you can see all of my paintings at www.DominiqueHurley.com

The Universe is My Creative Playground

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“The Universe is my Creative Playground” (24″ x 48″) –  Prints available.

In true intuitive painting form, I had no idea what this 6th piece in my Re-Connecting Collection would become. I’d asked my Team of Divine Helpers for the next autobiographical piece and trusted in the process.

You don’t have to know where you’re going to take the next inspired step!

The vision for it only came to me as I was contemplating the finished window frame design.

That’s when I saw the breasts a woman filling the peaks of the frame and and her figure leaning all the way back, hair hanging down, looking straight at me.

The image was very sensual at first, yet kept flipping to a playful laughing vision of a child hanging upside down from a monkey bar.

At that point, I understood that the theme for this painting was both passion & play.

It’s only later, as I was painting the hair and listening to Steve Nobel’s “Affirmations: Awaken the Unlimited Artist Within” (see video below) that the full meaning became clear.

This painting is a tribute to creativity in all areas of my life.

Its name, “The Universe is my Creative Playground”, is one of the affirmations in Steve’s video.

The Layers of Creativity

I’ll admit, this painting was a challenge. Bringing my vision to canvas stretched my artistic skills.

I don’t usually paint faces for a variety of reasons. So having a face that took up the majority of the space meant figuring out how do it in a style that was harmonious with my usual painting voice.

At first, I didn’t know how to let the Universe in the background to come through – honouring the mix of body & spirit.

As one of Steve’s affirmations says, however, “The creative edge exists beyond the familiar“.

And as I also affirmed over and over while listening and painting: “I am the embodiment of compassionate creative expression. I know that creativity is the antithesis of perfectionism.  I know I am imperfectly perfect in all my creative expressions. This is the creative way. I seek the heights of imperfection. In this way, I break through to new levels of creative freedom – free from the bounds of my negative ego.”

Accepting and moving beyond these layers of the creative process is what allowed this painting to come into being – purposefully asymmetrical and slightly off-centre.

Seeing this painting live is a whole different experience. The iridescent gold and violet layers on top of the white can only be seen from some angles. She’s alive!

 

What are Your Forms of Creative Expression?

Do you sometimes have hair dreams? For as long as I remember, I’ve tested out new hairdos and colours in my sleep. What I was really, doing, however, was preparing for and integrating what I needed for the next transition in my life. Many of the big changes on my journey were preceded by a hair dream.

In my waking hours, however, I had very long blond hair most of my adult life.

One day, while living in Saskatoon, I turned my head upside down and started chopping it to be a version of what it still is today. Once a professional cleaned it up a little… ok, a lot…, it became a part of my new identity.

I remember a friend’s mother commenting that big things were about to happen in my life – that this drastic and creative cut was a symbol of my opening up to new possibilities. It was true.

The hair in “The Universe is my Creative Playground” represents the creative flow and holds within it the forms of my creative expressions: painting, photography, writing, simple living, dancing, nature time, inner child time (I love swings), romantic expression, teaching, intuitive living, visioning meditation, third eye opening, and travel.

What are your forms of creative expression?

Helping Your Creative Voice

I chose to give the figure an orange top in this painting as it’s the colour of the Sacral Chakra, the centre for creativity. This top is lined in green dots, adding heart chakra energy to the mix.

I also placed a lapis lazuli stone at the sacred 1/4 mark of the canvas, at the throat chakra, to help with creative expression.

Lapis lazuli activates the third eye while opening and balancing the energies of the throat chakra, for the expression of our personal truth out into the world.

This stone is embedded in pearl coloured mica chips, adding the needed energies of love & compassion for creativity to flow.

Creativity Opens New Ways of Seeing

There’s a reason kids like to hang upside down. Go ahead. Try it!

Did you? Really?  Stop right now, lie on your bed and hang off the edge to look back. Then smile if you aren’t already.

This happy, healthy, and creative woman has a sparkle in her eye because she’s living in alignment with her True Self.

She’s expressing it in all she is and all she does, opening new ways of seeing in herself and others.

This is what I want to be reminded of when I see this painting. This is the mirror I want to live up to.

To strengthen that association, I added my birthmark in her right eye.

Title: The Universe is my Creative Playground
Year: © 2019
Size: 48 “ x 24“ (122 cm x61 cm)
Artist: Dominique Hurley
Materials: Professional acrylics, lapis lazuli, mica & channeled energy work on gallery-wrapped canvas with painted edges. No framing required. 
Genre: intuitive painting, visionary art, energism art, spiritual art, inspirational art
Original – NFS
Prints available in many sizes / medium.

Affirmations for Creativity

When I’m not using the meditations that I’ve channeled (visit my YouTube channel), I’m using Steve Nobel’s. I strongly resonate with his work.

He also has a series of affirmation videos that I like to play while I’m working on tasks around the home or studio.

This is Steve’s video I was listening to as I was working on the layers of the hair, giving me a much deeper appreciation and understanding of this evolving painting.

It’s a perfect summary of what it celebrates with such affirmations as:

“Life is creative. I am one with the creativity of life. I am one with the creative force within the Universe.”

“I have a powerful imagination. This imagination is the gateway to many worlds. Through this creative gateway, I am free to explore. Free to explore other ways of conceiving. Free to explore other ways of perceiving. Free to explore other opportunities for creative expression.”

“New ideas flow through me gracefully and easily. I’m a channel for creative expression.”

“The world supports my creativity. The world supports my creative dreams. The world supports my creative projects. The world supports my authentic creative expression.”

“Divine inspiration surrounds and infuses my being.”

“I see the world through fresh eyes. I am born anew each day.”

“Life is my canvas.”

“The Universe is my creative playground.”

Did you find this inspiring? Please share it.

The Perfect Unfolding – the painting

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Emerging fully as our True Selves – from love & in love – isn’t a straightforward process.

The 5th painting in my Re-Connecting Collection, “The Perfect Unfolding”, celebrates this journey to Self-Love.

Like the lotus, whose seed gives birth in the mud, we too must travel through and reach past the murky waters to blossom & bloom. We too must let go of the dirt of life to discover who we truly are.

The lotus doesn’t cling to the mud of its roots. It sheds it as its long stems reach through the cleansing waters up towards the light.

Even its leaves develop a self-cleansing waxy yet rough texture that causes droplets to bead on their surface to then carry the dirt away as they roll off.

We too are asked to let the blessed waters of Truth cleanse us of the details of our human origins, back into our pure, natural, beautiful and divine essence.

It’s not about growing into something new. It’s about uncovering what was always there, from the very beginning.

So let’s not skulk in the mire to get caught in the jumble of stalks. That would only stunt our growth.

Instead, let’s honour what’s helped shape us into who we are today. And let’s allow what no longer serves us to bead off us through our own God-given self-cleansing properties as we continue to reach for the light.

Just as the lotus bud emerges perfectly clean from the waters and raises itself  above the surface, so too are we given a chance to be reborn in our acceptance of who we truly are… divine spiritual beings in human bodies.

