Transcendence
February 8th, 2009
My most recently completed painting, Transcendence, is acrylic on canvas, 36” wide by 46” high with painted gallery wrap edges, featuring two dahlias in a still life. It has been interesting watching people’s response to the work as they key into my painting intention from their own individual perspectives.
The concept that dominated the painting process was that of becoming a transparent vessel filled with divine love. This is one of those pretty concepts that can quickly turn into a quagmire when attempted in real life.
After all, what is involved with becoming a transparent vessel in the first place? Most of us would be mortified to walk down Main Street without any clothes, and becoming a transparent vessel requires an even more rigorous nakedness.
Everything in the heart that has been hidden from others has to become visible. Worse yet, everything in the heart hidden from oneself has to become visible. This is not a task for the faint hearted at all!
The other part of this equation is filling the transparent vessel with divine love. That love is what illuminates all the hidden uglies in the first place. It cannot co-exist with them in the same space however. One has to heal or transmute everything that was hidden so that divine love can fill its space.
The process can be quite intimidating, inspiring the urge to turn and run from the whole affair. At that point it is helpful to use discernment in how one views the hidden unpleasantness.
The crucial issue is to recognize what is one’s true essence and what is merely wreckage and debris from the untidy process of living in the physical realm. Once that distinction is clear, the hidden aspects are not as disturbing and can be allowed to dissolve in the light of one’s true essence.
As the transparent vessel fills with divine love, entire galaxies of being may be discovered within it. The goddess may emerge, radiant with symphonies of color.
Spirit blooms in an explosion of light from the divine as the earlier fears of being fully seen dissolve and fade away.
The painting is available at RiverStone Gallery.
3 Responses to “Transcendence”
Julie Trevelyan February 8th, 2009 at 3:20 pm #
What a gorgeous painting! And yes, becoming a transparent vessel full of divine love and light, while still honoring the shadow side, is hard, hard, hard. No wonder addictions of all sorts abound in our societies today. Getting so close to the truth is a very scary process as we unwrap the protective layers we’ve accumulated to cover our beautiful souls.
I must look at your other work. What a perfect painting, and words, for me to see and hear today! Thanks.
Lexi Sundell February 8th, 2009 at 4:04 pm #
Julie,
Let us all hang onto our courage, hang on for the ride, and see where transparency and divine love and light take us…
Patricia February 9th, 2009 at 6:50 am #
Dear Lexi,
I found this painting really fantastic and you are not only a great artist with painting, also a poet with language.
Maybe you could consider writing a book combining your two gifts.
Thanks for sharing all this with us!
Patricia