Watermarks
All images I release online, and most images I display in public, are watermarked in some way while the physical art, prints, and products a patron actually receives are not. The ease in which we are able to share information with each other is a blessing and a curse. It has the equal potential to perpetuate benevolence as well as expose oneself to devastating risks. Word can spread like wildfire among people who really appreciate the work, leading to a greater following and converted sales. Images moving across the world at the speed of light can also make it difficult to not only protect intellectual property but to achieve justice for such transgressions. Watermarking as much public-facing content as I can won’t completely protect my work, but I’m hoping my efforts will at least give someone pause who may not have considered the side of the artist before.
The watermark I’m using currently is my interpretation of the hamsa, a symbol spanning millennia that's traveled the world becoming part of many cultures. Here’s some information about it from an article at mindbodygreen.com by Tianna Soto, M.A.:
“Hayes says that wearing a hamsa or displaying one in your home can help defend you from harm, illness, or the evil eye, which some cultures believe is a curse or spell that causes sudden ailments and other misfortunes. The hamsa symbol may not always have an evil eye in the center, though, and is just one variation—and generally speaking, the image is commonly associated with themes like prosperity, wisdom, and strength, Hayes says.
It's been connected to a number of traditions for centuries, and remains a popular symbol for warding off negativity today. As assistant professor of religious studies at the University of Denver, Dheepa Sundaram, Ph.D., previously told mindbodygreen, it has connections to Islam, Judaism, Hinduism, and Buddhism.
“Within Islam and Judaism, it's about warding off the evil eye—the idea of the protector," Sundarama explains, adding, "In Hinduism, it's often used as a synonym for the supreme spirit or the ultimate reality, which is called 'Brahman,' as well as a vehicle for knowledge. In Buddhism it represents the universal spirit and being released from the cycle of rebirth, or samsara.”...
Like many well-known spiritual symbols, the exact origin story of the hamsa isn’t black-and-white and can differ depending on culture, lineage, and religion. We do know, however, that the hand has been symbolically used in artwork and religion for generations, with one tomb at Khirbet el-Qom showing a hamsa-like hand dating back to the 8th century BCE.”
Is there a better way to invoke protection than to use a symbol that inherently offers it and has done so for thousands of years? I hope it will inspire acts of compassion more than the opposite.