The perfect unfolding of each lotus petal is different for every one of us.

The fragrance and colours of our lives leading to this moment are as unique as we are. They’ve shaped up. They’ve nourished us. They’ve strengthened and challenged us. But the call to self-love beckons us all.

From the seed of perfection, through the mud, to the light, please hear the call for love, forgiveness, acceptance, and celebration of your magnificence.

As you let go of the mud, your nakedness calls for vulnerability and strength, openness and courage. It’s time to stop hiding. It’s time to sparkle & shine as your perfect unfolding.

It’s time to let go of the fear-based voices from your parents, teachers, leaders & peers. Only keep the love. Reconcile apparent value and belief conflicts. Shed any caked up lies that affected your self-esteem.

It’s time to embrace your worthiness. You are more than enough.  You’re amazing!

Choose to see yourself through the eyes of your soul, through the eyes of pure love. Honour your body temple in all its sensuality. Get back to your heart to laugh, live and play.

This is the time to shine your light and to live true to your inner guidance, to your real values, to the flow of life and spirit in harmony.

You are part of the sacred geometry, of the divine plan, of the Flower of Life. 

Re-connect with your divine origin, that sacred seed that contained within it the cycles of creation to your full potential.

Love yourself back on track, back into balance.

Celebrate who you truly are and trust that as you ask for Guidance from your own soul, Team of Divine Helpers, and Source Itself, you will be shown the way back home to your pure and radiant Self.

May the blossoming of your heart guide you to the inspirational insights, sexual healing, and self-love processes you need to emerge more fully as your True Self.

Answering the Call

As I was connecting with my Team of Divine Helpers and painting “The Perfect Unfolding”, I was shown that this isn’t about ignoring the circumstances of our growth – the events, people, places, belief systems, blessings & challenges.

In fact, the many hours spent on this piece brought many of these back to the surface for me.

At times, it was like the movie of your life some say you receive right before your death.  In this case, however, it was the movie of my sexual evolution right before what feels like another rebirth.

I was reminded of so many significant moments from girlhood to womanhood – some that brought back smiles and others forgiveness, gratitude, understanding, and compassion for myself and others.

I wrote many down, thinking they’d be a part of this blog post. Then I deleted them all, realizing that it wasn’t about sharing or keeping the details. These were brought back to the surface so I could see them and let them go – the seemingly good & bad in non-judgment.

After that, I had to take a day to myself to just allow the emotions and process to naturally evolve before I could write this post – no matter what I’d scheduled in my agenda. Synchronistically, this was on International Women’s Day.

And now I continue to blossom…

I know that my being guided to travel to Glastonbury next summer at the same time as the Sun Lover Goddess Conference is a part of that journey for me.

I bought my early bird mystery ticket to this 9-day event back in December, as soon as I was guided.

Then, I was surprised at some of the programming once it was unveiled in February.

This conference may not be something I would have consciously sought out, but I know to trust my Guidance. There are no accidents here. Glastonbury has been on my radar for years, but this is the summer I was called to physically make my way there.

I’m open to the next stage of my Perfect Unfolding.

More on the Symbolism of The Perfect Unfolding

Window Frame

The stained-glass window inspired framed of this painting was created with granular gel, large acrylic beads painted in multicoloured iridescent paint.

This texture symbolizes the details of our lives, the framework in which we chose to be born into so we could blossom. 

There’s no lotus without mud.

I believe that prior to birth, our souls made agreements with other souls to experience our blessings & challenges to somehow contribute to the Highest Good of all. When I recognized the truth of this for myself decades ago, it became much easier to love both myself & others.

The Seed

I used what I believe is an ocean jasper stone to represent the lotus seed. This is the same stone as my main ceremonial healing stone from my Munay-ki rites of passage. The ocean jasper is a powerful yet soothing energy that guides us back to our True Selves with joy. It helps to move us through the ebbs & flows of our challenges with ease & grace.

This stone is embedded in mica, infusing it and our path with the energy of love & compassion. Indeed, a shift in perception can help us see our mud as a call for greater love & compassion.

The Lotus

The lotus is a spiritual symbol for life, purity, enlightenment, promise, grace, strength, and beauty.

You’ll find a lot on the web about the various meanings of the lotus in different cultural and religious traditions.

The Flower of Life

The orb behind the figure is an ancient sacred geometrical symbol called The Flower of Life. Created with 19 intersecting circles and encompassing so many other sacred symbols, it depicts the cycles of creation.

I’d seen an intricate lattice design at the top of my painting in visions, but couldn’t make out the specifics of it until I started working on the design of the figure.

As I write below, she reminded me of Aphrodite. Reading up on her, I learned of her association with the Flower of Life, sparking the knowing that this is what was meant to be in the background, like a glowing moon and sun.

I spent an entire morning dotting this symbol after asking my Facebook Friends for the names of those who needed a dot & a prayer dedicated to them. Although autobiographical, this painting is a about so many more than just me. It’s about you too!

This is such a re-connecting practice – with Source, community & my purpose to explore and express my love of beauty and the beauty of love.

Sure, there are times when I’m painting and listening to podcasts or documentaries, but I love my hours of chanting & praying for family, friends, and strangers. We all make a difference in the ways that come naturally to us. This is one of mine.

It’s a reminder to me, as is this symbol, that all life and consciousness arises from one source.  Learn more about the Flower of Life from this website.

The Goddess

She is me, she is you. She is the goddess within every one of us.

As I was drawing her design, she reminded me of the Greek Aphrodite and the Roman Venus, goddesses of love, sex, beauty, and fertility. I had to do a Google search to remind myself that the famous painting of Venus had her standing in a seashell.

The goddess born of the lotus was the Hindu goddess Lakshmi, goddess of wealth & beauty.

I’m not known for my memory for details. Like everything, all I’ve seen, read, and experienced has become a part of me and my art. And it’s become a part of this figure too.

It was important for me to design her (and therefore myself) as a voluptuous, open, strong, spirited, sensual and divine being. She’s not hiding herself. She’s not covered in shame or judgment. She’s free. She’s true. She’s balanced in the heart of that lotus and grateful for all that she is and all that she faces. She’s unapologetic and pure, radiating from unconditional love.

As one of my Facebook Friends, Anna Carroll, wrote when she saw the initial drawing, she’s “the divine feminine, voluptuous, all knowing, sacred, loving, compassionate, giving and inviting.”  Well said.

Under all that gold, she’s multicoloured. But it was important for me to bring her back to the iridescent bright gold, made with mica dust filled with the energy of  love & compassion.

I’ve long talked about our being like a bar of gold, covered with dust and needing to return to our core essence & value. The lotus analogy in the mud corresponds nicely.

So here, she’s back to her golden essence, this time magnified by a layer of glass beads that plays with the light. Glass is also a symbol of transformation, merging of elements, rebirth, focus, and communication.

