Into the Sea of Infinity – Labyrinth Painting
Hold on to and nurture your dreams. It may take years for them to come to fruition, or just a few weeks. Trust in Divine Timing. The key is not to doubt them. Dive into your bliss and keep moving forward, one inspired action at a time.
May your dreams come true.
The Labyrinth in the Cathedral of St. John the Baptist
Years ago, I was approached by Dean Roger Whalen, newly appointed rector of the Anglican Cathedral of St John the Baptist here in St. John’s Newfoundland, to chat about labyrinths. He and Sue Cummings, lay minister, formed a committee to explore the possibilities of creating a permanent indoor labyrinth inside the church.
At that point, I’d walked several labyrinths and painted quite a few more – on canvas that is. These had mostly been inspired by the various feelings / experiences of walking the labyrinth in the chapel of the Waterford Hospital during their public-hour on Wednesdays. Sue Cummings led these walks and sharing circles.
Last Spring, while I was doing karma yoga (volunteering) in California, I was thrilled to hear from Sue that the cathedral’s labyrinth had finally come into being. She was contacting me to explore how I might be involved in the dedication ceremony in late September.
Upon my return to the island, I found out that the labyrinth was connected to the theme of Ocean Health. It’s now # 9 in an international network of labyrinths called the Legacy Labyrinth Project (LLP)
The project’s aim is to “integrate the impact of the labyrinth experience with global peace and healing, bringing together labyrinth builders, supporters, and communities around the globe.”
The dedication of the labyrinth will be held on the weekend of September 28th 2024. People are coming from across the world for a set program of workshops (see itinerary here). There will also be public elements to the program, including the Sunday ceremony. Keep your eye on the cathedral website here for more details.
The Creation of “Into the Sea of Infinity”
After my chats with Sue, I was inspired to create the painting “Into the Sea of Infinity”.
It had been 5 months since I’d played with paint in the studio. Between my travels, exhibitions, videography projects, workshops and retreats, I simply hadn’t created any new paintings.
To start, I used sacred waters from Glastonbury & Lourdes and a Palo Santo smudge to bless the canvas and to get the flow going.
Then came a few layers of liquid acrylic washes in various ocean colours for the base.
After that, for the first time, I decided to use a collection of over 80 small stencils of sea creatures for layers and layers of play & prayers for ocean health.
I usually create my own stencils, as I did for the large whale. I used that one with both paint and a layer of tiny glass beads that cover the whale and reflects light in fantastic ways from some angles.
At first, using the small commercial stencils, albeit legal in terms of copyright for professional art purposes, felt a little like cheating. It’s interesting what limiting beliefs we hold that come up asking to be examined and released. This is all part of the process of going inwards to find peace and bringing that peace back out in the world – the very process of walking the labyrinth.
In the end, returning to this childlike play with an art tool that isn’t customary in my practice was part of what unblocked the creative flow after so many months outside of the studio.
It also unleashed the vision of what it was that wanted to be born on the canvas.
From days of layering sea creatures on the canvas emerged the vision of the large whale whose tail curved around the 7-circuit Chartres-styled labyrinth from the local Anglican Cathedral. That one was painted by Lisa Gidlow Moriarty.
Note: If you haven’t seen my video of the original 11-circuit labyrinth from the 1200s in the Chartres Cathedral in France, I recommend you watch it here.
Once I’d created the whale and labyrinth, the idea of the infinity symbol and the title of the painting came to me. I immediately saw it as a recreation of the motion of my hands in the initial application of holy water. But as I painted it, layers of meaning emerged as it related to our soul’s journey, the labyrinth walk, and ocean health.
I found out a week later, when Sue came to see the finished piece, that her online group had just been discussing the concept of infinity in relation to the labyrinth.
There truly are no coincidences in the intuitive painting or living process!
Last but not least came the circular waves filled with yet another few layers of sea creatures and days of what I love to call dot therapy. So meditative!
By the time it felt complete, I was completely enamoured with what Spirit had created through me – so grateful this painting had come into being.
I was also thrilled I’d followed inspiration to help bring it into being as a print twice the size of the original will soon be gracing the wooden wall at the far end of the labyrinth in the cathedral, enhancing visitors’ labyrinth experience. What an honour!
What does the infinity symbol in this painting mean to you?
How about the whale, one of our ancient wisdom keepers?
I invite you to contemplate and reflect on the symbology and energy of this painting as it relates to a question in your life. Then, if you can, walk a labyrinth or trace the journey with your fingers. That’s equally effective!
Keep reading below for information on the original and prints.
The Original & Prints for Sale
You can order a print of “Into the Sea of Infinity” on paper or stretched canvas in your choice of size. These can be delivered to you anywhere in the world. Order yours here today.
Here’s the information on the original painting with its many iridescent highlights and glass bead reflections:
