Solstice brings about such a beautiful and nuanced energetic shift. These two mystical moments of the year, marking Earth’s rotation and our perception of light in the world.
For myself, as the days grow shorter, I feel an increasing desire to go within. And as the days get longer, this budding energy begins coursing through my body, this desire to express myself in the light.
I began this painting on the winter solstice, December 21 2021. I wanted to depict light in the darkness, or lux in tenebris. The initial layer was strongly vaginal, a portal between light and darkness. The womb fosters safety and comfort, but through that primal threshold waits the light, the chaos, the profound beauty in this life.
As the layers continued, a balance grew between black and gold, void and light, matte and metallic. And out of this contrasting dance came the depth of blood red, the softness of a poppy in a field.
It all started coming together on the lines of a Rilke poem, as translated by Anita Barrows and Joanna Macy:
But now, like a whispering in dark streets,
rumors of God run through your dark blood.
Lovingly, I thank you for your continued support. I created new apparel items for this painting, and I hope you enjoy them!