For Sale

 

The original “The Perfect Unfolding” is 24″ x 48″ and $3,700 CAD.
Mixed media on gallery-wrapped canvas: acrylics, glass beads, ocean jasper stone. No framing required.
Original – SOLD
Prints available in many sizes/medium here…

Thank you for supporting my art!

 

 

 

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Supersoul – the Gift of Me & You

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Original (24″ x 48″) and prints available.

Here’s #4 in the Re-Connecting series – Supersoul (said with a musical tone like Superman).

This painting honours our roots – in this lifetime and before – that make us who we are today.

The imagery may be specific to my life, but the energy behind it is Universal.

There’s no one on this planet exactly like me. The same is true about you.

We’re both individualized expressions of the Divine.

We’ve all had our blessings and our challenges. They’re what give us our unique superpowers.

Our journeys to this day have been rich, equipping us for what’s yet to come.

This is a hero’s journey we’re on  – emerging more into our True Selves as we transform our lives.

Through our daily adventures and wins (even those we may judge as losses), we’re asked to shine.

My painting “Supersoul” honours my life’s journey until now and leaves room to embrace the mystery of what’s to come.

As you read about the details, imagine what your Supersoul painting would look like. Better yet, take out your crayons or paints and create your own. As you can see, childlike drawings are perfectly acceptable!

From Whence We Came

This is how I see it. You may see it differently. That’s fine.

I believe that before we incarnated into these bodies and in this lifetime, we experienced many others – either chronologically or simultaneously… I don’t have a clear read on that.

But when I read years ago that we made agreements with other souls in the spirit realm to meet in this lifetime to help each other with certain growth goals, it rang true to me.

It certainly makes it easier to accept and yes, even love, those petty tyrants that sometimes cross our paths.

All that to say that I don’t think we come into this life as completely blank canvases. We come in as part of a current of vibration that flows from the Great Beyond and returns there in between lifetimes. We’re like a drop of colour that came out of the Great White Light – which encompasses all colours.

That’s what this first layer of the painting is about. I used Golden High Flow paints for this – they have the consistency of water but the same pigment intensity as their fluid and heavy body paints.

Our Companions

Every painting in the Re-Connecting Collection is framed in a stained-glass-inspired design.  The sides of this one represents our Path in life – our journey.

The thick layer of mica chips on each side emanates the energy of love & compassion. This represents the unconditional love that’s always there for us as we walk our Path. In some cases, it’s from others on the earth plane, but in all cases, it’s from our Team of Divine Helpers.

On the right, you’ll see my baby steps becoming adult footsteps.

On the left are the companions that have walked with me:

  • my parents & family
  • the thousands of dogs that brought a smile to my heart (I was obsessed as a kid)
  • Jesus, my guardian angel, the saints I read about as a child, my Spirit Guides, my whole Team of Divine Helpers (known and unknown)
  • my 3 cats & totem animals
  • the men in my life (a couple of boyfriends, my ex-husband of 10 years & ex-partner for 3)
  • all feathered creatures/messengers
  • my friends & communities
  • the signs perceived by all my senses that confirm I’m never alone.

The Overhanging Arch

The top frame of the painting was inspired by 2 symbols from my religious upbringing.

First is the architecture of the my childhood church in Ottawa, l’Église Sainte Geneviève. I went back with my father this past Christmas for the first time in decades. The arch over the altar from which the crucifix hangs still fascinates me. Mine is loosely based on it.

Next is the resurrected Jesus as portrayed on the cross my brother brought back from South America a long time ago. I’ve always loved it’s welcoming nature vs. the traditional crucifix of a tortured Christ.

Beams of violet light and mica shine down on Him and through Him to us below.

This is the first painting of Jesus I ever create. I was surprised by my feelings around that.

Jesus was my best friend as a child. He was my buddy. He’s always been a part of my Team of Divine Helpers, but I took Him for granted the last few decades. He just became part of the background.

I’ve painted Buddha, Kwan-Yin, Mary Magdalene, angels, Lakshmi, 2 Mother Marys (this past few months) and other figures without batting an eyelash. But part of me felt uncomfortable painting Jesus.  I never had the dramatic break with the Church that many talk about. I just embraced a wider circle of beliefs and practices.

It’s time I honoured Jesus and His role in my life. It’s also time I explored the layers of feelings that came up as I did so.

Integrating all we are is part of developing our superpowers.

The Foundation

At the base of this painting is the foundation of my life in this lifetime, my:

  • formal and informal schooling
  • culture: my French mother tongue, 5 early childhood years in Europe, travels
  • home life and the places I’ve called home
  • religious upbringing & spiritual life
  • spiritual workshop cruises & training
  • time on 3 continents and 5 provinces (white dots where I lived & red dots where I visited)
  • various careers as a cultural programmer, teacher & artist
  • early time alone & with others in Nature in the Black Forest and around the planet since

These are the settings where I developed my character, skills, motivations and personality. It’s also from these that I continue to discover my essence.

Supersoul

And from this foundation rises Supersoul – our inner super hero propelled by our Higher Self to be all we were meant to be. 

Like the oak tree already present in the acorn, so too are we growing more and more into who we already are. This part of the painting is about allowing that to happen.

It’s time to embrace all we are and all we’ve experienced to shine in the world with our own unique superpowers. 

I’ve portrayed her as a teen here, as I’m still growing into my Supersoul. This painting series is allowing and celebrating that process.

So what are your superpowers?

I’ve decided mine is my willingness to feel the fear and do it anyway when it comes to following Guidance. I’m not a natural risk taker. I’m actually quite risk averse and don’t particularly like the idea of change.

Yah, I know.  I don’t give that impression…But it’s true.

From baby steps to leaps of faith, I’ve exercised and learned to trust my intuition to explore and express my love of beauty and the beauty of love. It’s a cool superpower!

Around Supersoul, this glass-bead figure that allows the gold at its core to sparkle, is the same essence from whence we came.  I didn’t want to fill all that space in. I’m giving her room to embrace the mystery and grow more fully into her Self. She’s moving upwards & onwards with ever more powerful confidence and faith.

And above her shines the counter-clockwise spiral, the same as in my logo. Coated in mica chips, it denotes the movement of Spirit into Human and rests at the base of a triangle made of 3 smaller white mica spheres representing the traditional Father, Son and Holy Spirit.

Your Turn

Once again, I invite you to think of what your superpowers are and how your Supersoul painting /drawing / collage would look like. 

Please remember dear one, you’re the gift we’ve been waiting for. Don’t keep it wrapped up.

There’s nothing selfish about spending the time to discover who you are and why you chose to come into this life at this time.

Connect to your True Self and let your unique radiance shine. We’ll all be better for it!

 

Title: Supersoul
Year: © 2019
Size: 48 “ x  24“ (122 cm x 61 cm)
Artist: Dominique Hurley
Materials: Professional acrylics, mica, glass beads & channeled energy work on gallery-wrapped canvas with painted edges. No framing required. 
Genre: intuitive painting, visionary art, energism art, spiritual art, inspirational art
Price: $3,700 CAD- buy online.

