Unity of Life and Colors

Unity of Life and Colors

A couple of years ago* a friend of mine asked me if I was interested to do a painting based on a picture she had taken (courtesy of Connaught Cullen: As above so below)

It was going to be part of an exhibition with other artists with the same assignment. We were free to express ourselves in any way we chose, as long as it was based on that picture. I took the challenge. I waited awhile, actually quite awhile, then slowly started on my project. Days and weeks went by, the deadline was approaching at an alarming speed, and I was getting nowhere. We are all familiar with procrastination(read Resistance by Om Swami), and I was a member of the procrastinator club. Giving up on the whole thing was not an option, as I had made a commitment that I intended to keep.

I live in the woods surrounded by trees everywhere I look. One day, I went outside to take a closer look at the different leaves that had fallen on the ground (It was the end of summer by now). As I kept looking and gathering maple and sycamore leaves of different colours and sizes, I finally understood the direction I had to take to work on my piece.

I started to paint. I thought I was making headways but whenever I would step back to look at my work, I would realize that something was amiss The harder I tried to impose my will on the painting the more off it was. You see, It knew what It wanted to be, and it was not what I had in mind. I finally let go and Unity of Life and Colors was born.

If only we could see

There is infinite beauty in life and death
In birth and decay
In darkness and light
One would not be without the other.
In all pairs of opposites
Is a union blessed by the One
How could it be otherwise when everything has its inception in the Divine.

*Note: I find it difficult sometimes to remember dates it could be age or that I am not into time so much😉.

While talking with my friend Connaught, we realized that the exhibition where I showcased Unity of Life and Colors was most probably four to five years old and not a couple of years.

Here is a picture of the whole painting