My most recent painting has been shipped off to Miami.  I took it to FedEx yesterday.  It is en-route with Milagros Bello’s Curator’s Voice Art Projects to form part of the gallery’s exhibition at the Venice Biennale.  (I will update you once it’s there – early spring.)

40 inches x 40 inches, Acrylic on Canvas

I enjoyed this painting. The design grew on its own organically, but I do acknowledge the influence of a few people on my thinking and meditations at the time.

Mark Matousek since early last Winter-Spring 2015/2016 was a close partner in my writing journey.  I am not the same person, today.  The process of unveiling the inner truth of one’s stories, to someone who is a fellow seeker fascinated with mysticism and one’s inner sense of self, was powerful.  The emotions and fondness following this process run deep for me.

Still, I discovered that painting reaches further allowing me to express what I cannot express in words and in essence is itself an unfolding of an endlessly knowable mystery.  I’ve redirected my focus from Memoir writing and self-inquiry towards the visual arts.

Just at that moment of transition, I learned of Namgyal Rinpoche‘s work published by Open Path titled Unfolding Through Art.  It begins beautifully with the following reflection:

The discovery of this work Unfolding Through Art by Rinpoche, along with the recently released collection of botanical images titled Plants: Exploring the Botanical World,  will form a part of some of the sources of inspiration that I will be looking at more attentively now.

While working on this painting, I also participated in a workshop on Teilhard de Chardin’s writings.  It’s a subject that I have been drawn to and that has been available for me to explore.  A great measure of what we reflected and meditated on was a real challenge for me spiritually – I was out of my depth here…

Yet, I was happy knowing just how rich and open this path was for the seeker’s journey – for those drawn to explore such matters.  I won’t try to explain Teilhard’s thought.  I don’t have the preparation, but I do recommend Cynthia Bourgeault and her course/writings/study of Teilhard for Our Times.

In essence, I picked up a few tidbits that were interesting in relation to my drawings and work at the time. From my vantage point, I felt that these ideas had some connections with my ongoing work.

First, the cornerstone of Teilhardian metaphysics can be understood as: “Unity differentiates, differentiation unifies.” And from this perspective, two characteristics of this process of unity through differentiation that stuck with me were enroulment (things grow more complex (under the pressure of forced proximity) in a constricted space) as they “roll in” on themselves – (i.e., airport security lines) and convergence – consummatium est.  

My initial drawing at the time…

Enroulment and Convergence…Mandalas…  and fascinating ??? open for exploration…

There were a few preliminary artworks that I completed in preparation for my new painting in the Wheel within a Wheel series that reveal visual design characteristics that are present in what is culturally defined as the mandala.

 Each 8 in x 12 in

Earlier, I shared the initial development of my painting, its preparation included a projection image – to feel out the rhythm of the composition.  After that, I began a series of adjustments of the details leading towards it’s completion.

This artwork brought a sense of newness to my work at the easel – I’m in discovery mode!  It is exciting. And yet, I am tempering myself to tackle the realities of day to day life, and especially to complete the necessary logistics of my upcoming move (i.e. I’m still packing…!)