“Art washes away from the soul the dust of everyday life."
- Picasso
My Journey with art
My art symbolises who I am. My paintbrush is an extension of my own self and the canvas is a mirror to my soul. Painting helps me connect with myself and tap into my creative side. At the same time, it is one of the most soothing, therapeutic processes and I see it as a way to communicate myself. Because of this I see art as a form of non-verbal expression, which has recently become integral to my dialogue with myself.
You do not have to be an amazing artist to use art as a medium of self reflection. The process of painting is so much more valuable than the end result. How we paint, what we paint, the colours we reach out for, the textures we use, all contribute to self-knowledge through self-reflection.
My journey as an Art Therapist has really helped me connect with my deepest thoughts and feelings. Most of my paintings are an expression of my innermost experiences. All the things which are deeply moved or touched within me somehow come to the surface and are expressed in the form of my paintings.
I can now channel these inner workings and find ways to transform them on my canvas while at the same time learning so much about myself.
Painting is a newfound love, but it has very quickly established an immovable place for itself in my heart. I have only completed a few paintings till today, and this seems like a very small number quantitatively. But it amazes me when I reflect on how much positive influence these paintings have had on my mind and my life. It has become an inspiration and purpose to spread the same positivity and knowledge through my paintings and Art Therapy.
“Art washes away from the soul the dust of everyday life."
- Picasso
AHAM BRAHMASMI
( 18 x 24 INCHES )
All this is full, All that is full.
From fullness, fullness comes.
When fullness is taken from fullness,
Fullness still remains.
Aum Shanti Shanti Shanti
I call this painting Aham Brahmasmi. This painting is very special to me because this is my first composition on a canvas and is also my first oil painting. For this painting I employed a technique called Mischtechnik, under the guidance of Daniel Mirante, who is a great artist and a fantastic teacher. This technique belongs to the Renaissance period. Mischtechnik means ‘mix technique’. It involves painting by coating on several layers of paint giving the canvas a slightly three dimensional feel.
Aham Brahmasmi is an acknowledgement of the fact that you are all of creation and all of creation is you. Everything is tied together by virtue of being that same substance. Some people believe that all of creation resides in each and every one of us and that all of us are qualitatively united. However, this takes into account our being post birth, then what about before our birth? If questioned about what we were before being born, most of us will say we were nothing. And what happens when we die? What are we then? We go back to being that ‘nothing’. Similarly, the world too began from nothing and will one day go back to being nothing. That nothingness is Shiva.
He is the source of everything, like the soil that forms the base for all creation. Shiva has no beginning or end. He created himself out of nothingness and because of this he is known as Swayambhu. Even though Shiva is identified as the god of destruction, he was the one who created everything in this world. Furthermore, even his destruction is for the purpose of restoration. According to Hindu mythology, Shiva destroys so that the universe may be re-created more perfectly. In fact, his role as creator should be emphasised more than his role of being a destroyer. His major part in creation is often overlooked as Shiva is most famously associated with getting angry and opening his third eye thereby destroying everything. But only because of this destruction, is there room for creation. Hindu mythology claims that the universe regenerates in cycles. At the end of every such cycle, Shiva is responsible for obliterating the universe and this gives rise to more and better creation.
WINGS OF LIGHT
( 2FT x 3FT ON CANVAS )
The unknown always appears to us as a dark void. We do not know what we may discover in that void, and this uncertainty makes us afraid to even approach that space with an open mind. Every new journey is accompanied by this very fear of the unknown and of uncertainty. What we do not realise is that this fear is just a mental obstacle that often prevents us from doing our best. That is why, at these times it is most important to have faith that the darkness that surrounds us is actually a cloak of warmth and protection. There can be no light without there being darkness as well.
Therefore, we should look at areas of darkness as places where we have the opportunity to spread our own light. The ability to take off on new journeys to these dark places should be seen as a blessing. Not everyone finds a stable ground to take off on that flight, and to land back safely. This hard ground is formed by our own mental strength and all our loved ones who are ever present as an unyielding support system to help us through our journeys.Blue is a colour that doesn’t belong to the light nor the dark. Blue stands for serenity, security and relief. It signifies reflection, which leads to introspection and helps us stay calm. It is the colour of the never-ending skies and the vast ocean. Blue is the colour of every breath we take in. Blue signifies life. In this painting blue as a colour signifies that which drives away fear and with it what hinders us from doing our best. White stands for peace, goodness, safety and purity.
“The white in the wings signifies light and the power to overcome all of our obstacles.”
I made this painting for someone very dear to me, to help her find courage and to have faith in her ability to excel in her next endeavour of life.
INTELLECTUAL ELEVATION
( 2FT x 3FT ON CANVAS )