Prints available in many sizes & mediums.

Did you find this inspiring? Please share it.

Re-Connecting – A Big Art Project

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It’s coming together! You’ve witnessed its inception, but none of us knew the full scope of it. We still don’t. But it’s becoming clearer.

I wanted to share this with you as a window into my role as Artist/Creator (see previous post on roles). It’s a long read, but you’ll know if you’re meant to read it.

My 3 Kinds of Paintings

Different kinds of paintings are born in my studio:

  1. individual pieces  – see  my online shop.
  2. Soul Energy Portraits – an intensely beautiful soul-shifting process that includes 2 weeks or more of creative energetic connection. 2 of 3 spots open until the Fall  Learn more here.
  3. big projects, like my 2015 Enter the Mandala: 12 Universal Laws Collection. That series was channeled as a way for my Team of Divine Helpers to teach me the Laws for my own life and now form the basis of a touring & teaching collection that I trust will one day find a good home together.

Re-Connecting: the next big project

“Our Lady of Light”

Now, I’m in the flow of my next big project!

Re-Connecting” is a developing body of work answering an inner call to examine my spiritual roots from my early Catholic upbringing to a more universal spirituality.

Phase 1 consists of 11 church-window-inspired visionary paintings (24″ x 48″) framing my universal spiritual journey.

As usual, I have no idea what the paintings will portray until its revealed during the creative process, layer by layer, painting after painting.

I begin by working on the stained-glass-window-inspired frame and the rest reveals itself from there.

The bigger picture for the collection only became clearer in my mind when I had to get some details down for an arts grant submission to help finance my time and financial investment on the project.

I’m committed to finishing Phase 1 by the end of August. That’s why I only have 2 Soul Energy Portrait spots open until the Fall.

I’ve just finished #4 of 11:

  1. Every Dot A Prayer (Top Secret… to be revealed in the Spring as it was submitted to the provincial Arts & Letters Awards)
  2. Our Lady of Light
  3. With Arms Wide Open
  4. Supersoul (full blog post next week)

The individual originals are for sale. Their imagery will form the basis for some future publishing project that is as yet unclear.

Background & Inspiration

“With Arms Wide Open”

September 2018. The light streaming through the stained glass windows caught my attention as I sat with my father in Ottawa’s Notre Dame Basilica for the first time since my mother was moved into long-term care.

We used to attend evening mass when I visited from out-of-province. The change in time and family circumstances offered a new perspective on this familiar context.

As I contemplated the narrative, symbolism, and beauty of these stained glass windows, I received the inspiration for a new collection resembling their style incorporating my spiritual journey.

Back in Newfoundland & Labrador, I immersed myself in the creation of the first piece to meet the deadline for the provincial Arts & Letters Awards. 70 hours of focused meditative studio work resulted in the painting “Every Dot a Prayer”.

Building on what I learned at the Vienna Academy of Visionary Art in 2013/14 and my evolving full-time practice since, it pushed me to the edge of my artistic skills and brought me deeper into the energy healing work that is characteristic of my art.

One unexpected aspect of its creative process was communion with community. After sharing how I was praying & chanting while painting dots for family members and friends, prayer requests flooded in.

This intensity of time, energy, and communion fuelled the evolution of the imagery with every new layer of paint.

As with many of my intuitive paintings, I did not know what it would represent before I started. Visions received in meditation and inspiration from contemplating each new layer informed its content. My usual energy work through the art expanded hundredfold, enhancing the studio experience and final painting.

This reminded me of the value of uninterrupted focused time in the studio – a challenge with the need for income generation as a sole breadwinner and full-time artist.

Research

I was being called to go deeper.

The next 2 Mother Mary pieces in the collection were based on on-site grotto visits, ceremony,  channeling, and different kinds of community involvement.   (see previous blog post 1 & 2)

My process is evolving, becoming richer. The results show it. I feel this is my best work yet.

In Community in Carbonear

Another example of the research I’ll conduct is the scheduled 1-week mini-residency at Ocean View Gallery in Carbonear, NL.

Piece #7 on my evolving role within the context of community will be the focus of my one-week artist residency there.

Hosted by the gallery, I will move my studio practice to a public space. This art lab experiment will take place during my scheduled April exhibition (dates TBD) that includes some of the “Re-Connecting” pieces along with other paintings not exhibited in my previous exhibition there.

Called to Glastonbury

I also plan to attend the 22nd Goddess Conference with pre-conference pilgrimages and research at the Chalice Well Garden in Glastonbury UK from July 25-August 9th for the final piece of the series.

My Team of Divine Helpers are telling me that this will be a gateway for me. That’s all I know. Cryptic, but I’m used to that. It’s scary and exciting. That’s how I know I’ll be growing more into my Self.

It will be my first time there, but I have felt called to the site since 2008, seen it in visions, used its gifted holy waters in my art and often painted its iconic sacred geometry.

This project’s culmination piece will offer a new window into my spiritual journey ahead, exposing me to the work of other spiritual artists and journeyers and potentially opening doors for future exhibitions/ collaborations.

That’s also where Phase 2, if there is to be one, will be revealed.  Fun, eh?

Impact

“Supersoul” Full blog post next Tuesday!

My experiences in the creation of the first 4 pieces are evidence of this collection’s potential impact.

They have already resulted in the significant advancement of my artistic skills, aesthetic value of my work, and scope of the energy practices used during the visionary intuitive creative process.

“Every Dot a Prayer” opened me to the impact of communion with community on the quality of my artistic practice in the studio and resulting imagery that arose from it.

“Our Lady of Light”, “With Arms Wide Open” and “Supersoul” have reconnected me to my roots to honour parts of myself that had been ignored in my art.

I’m excited to explore where the 7 other pieces will take me.

An important aspect of the growing nature of this collection is its invitation to open my happy hermit studio zone to involve community in evolving ways (on-location visionary research, social media engagement, family inquiry, scope of energy work during the painting phase, and April residency).

I’m not a very social person. As the introvert child of Air Force parents, we moved frequently and lived far from extended family. I grew up in relative isolation, which had its advantages and disadvantages. The concept of community was foreign to me until my adult years.

Recently, I have explored how to expand my praxis outside of my comfort zone. Spending a week painting in the context of an art lab mini-residency during my exhibition is a personal stretch and artistic risk I’m ready for. The piece I’ll be working on will be be sourced in part from discussion and meditation on the topic of community. The scope of this art lab will be completely new to me.

Also, my art so far has largely been sourced from what I see with my eyes closed – the visions I receive in meditation or when I channel. They’re visual representations of my inner experiences.

Painting based on what I see with my eyes open at significant sites from my childhood or those that I’ve only seen in meditation or dreamtime (like in Glastonbury, UK) will be a whole new approach.

