This fall/holiday season, I am happy to once again be in multiple gallery shows! For the month of October, two of my recent pieces are on display: Sacred Connection and Ecstatic Joy.
It’s my third time participating in Splendorporium’s Tarot/Day of the Dead show and it’s a such a fun gallery to be in. Portland friends, there is still time to check out this lovely show if you missed the opening! Over 75 pieces are in the show and it is definitely worth a visit. Pics from opening night are on RPS Facebook 🙂
Sacred Connection pays homage to the tradition of Dia de Los Muertos. And beyond this, it speaks of spiritual love, human connection and the cycle of life. After our trip to the Yucatan last year, I returned with an even greater sense of connection to the earth and to those who have come before. Visiting ruins sites, I was awestruck by the loving embrace of the land. I felt the vitality of the old civilization, though it had been ‘gone’ for centuries. I felt as if I could imagine watching them there going about their daily life or what it must have been like walking through the doorway seeing the sky. How spiritual it felt to be surrounded by meaningful decorations and objects, perhaps cherishing each meal or event that occurred. A Quetzal sits on her shoulder, a majestic bird sacred to the Mayans and Aztecs representing goodness and light. Our ancestors teach us lessons and give us guidance- their spirit surrounds us with a great love. It is present in everything and has been a part of humanity since the beginning. I feel it is fitting that in this show this piece also represents The High Priestess card.
I painted Ecstatic Joy! as a pure expression of celebration and jubilation. This piece celebrates our greatest potential for happiness, success, and feeling one with the universe. It is also a visual representation of how the arts- i.e. ecstatic dance, music, visionary art, spiritual poetry can uplift us. The figure is pregnant with life, and I chose to merge the foreground with the background to convey a strong sense of vitality and oneness. In the show, this piece aptly represents The World card. I first created this painting late last year for the Siren Nation ‘Celebration’ show as well, a wonderful local organization that supports women in the arts. And I’m excited to be part of Siren’s upcoming ‘Reflections’ show in November. Stay tuned for more on that!
Going a little deeper, this piece is truly about positive healing. For example, how can we find happiness in a difficult, broken world? I believe it is crucial to embrace moments of celebration, joy and gratitude. And in turn these happy moments might be the first steps toward healing ourselves and our world. Not by ignoring the problems, but by simply taking a break for self-care and to enjoy what is precious in this world. If there is any lesson the earth has taught us, it is that things grow when they are honored and nurtured. Find something, anything- no matter how small- that makes you feel alive, and celebrate it. Take five minutes. What is going right? What is beautiful? What is your favorite thing lately? When we begin to fill with joy we naturally take a step upwards beyond problems to solutions, and there is no limit to what we can hope to achieve. Try it. Take a moment and turn on your favorite song. 🙂
Framed and hanging at the show! Along with Sugar Skull by Alea Bone, of Bonewerx:
Coming soon! Announcements for November and holiday shows…