Mother Earth served as an imagined utopia for me, as inspired by one positive side of social distancing, which resulted in reduced pollution levels. Reports of air clearing, of animals found in newly unpopulated areas, and of a certain auditory calmness. Mother Earth is depicted with endangered species, living in harmony, and surrounded by flora. The persona of Mother Earth is shown looking at the viewer with a serious, yet calm demeanor. This also reflects a place that I visited, within the four walls of my canvas, to cope with the year’s concerns and challenges.
There are many verses in the bible of God opening or closing a woman’s womb, like contained within in it, is the vast universe of all that is God. I wondered about the seed that may be out there somewhere like a star, waiting to come to life in my womb as well as all the other star seeds, waiting to come to life on earth. Maybe it was too much listening of Joni Mitchell as a teenager, or maybe she was right singing, “We are stardust. We are golden. And we’ve got to get ourselves. Back to the garden…”
There was a period of my life when I was really focused on Mary. Afterall, she was the superstar woman in the bible. I prayed and meditated on her unhesitating loving obedience that enabled her to surrender to such an ominous request-a virgin birth. I began to imagine what that would feel like, and how I might portray this. Of course, there had to be some kind of whirlwind and it had to be precise. In the bible it speaks of her being overshadowed, which I created in the form of a dove, with other doves surrounding her. When I have heard the still small voice of God, or in rare occasions, when I have witnessed an angel, it was a powerful but gentle experience. This was my approach to this painting.
I conceived my only child when I was 39. I knew it would be the only time, and it was high risk. This painting was a visual prayer. Within it contains all the physical sensations, the energies, and what I envisioned what happens when a healthy baby is being formed. A friend offered to make a quilt for my new baby. She said, If you can design it, I can make it. So I designed the quilt, drew it out in colored pencil and she took one look and said she couldn’t do it. So, I put the quilt into my painting. In the center of the womb a mandala with the star of David and a Cross. In the old testament, the divine pattern is written about, especially when building the tabernacle. I imagined my divine pattern, my body as a fortress, to bring in a healthy baby.
The was the second visual prayer painting, visualizing a natural, healthy birth. Spring is bursting with life and renewal in nature. Flowers bloom, birds sing, the earth is alive. There was uncertainty of whether there would be complications in birth, that is, if the pregnancy came to term. This was my proclamation, my positive intent, that yes, there will be a healthy birth with no complications. Often I will depict three symbols as representation of the Holy Trinity. The butterfly shapes and the helix with the eggs, represented the infinitesimal fruit and transformative power of God. It was celebratory, and yes my prayers were answered. My daughter is 22 and almost done with college.