I look forward to visiting more sacred sites for the purpose of painting my experiences there (such as at the grottos or the Chalice Well Garden). I expect it to help me go deeper into both the personal and universal symbolic archetypes that have long been characteristic of my work.

An Exercise in Faith – Following my Path

“What would you do if money wasn’t an issue?” 

Well, I’m doing it.

Because of the timing of the grant deadlines/jurying periods, I won’t find out if I get the grant until July, at which time I’ll have already invested almost the entire amount.

It’s an interesting exercise in faith and abundance mentality.

I have to spend the money to get the grant. But I don’t know if I’ll be awarded the funds. The Canada Council for the Arts gets a lot of submissions!

I’m being asked once again to trust the Universe to provide and proceed without a doubt that either way, it’s all happening perfectly. I’ve been guided. I’ll follow that Guidance.

Fundraising

I’m off to a great start.

During my Christmas visit to Ottawa, it became time to buy a new Mac. My 8-year old one is giving out on me and a lot of my work is online.

So I put it out on FB and in my newsletter that I was fundraising for it. My initial poster sales + 1 Divine Storytelling Time intuitive reading + the payment for my February Soul Energy Portrait Experience on top of what was left in my operational account covers my unusually high January credit card bill. Yay!

I like to live within my means. I’ve designed a simple life that affords me the luxury to be a full-time artist after decades of pursuing that passion part-time.

I invest in my dreams, but usually not before I raise the funds.

Committing to the Re-Connecting project is motivating me to ask my fans to be channels for the abundance of the Universe.

If you’re moved to invest in my dreams and the inspiration that will come of it, I welcome it!

There are many ways to financially contribute:

  1. Donations via paypal or Canadian etransfers ([email protected])
  2. Buy  original paintings, canvas prints 
  3. Commission a Divine Storytelling Time intuitive Reading, or Soul Energy Portrait (March & June spots open)
  4. Hire me to lead a workshop, keynote, etc.
  5. Order greeting cards, mandala talisman pouches (only 2 in stock) and magnetic bookmarks
  6. Other creative ideas. Contact me to discuss.

THANK YOU FOR BEING A PART OF MY COMMUNITY! 

 

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With Arms Wide Open – Mary Christmas!

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Mary Christmas Dear One!

Nope, that’s not a spelling mistake. It’s an invitation to join me in yet another celebration of Mother Mary presented here in the painting “With Arms Wide Open”.

If you’re in need of a hug this Christmas, it’s coming right at you!

Enjoy the embrace!

Note: Keep scrolling past the poem to read about a second grotto visit, get a glimpse into the making of “With Arms Wide Open” and learn about some of its symbolism.

With Arms Wide Open

– A Collaborative Poem –

Thanks to all those who contributed name suggestions on Facebook! This is your poem as much as mine!

(The inner child speaks:)

“With Arms Wide Open” – Original (SOLD – 24″ x 48″) & prints available.

Holy Mary Grasped Anew,
Our Lady of Wisdom,
Guiding angel in the know,
Universal Protector,
Mary Magnificent,
Carry me within your
Open heart –
Oneness,
Assurance,
Wise love,
Mystery joined sacred,
Divine wisdom.
*

(Wisdom Mother answers:) 

Rise up Beloved!
I see you, divine creation
Welcoming the Universe
With open arms.
Fly with me in wisdom wholeness
In this holy shower of love.

Welcome home.
This is your Heaven on Earth
Elevated consciousness
Love & freedom!
Transcendence.

Much love & peace to you.
All is calm.
As above so below.
Ripples of consciousness flow from the divine
like waves of the eternal life-
Blessings on healing wings
Here to help you maneuver within
The realms of the unknown.

Open to the divine within.
Welcome home to yourself.
Arise!
Spread your Radiance
In the Light of Love.
Embrace the divine ascension
Embrace the wisdom of Spirit
For you are doubly blessed.

Glory in the highest.
Heaven lives above the mother
Guides in waiting,
Divine Helpers,
Radiant Clarity
Universal wisdom
Life Force is here within
The offer & acceptance…

The wisdom of love is
An amazing experience.
*
(The inner child replies:) 

Mary the Cosmic Matrix
Divine Lady of Radiant Wisdom and Protection
Owly Mary, mother of…
Revelation
Thank you

***

Lady of Lourdes Grotto in Flatrock, NL

A few weeks after our visit to the Renews Grotto  and the painting of “Our Lady of Light” , a small group of women made the 30-minute drive to Flatrock.

I’d parked there many times, but had been more interested in the beauty and energy of where the waterfall meets the ocean on the East Coast Trail. That’s the strongest land energy vortex I’ve felt in NL.

This time, we spent equal time at the shrine to Mary and the coast.

It was cold, snowy, and windy, so I didn’t record the meditation I channeled for the group.

That meditation was all about embracing the inner child, that divine child within every one of us.

A Bit of History

In 1954, the parish priest in Flatrock was one of millions of pilgrims to traveled to Lourdes in France. The pope of the time had declared 1954 the Marian year. Four years later, this shrine graced the community of Flatrock and has since received visitors from around the world.

Eight days before I heard him speak in Ottawa, Pope John Paul II had been on the island of Newfoundland to bless the fleet and pray at the Lady of Lourdes shrine in Flatrock.

The Making of “With Arms Wide Open”

When I returned home from our own mini pilgrimage, I continued working on the 2nd yellow background I’d started at the same time as “Our Lady of Light”.

This stained-glass-inspired frame was all about dots. Dots upon dots upon dots – like the layering of prayers.

I find dot-making so relaxing, so meditative, so blissful!

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Why the Owl?

I’d forgotten about the owl that had flown in an infinity sign in front of our car when we drove back from the Renews Grotto. It was a barn owl.

It had swooped down in front of the car, around a tree and back in front of the car – showing itself twice during our daylight drive.

A few minutes later, we stopped at a craft fair and owls were everywhere – carved owls, beaded owls, etc.

We knew it was a sign.

Owls are companions to seers & mystics – soul-spirit animals linked to spiritual persons through a special bond.

It seemed befitting to paint one with Mary.

They’re great guides in times of transitions, helping us to see clearly through the shadows and darkness.

They come from wholeness, pure energy – messengers of wisdom carried on wings of change.

As I was waiting to go to a Christmas concert after finishing the archway of this painting, I saw a vision of the owl coming through the portal over Mary’s head.

As I said, I’d forgotten about it. It was back!

It was both accompanying her and a part of Mary’s energy walking through the portal to offer us a hug.

Together they swept into our lives to lift us up and hold us in their embrace. Magical!

Can you feel it?

In my research, I learned about its special feathers: tiny comb-like serrated edges that allow the owl to fly silently through the night.

Silent night, holy night
All is calm, all is bright
Round yon Virgin, Mother and Child
Holy infant so tender and mild
Sleep in heavenly peace…

In this case – we are the infant being reborn into Christ Consciousness – a deep spiritual bliss and union with the Divine.

