INSPIRATION
'Sweet Dreams'
I am always amazed by how people view the world differently. That is one of the things I love about art - everyone sees something different; a piece of art only exists in the interplay between the piece and you, the viewer. Take the little robin: one person might see a cute little bird, and another might see a message from a deceased loved one.
What do you see when you look at this painting called "Sweet Dreams"? Is this a friendly or a dangerous wolf? At first glance you might be startled to see a wolf licking a sleeping girl, as if she is going to be dinner, a variation on the fairytale of little red riding hood.
But then again, this scene with the girl, the little robin and the teddybear is peaceful as well. I wanted to paint this scene to explore our relationship with nature and wild animals around us; if this scene frightens you - then that says something about how you view the natural world, and in this case the wolf. I think most of us are taught to be afraid. So this is my fairy tale: "A long long time ago, back when the world was young, and the humans and animals could still speak to each other…when wolves used to be part of our family, guarding our family space and cared for our kids…" wouldn't that be nice :-)
'The Visitor'
'The Visitor' is one of my bigger size paintings (150 x 120cm), and one of my favorites; When I was at a crossroads, determining what direction to take my life, I had a very vivid dream of a wolf. I thought I woke up, and saw a wolf sitting quietly in the corner of my bedroom. It startled me and initially I was scared, but then I felt the wolf meant no harm and was just visiting, looking friendly at me.
Now, years later, I decided to paint this image I saw and started to do some research into the symbolism of the lone wolf. To my wonderful surprise, I read that one of the meanings of the lone wolf is to choose your own path, and that it’s okay to be a loner by choice.
Furthermore, this painting also tells the story of the balance between light and darkness. If you look at this painting, it portrays two wolves - the real one, and the shadow wolf... You may have heard about the Native American Indian story about two wolves fighting - the white or 'good' wolf and the black or 'bad' wolf. A child asks their father which wolf will win the fight, and the most common answer is: "the wolf you feed will win". Implying that if you feed the 'good' in yourself, it will win. But I discovered this is not the real answer in the story.... The answer should be that you need to feed them both exactly right - as much as they both need - and both wolves will win. It means that if you only focus on or 'feed' the good in yourself, the shadow of that 'good' wolf will grow even bigger, resulting in negative or bad behavior coming out unexpectedly. An example is for instance the stories we all know about guru's abusing their followers etc. So people, remember to do some shadow work, have some fun and be a bad boy or girl now and then ;-).
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Inspiration for 'From the Shadows, Into the Light'
This large painting portrays a story of the red stag and magpie; the stag has for a long time been the symbol of being in touch with the heavens via their antlers.
Many ancient cultures revered the stag as something god-like. For instance, to the ancient Celts, it held a particular mystical energy inherent within nature. The ancient Celts didn’t just observe nature, they were a part of it. This means they held reverence for every aspect of the earth. They honored all creatures because they believed each possesses a spirit and consciousness - this definitely resonates with me and how I experience the world.
Of all the beloved creatures of the forest, the stag was a major symbol of power, magic, and transformation.
The magpie’s spiritual symbolism is often associated with courage, good luck and change. They are black and white - symbolizing the balance of light and darkness, Yin and Yang.
In this painting the stag and magpie are encouraging us to explore our own shadows and darkness, in order to find our light. Without darkness, there cannot be light… the world is not black and white, let's try to look for the greys, or even better…the colors.
SOLD
Inspiration for 'Open Arms' and 'Here and Now'
‘Open Arms’ and 'Here and Now' were born when I was still in my corporate career, driving to the office in a rush after dropping off my son at daycare, often ending up in a traffic jam... I was longing for a life full of freedom, that was more in balance with my family, passions and nature. Where I could decide how to spend my time. And so many times when I felt stressed in my car about the gazillion things to do that day, I would spot a cormorant standing like a statue on top of the lampposts next to the highway and spread their wings to dry. I just love this image, as if time stood still, and it immediately brought me back in the here and now, enjoying nature's presents...
No matter how gray, or industrial our surroundings sometimes can be - these birds always remind me of nature and freedom.
'Wake Up'
'Wake Up' is a painting of a vivid dream I once had: I was in a beautiful sunny meadow when I suddenly saw the most magnificent golden horse. As it was running as a truly free horse, I was awestruck by its' beauty and strength.
But suddenly the horse started galloping towards me and I felt it was going to run all over me, so I turned and tried to run away as fast as I could. While I was running for my life I suddenly stumbled on a river, and when the horse was just about to trample me…. it stopped! I could feel their powerful breathing on my face and was just in total awe of this powerful magnificent horse - and then I woke up.
The message the horse gave me was that it was urging me to wake up - not from the dream, but from my fears, and own my strength and light. Something I read in a poem really describes this message:
‘Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness, that most frightens us’.
- from Our Deepest Fear by Marianne Williamson