumship and precipitation art are separate disciplines within mediumship, and are mentioned here only for context. They are not taught by Anne-Marie Bond, and the Beginners Trance Art Expression Course is an introductory course in creative expression and automatic drawing rather than a course in those subjects.
Common questions
These answers are reserved for those who have booked a place at The Intuitive Artist.
- What is spirit art?
- What is the difference between spirit art, psychic art and intuitive art?
- Do you have to be a trained artist to receive spirit art?
- Is a message guaranteed?
- Can spirit art be learned?
See it happen live
The Intuitive Artist is a live online evening with Anne-Marie Bond: a watercolour painted in front of you, and the interpretation that follows.
About the live event