Why is Mary White with Blonde Hair?

Unlike in my previous painting, Mary in “With Arms Wide Open” is blonde.

I made this choice after my house-sister forwarded me a few  pages from the Book of Urantia that talked about Mary’s ancestry. I owned that huge tome twice in my life but have never read it. In it, it’s written that Mary was blonde with brown eyes.

Curious for more? Click here to access those pages on Mary, Joseph, and the birth of Jesus.

As for why she’s so white, it’s not to represent the caucasian race. I tend to paint many of my figures that way.

This colour that holds all colours (white light is composed of all colours of the spectrum) honours the Spirit-self, the Divine Light within all of us.

“With Arms Wide Open”
24″ x 48″
Acrylics on gallery-wrapped canvas.
SOLD

Prints of your desired size on paper, canvas, wood, acrylic and metal are available by clicking here.

Mary Christmas Hugs & Thanks for Hugging Back!

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Our Lady of Light – painting & prayer

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What a creative process in communion with community & Mother Mary! Here’s the painting that was inspired by my first visit and channeled meditation at the Grotto de Lourdes in Renews, Newfoundland & Labrador (see previous post). The name “Our Lady of Light”  and this collaborative prayer/poem are thanks to the contributions of 51 of my Facebook and Instagram friends & fans.  Enjoy the read all the way down to the final video.

OUR LADY OF LIGHT

“Our Lady of Light” – Original (24″ x 48″-SOLD) – prints available.

Hail Mary –
Divine Lady of Light & Love,
Mother’s Grace,
Gentle Woman,
Madona du Mondo,
Reine des bois,
Sacred Devi,
Angelica,
Lady of the Portal,
Mother of Light,
Devine Grace,
She who goes by ten thousand names –
Blessed are you
For you hold the Light of the world
In your hands.

Blessed Saphira,
Light of Grace,
Magnetic blue jewel,
Exquisite radiance,
Inspirational Lady of Light & Peace,
Mother of Renewing Life,
You are the vessel,
The Light Bearer,
Virtue embodied,
Radiant all embracing loving Light.

Oh Serene Mother
Light of Life
Connecting with Pure Essence
You have birthed
Divine Vibrations of Radiance
The Essence of Light
The Christ Light
Brought forth from your very being.
Continue to light the way
to Sacred Stillness

I bow to you Radiant Mother,
Luminator,
Wayshower,
Seed Planter of Light,
Mother Goddess.
Glory be thy names.
May you shine your Immaculate Light
That I may see my own divinity
For I too am one
With Mary’s Light
A Particle riding the blue wave
To enlightenment.

I am Light.

So be it. So I let it be. Amen.

The Creation of “Our Lady of Light

Layer by layer this painting evolved over the period of a very focused week. What bliss. I was far from alone in the studio. Not only was my team of Divine Helpers there with me, so were those on social media fascinated by the process.

If my sharing can inspire something good in someone, then I’m thrilled!

Getting Started

After smudging myself, my space and the canvas with sacred Palo Santo smoke, I infused the canvas with a blend of sacred waters from the Chalice well in Glastonbury and the Lourdes Grotto in Renews.

The night before, I’d put my rose quartz crystal in this blend of holy waters on the windowsill to infuse it with an extra dose of  love & compassion energies.

The initial layer was a wash of yellows, oranges, and golds.

Then came layers and layers of letting go, surrendering the concerns of daily life, the chaos, the details.

Getting lost in mark-making is more about finding myself, my alignment, my centre through non-attachment & play.  Very cathartic!

Risk-taking is easy in intuitive painting.

You know that it’s going to keep on changing with every layer. You don’t know where it’s going, but that’s the beauty of it. You don’t need to know. You can simply embrace the mystery and enjoy the journey, not just the destination.

It was such fun that I decided to work on the backgrounds for 2 canvases at the same time. They separated ways after I harmonized the mark-making through more layers of transparent glazing.

The metallic bright gold paint I used for this one contains mica dust, infusing it with even more  love & compassion supporting energy.

Inspired by Stained Glass Windows

The light streaming through the stained glass windows caught my attention as I sat with my father in Ottawa’s Notre Dame Basilica for the first time since my mother was moved into long-term care. We used to attend evening mass when I visited from out-of-province. The change in time and family circumstances offered a new perspective on this familiar context.

As I contemplated the narrative, symbolism, and beauty of these stained glass windows, I received the inspiration for a new collection resembling their style incorporating my spiritual journey.

Back in Newfoundland & Labrador, I immersed myself in the creation of the first piece in this style to meet the deadline for the provincial Arts & Letters Awards.  That one’s top secret until the spring. “Our Lady of Light” is the 2nd in what I’m now calling my “Re-Connecting Collection”.

Our Lady of Light

I designed Mother Mary on paper first. I made a design in my typical bubble style that represents the mix of physical and spiritual energy of which all is made.

The flowing veils were definitely inspired by Newfoundland weather. But you’ll notice that the flame is unwavering. At one point, I so loved the white that I was nervous about changing it to my envisioned blue. I’m glad I did though… And my heart rejoiced when someone pointed out that they were like waves – adding the element of water into the imagery.

The candle:

If you listened to the Mother Mary meditation I channeled at the grotto, there were 3 candles standing in a triple spiral at our feet.

We had brought one of those candles for Mary. One was either for or from a 3rd presence (different depending on your meditative experience).

The last candle was the one Mary brought to honour us, to help us see our love, beauty, light and value. This is the one I painted.

See how brightly it shines? She wanted her love for us to be an example of how to love ourselves. It felt amazing while channeling it and listening to it after.

The dress:

I had such fun scribbling spirals in the still-wet transparent zinc white paint of her dress. I’ve been scribbling spirals for as long as I can remember – the inward and outward movement of natural evolution.

From early on, I could see/sense a whole circle of people on her sleeve – as if she were carrying with her and reaching out to all those who celebrated her, prayed to her, felt with her.

I’ll admit that the very simplified version of my vision came into being because I simply couldn’t paint what I saw. The idea is there though – that she is of us and for us and we of and for her – part of the same big family.

The third eye:

I added a flower at Mary’s third eye. It’s not a Hindu bindi, although it has a similar meaning. The light shining forth from it is her intuition in action – her connection to the Divine.

The Triskele

The triple spiral in which the candles stood in my vision is called a triskele, or triskelion.

This is an ancient cross-cultural symbol of forward movement, representing 3 bent human legs.

It also represents the sacred trilogy. In some cultures, that’s the Father, Son & Holy Ghost. In others, it’s the mother, maiden & crone. It has also represented life-death-rebirth, spirit-mind-body, mother-father-child, past-present-future, power-intellect-love and creation-preservation-destruction. 

In a transmission meditation I was doing for the 7 days of this painting, that trilogy was the Divine Masculine, Divine Feminine & Divine Inner Child. When I teach about intuition, I talk a lot about the divine masculine & feminine, but I’ve never included the divine inner child. I can see it now though – perfect!

