Essentially, the message is about prayer itself…
and the answer is the other half of your heart echoed back to you.
I titled this piece, Two Way Prayer, because the concept and practice of two way prayer, originally a term coined by early AA practitioners, embodies my experience of painting. In two way prayer you ask God (or source, or life, etc.) a question, and listen for an answer from a most benevolent and kind voice and you write everything that comes to you until you feel done or clear on a next step for yourself.
In a similar style of communion, I approach painting with a sincere question or invitation about something I want to know, embody or understand. Then with curiosity and deep listening, I work through painting to discover some truth about my life, my soul, the mystery. I stay with the work until it comes full circle and somehow answers my initial query--which is basically a prayer.
While I am working in abstraction, the shape, color, line, composition entangle and detangle as I go rounds with the work. I often hear the small voice or get a sense of uncovering a narrative or a conversation with source.
In this piece, the revelation is the dark burgundy leaf shape in the upper left corner. It is mirrored by a black shape and the two together make a sort of heart. The black shape is also repeated two more times across the top of the picture, making a pattern or visual mantra. Essentially, the message is about prayer itself and the answer is the other half of your heart echoed back to you.
Additional symbolism in the upper right hand side is the light brown triangle that is “measuring” the concentric arches. These resemble a section of tree rings which are a record of the weatherings of a single tree. Like us, our lives are recorded within and there are periods that are more and less dense depending on our experience. The measuring suggests that we acknowledge and honor all that we’ve been through that makes us who we are in this moment.