This part of the painting changed many times in the process. It eventually included an orb around the diamond – it could be the moon, a crystal ball, or other. I leave that to you – didn’t get a strong message for that one.

Its outside ring is in the same cobalt blue as Mary’s veil to tie those two together. Can you see the pearl mica on top. In the semi darkness, all you’ll see is the sparkle of the 3 mica rings: around the candle, Mary’s outer halo and the glow around the orb.

The Deer

The sacred trilogy is also represented in this painting through Mary, the stag in the background and the fawn in the foreground.

Did you know a newborn fawn is the size of a large house cat and the weight of a human baby? I had to look that up to scale this blessed creature at the feet of Mary.

It came from a vision and immediately resonated. When I first moved to Saskatchewan, a woman who saw people as their animal energies told me I was a deer. She’d never seen one before. That stuck with me. I think this is the first deer I ever paint.

Here’s some of the deer symbolism I found on the Faena.com website and elsewhere after I received the intuitive message to include them in my painting.

“The stag is the king of the forest, the protector of all other creatures. For the native tribes of North America, the deer was a messenger, an animal of power, and a totem representing sensitivity, intuition and gentleness.

It’s the personification of virtues.

In Buddhism, the deer symbolizes harmony, happiness, peace and longevity….deers are by nature timid and serene animals and their presence in a place represents the purity of a kingdom bereft of fear.

The deer, which is related in many traditions with kindness, softness and gentleness, is, in one way or another, an animal that is connected to the gods and the sacred. One of the reasons for this could be its physical characteristics – its stare, its agility, its speed and its antlers— which inspire those values and symbols in the imagination of humans and in its metaphorical nature.

In many cultures, the deer is a symbol of spiritual authority. During a deer’s life the antlers fall off and grow again and the animal is also a symbol of regeneration. In the Christian imagination, the deer is a symbol of piety, devotion and of God taking care of his children: men.

A sacred animal with the spirit of gentleness and softness, a messenger, a shaman; maize and femininity personified.”

The Ivy

A memorable part of the grotto in Renews is that it’s covered in ivy. Gorgeous!  So I used this plant to tie the imagery together. It’s a symbol of eternity, fidelity, and strong affectionate attachment – immortality.

On the Thrive on News Spiritual Magazine, it says:

“The spiralling nature of the way Ivy grows is symbolic of the spiral of the self. Spiralling inward and outward, seeking enlightenment and companionship. Its characteristics include binding, restricting, attachment, freedom, uniting and linking with others. It is also associated with fertility because of its rapid growth.

Ivy lore is associated with the Goddess of rebirth. It is seen as a plant of the Otherworlds and communicating with them. It is also associated with the Greek God of wine and fertility Dionysus, often seen covered in ivy and grape vines.

If a girl carries Ivy in her pocket she will soon meet her future husband. It can be used to banish the negative things from your life, and eliminate toxic relationships. Look inward to find self-growth, but turn outward to find spiritual companionship with like-minded people. If Ivy appears in your life think about joining a spiritualgroup. ”

Prints Available

The original 24″ x 48″ is SOLD.
Acrylics & mica on gallery-wrapped canvas.

Prints of your desired size are available on paper, canvas, metal, wood, and acrylic by clicking here.

The Making of “Our Lady of Light” Video

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Peace Garden II -the painting

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Traditional gardeners are creative nurturing people with a mix of vision, knowledge, and passion for the outdoors. They ground themselves in the earth and connect to Nature as they plan, observe, listen, weed, allow and cherish the results of their co-creative efforts.

Creating your inner peace garden is much the same. The tools, layout, colours, and textures will be as unique as you are, but the results identical – peace. It all starts with intention and a passion for your inner world.

What do you need to create your own Peace Garden?

What nurtures your soul? What grounds & connects you? What do you thrive in watching grow? What needs to be weeded out to allow for healthier expression of who you really are?

“Peace Garden II” (24″ x 24″)  –– Buy here.

Painting the Path to My Peace Garden

I smile when people say “You’re so patient!”. They can’t imagine the time and concentration it takes for the amount of detail in some of my pieces.

I can’t imagine my life without it. There’s a reason I call part of my process dot-therapy.

There’s nothing quite like being in the zone for 12-16 hours nurturing my soul in the co-creation of a painting.

Layer by layer it evolves at the same time as I do – with whatever cathartic process, energy work, exploratory play, or meditative technique inspires me in the moment.

Intuitive painting might not be your thing. It’s not for everyone.

The trick is finding what helps you grow your inner peace – on your own or with others.

The seeds of peace have always been present at your core. It’s that Divine Essence at the heart of you. 

May the labyrinth of your life bring you back to your core to re-discover your birthright. 

Peace Garden II

Painting is my sanctuary and the themes of many of my paintings reflect that. This one is no different.

Folks often ask how long it takes to create my paintings.

This one took 30 hours + a lifetime of practice, training & living.

Enjoy all the details – like the chakra-coloured dots around each glass-bead covered triskele fountain.

The triskele is an ancient symbol of earth-sea-sky, body-mind-spirit, of the holy trilogy. It’s about motion, momentum, action.

Notice the perfection of their imperfection – how some of the triskele symbols are off-centre – reminding us to accept our “flaws” and ever-changing process as we align with peace.

I knew I had to lengthen the passage to the labyrinth at the heart of this mandala. It’s an invitation for you to accompany me on the journey – that sacred discovery journey that brings you to your centre so you can come back out again with greater peace.

Does it speak to you?

Title: Peace Garden II
Year: © 2018
Size:  24“ x 24 “ (61 cm x 61 cm)
Artist: Dominique Hurley
Materials: Professional acrylics, glass beads & mica (love & compassion) & channeled energy work on gallery-wrapped canvas with painted edges. No framing required. 
Genre: intuitive painting, visionary art, energism art, spiritual art, inspirational art
Price: $1,727 CAD – Buy here.

Note: “Peace Garden II”  comes with a soft paintbrush that can be used to gently navigate your way through the labyrinth – on the wall or on a table.

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2 New Trees in my Forest Family

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Thank God for trees! Don’t you just love them? Grounding through their roots and connecting through their branches, they’re constantly growing into the light.

They may have to twist in the wind, lose a few limbs, morph with the rhythms of the seasons and aim for the light in unusual angles. But they keep on growing, accepting, adapting, and giving in so many ways. 

All the while, they give of themselves to help us breathe. They nourish us in body, mind, and spirit. And they provide shelter for so many blessed creatures.

They have so much to teach us about being.

I can’t imagine a pine enviously comparing itself to a maple or a weeping willow feeling superior to a bamboo.

Each tree just is – being what it is in all its stages.The blueprint for its full potential was there when it was still a seed or an acorn. Every day it just grows into more of itself – naturally and in divine timing.

Is it any wonder I can’t stop painting them?

Here are 2 more in my growing Forest Family. Let me know if you’d like to adopt one of them for yours.

1) Rooted in Community

(9″ x 12) – SOLD

Like the fruit to the bud to the leaves to the branches to the trunk to the roots …. we can’t do it on our own. We need each other.
We need community, no matter how introvert we may be.
Finding your tribe is key to feeling at home, rooted in community.
Who is that tribe? Those who see, accept, and love you for exactly who you are. Those who don’t want to change you but celebrate the radiance you add to the world.
May you find your tribe so that you too may be nourished from your roots to grow rich fruit.
“Rooted to Community” (9″ x 12″) – Sold
Acrylics on gallery-wrapped canvas .

2) Vitality

(9″ x 12) – SOLD

“Vitality” is about the daily recovery of our zest for life through challenges and experience.

Our true beauty isn’t diminished by the wrinkles and cracks. Our colours are simply more seasoned – layering the everlasting wonder and curiosity at our core with an evolving multi-dimensional character and wisdom.  We shine with the accents of love & compassion.

This painting honours the Life Force flowing through the rivulets of our very being.

Vitality (9” x 12”) – SOLD
Acrylics, mica (love & compassion) & red aventurine (re-vitalizing through action, increase flow of Life Force) on canvas. No framing required

Which speaks to you more? Why? Comment below.

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Peace Evolution

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The best thing we can do in any situation is find our peace. From that peace is born unconditional love, inspired action, connection, and so much more.

The painting “Peace Evolution” was born from pours of iridescent colours that are sometimes only visible from some angles. Its shine and play on colours makes it a hard one to photograph – take a look at the photos below to see what I mean.

The creative process for this piece called for me to embrace the mystery as patience and time revealed its subtle beauty, inspiring whatever came next.

Two nautilus shells, almost transparent white from some angles and iridescent violet & blue from others, spiral in different directions. These symbolize the evolution of peace from turning inward and then back outwards into the world.

The triskele (triple spiral) is an ancient symbol of the triple goddess, Saint Brigid, earth-sea-sky, the holy trilogy, and body-mind-spirit. It’s all about movement and action. Peace is a verb as well as a state of being.

As for the peace dove, it just felt right during this pre-Christmas season.

All we do for own our peace eventually shines in the world.

Peace be with you! Peace be with us all.

Title: Peace Evolution
Year: © 2018
Size:  10“ x  10“ (25.4 cm x 25.4 cm)
Artist: Dominique Hurley
Materials: Professional acrylics & channeled energy work on cradle-board with painted edges. No framing required. 
Genre: intuitive painting, visionary art, energism art, spiritual art, inspirational art
SOLD

See all my original paintings for sale by clicking here.

 

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“Wisdom of the Matriarch” – the painting

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There’s a new relationship in my life. It’s with a whole species of trees – the weeping willow.

My new painting, “Wisdom of the Matriarch” is both a tribute to my communion with these magnificent beings and to my mother.

The Weeping Willow Connection

It all started during my September visit to Ottawa, when I visited my mother in long-term care for the first time.

This willow tree stopped me in my tracks as I was walking from the bus stop to her nursing home. I was in awe. I couldn’t remember the last time I’d seen one.  They’re definitely not common on the rocky island of Newfoundland,  where I live.

I’ve always loved trees. I’ve hugged them, photographed them, painted them – even had an exhibition called Treedom to honour them.

But I’ve never felt as strong a connection, a communication, an attraction to a species as I did to weeping willows during my 2 weeks in Ontario.

You see, it wasn’t only this willow that held me in its dancing breath every time I went to visit my mother. It was every single weeping willow during my road trip to southern Ontario with my father to visit the land of his ancestors.

We passed millions of trees driving. No matter if it was close to the road or off in some field, every weeping willow turned my head and joined me in spirit to my mother.

I was even called to deviate from my father’s bucket list by going for a short walk at the deserted Guelph Lake Conservation Area. It turns out its weeping willow trees have been a draw for years. No coincidence, I’m sure.

There’s more to it, but I’m still discovering the layers of our connection.

One link became clear as I shared all this on Facebook. One of my friends reminded me that willow branches are used to make dreamcatchers.

I was still in the process of writing the Dreamcatcher Prayer to go with the painting I’d finished right before my trip – see previous blog post.

So I knew this was an evolving relationship – a connection with one of our planet’s sacred Treedom communities.

The Creation of Wisdom of the Matriarch

When I returned to St. John’s, I knew I was meant to explore this relationship further through an energy-painting featuring a weeping willow.

It was an intuitive process. I painted the background not knowing what would come next.

It evolved layer by layer from the intricate structure of the trunk to the many depths and shades of leaves.

As I kept painting, I knew I was covering up its iridescent frame, but every layer called for another. And I listened. It was a deeply meditative process – much slower than shown in the video above.

It wasn’t about the look. That was getting so methodical and busy. Still, I kept layering weeping branches, eventually adding 3-D leaves.

After all that intricate work, I came into the studio one morning inspired to cover the whole structure with 3 colours of opaque and transparent pours.

I wish I’d taken a video of that freeing, liberating stage. It didn’t even occur to me in the burst of creative energy and satisfying release.

Ahhhhhh……

So much paint went into this piece, like with many of my pieces. Layers were lost but are still energetically present. It was as much about the co-creative process with Spirit as it was about the final look.

Naming of Wisdom of the Matriarch & Its New Home

Once it was done, I received an intuitive message not to price it as I do other 24″ x 36″ paintings. I was told I’d receive an offer for it and to accept it. I was also told not to name the painting – to let the customer do so.

Part of me was hesitant as this was a tribute to my mother and I wanted the name to reflect that. It couldn’t have turned out better.

The day I posted the photo of the final painting, one of my clients sent me a Facebook message saying how she cried looking at it. It reminded her of her friend who had just passed.

She came to see it and later made me an offer to be paid over the span of a year. I gladly accepted.

On her way home, she received its name. “Wisdom of the Matriarch”. It’s no coincidence that the name also honours my mother and our connection through weeping willows. It’s part of the divine plan.

Weeping Willow Symbolism

The weeping willow – Salix babylonica – is from the watery realm of emotion and intuition. It’s also a symbol of creativity, patience, and adjusting to the seasons of life.

According to Avia from my favourite symbolism website :

“The Celtic meaning of willow has a long history of symbolism associated with metaphysical and ritual practices.

Specifically, the willow wood has been (and still is) used in ceremonies intended for enhancement of psychic abilities,honoring the moon as well as increase the essence of love in our lives.”

It also encourages flexibility – to adjust with life rather than fight it.

I got to witness this on the afternoon that the tornado hit Ottawa. As I left my mother’s residence, the winds had picked up dramatically. The willow was dancing wildly as I watched it shake off a few branches that someone was harvesting. But its core was strong, bending and swaying – alive with resilient energy!

I can see how all this relates to my mother – her strength over the years, flexibility, intuition, and acceptance of the rhythms of life.

I love you Maman! I feel you Maman!

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