you can see all of my paintings at www.DominiqueHurley.com
The Law of Rhythm: Enter the Mandala
Welcome to the Law of Rhythm. This is Mandala #11 in the Enter the Mandala Project, an artistic and spiritual quest to better understand the 12 Universal Laws.
The Law of Rhythm tells us that nothing is random. There’s order in the Universe through the repetitive movement, patterns, and cycles in everything:
- the waxing and waning of the moon and planets
- the ebb and flow of the oceans
- the cycle of the seasons
- the peaks and dips in the economy, politics, spirituality, and relationships
- the ups and downs in our emotional, physical and mental energy
- the successes and challenges in business,
- etc.
Everything is either growing or dying.
By understanding this rhythm, we can act accordingly and sensibly.
Mastering the Law of Rhythm means finding balance and equanimity no matter which way the pendulum is swinging.
It’s about getting off the emotional roller coaster to be in a state of inner peace and joy, no matter what.
Before getting more into the specifics of how to use the Law of Rhythm to your advantage, let me take you through the intuitive and creative process behind this painting.
I love the Guided Visual Journeys my team of Divine Helpers take me on.
I ask a question, close my eyes, and start downloading a mini-movie filled with amazing imagery and symbolism. The interpretation comes later.
Listen in – this is the intuitive reading that gave birth to the Law of Rhythm mandala (18 minutes).
And here’s the Spirit Calling Card spread I got at the beginning of the reading. They were right – the symbolism they gave me for this painting was very clear.
The Creative Process
I didn’t know the names of all 12 laws before I started this project. But when my Guides asked me to do 12 mandalas on the Universal Laws, I found the list of 12 online. Right before I start my intuitive reading, I read an introduction sentence or two on each. But it’s only after I’m done the Guided Visual Journey and painting that I like to read what others say about the Law online.
It’s amazing how this time, almost all the symbolism that’s in the painting was talked about on other sites. What great confirmation!
My Guided Visual Journey was accompanied by sound this time – the rhythmic tic tock of the clock or metronome. My first 3 layers of repetitive patterns and cycles were created to this rhythm.
The Symbolism Close-Up
The Ginger Bread Man
The symbolism for the Law of Rhythm was really clear…
Except for the gingerbread man.
It was cute seeing him rock side to side as he walked to to the rhythm of the tic tock. I smiled when he appeared again swinging from the pendulum. But if it wasn’t for Google, I don’t think I would’ve figured out why he appeared here.
Do you remember the story of the gingerbread man? I didn’t.
He escaped from the old woman who baked him only to be chased by a pig, cow, and horse. In the end, a fox tricked and ate him.
According to Wikipedia, the story “depends on rhythm and repetition for its effect with one event following hard upon another until the climax is reached”. That’s life – rhythm and repetition. The trick is not letting it take you off guard. Don’t let it eat you up!
In my painting, I linked the gingerbread man to the emotional roller coaster that comes from not understanding the Law of Rhythm. What goes up must come down. But if you get that it’s all part of the ride, you’ll enjoy the journey more.
The Monk
In my vision, I saw a monk sitting on an island of calm.
I painted him under a 3-D disk of gel. When I apply this medium, it’s white. But it spreads for hours and takes about a day to dry. Observing this process reminded me of the patience and time it takes to train the mind.
Take a look. The roller coaster that started at the extremes turns into gamma brain waves on each side of the monk. This represents the transcendental mental states scientists found while studying Tibetan monks in meditation.
Your Turn
Can you see how the rhythm of nature is reflected in the cycles of life and everything in it?
How is this true in your
- health & fitness?
- relationships?
- personal finances?
- productivity?
- emotions?
Are you living in the world of extremes or finding balance to overcome the negative downturns?
Know that the pendulum will keep swinging. If it’s down, know that it’s going to head back up. Don’t sabotage yourself by lowering your vibration and getting depressed. If it’s up, don’t overindulge so that there’s nothing left when it starts heading down again.
If your income is flowing in big time, don’t spend it all. Save some for when there’s a natural slow down in cash flow.
If you’re in a peak physical state for some competition, know it won’t stay that way forever. You’ll need rest. You can’t keep pushing yourself to the max year-round.
If the contracts / clients aren’t as frequent during a period of the year, take the time to learn new skills and create new products.
If your relationship is going through a rough patch, focus on being more unconditionally loving – to yourself and your partner. It doesn’t always mean it’s over.
If you’re mentally tired and not as productive as you’d like, don’t give up. Take advantage of that natural flow to schedule time in nature or networking opportunities.
Basically, don’t fight the cycles. Work with them to your advantage.
Can you think of other examples to help us understand? Please add your comments to the discussion below.
The Law of Polarity – Enter the Mandala
Welcome to #10 in the Enter the Mandala Project, a series of 12 mandala paintings based on intuitive readings for each of the Universal Laws.
By entering this mandala, you’ll better understand “The Law Polarity”
What does it mean? This is how my Guides explained it. See if you can spot how I represented it in the painting.
We live in a dualistic world. It’s what makes existence possible.
There’s no
- left without right,
- big without small,
- north without south,
- light without dark,
- up without down,
- hot without cold,
- plus without minus,
- success without failure,
- etc.
The beauty is that there’s a whole continuum of existence between those polar opposites.
When you focus on the opposite of what you don’t want, you start moving along the continuum towards what you want.
Where attention goes, energy flows.
So if your thoughts aren’t serving you, think the opposite. If your actions aren’t serving you, do the opposite. You always have a choice.
Which way do you want to tip the scale? Which escalator will you get on?
Don’t criticize or condemn where you are. It’s what makes the opposite possible.
In every problem lies the potential for a solution. In every failure is the seed for success.
Learn from it. Grow from it. Use the Law of Polarity to your advantage.
But don’t focus on the problem or failure. Just know that it holds the opportunity for the opposite.
This reminds me of The Work by Byron Katie. Through a series of 4 questions, you identify and examine the thoughts that cause anger, fear, depression, addiction, and violence in the world. These 4 questions help you turn that around to truly experience peace and happiness:
- Is it true?
- Can you absolutely know that it’s true?
- How do you react, what happens, when you believe that thought?
- Who would you be without the thought?
It’s up to you to explore and experience life to its fullest.
If you don’t like where you’re standing on the continuum, turn around. Look the other way. You’ll naturally flow towards where you’re pointing.
Keep reading to learn more about the intuitive process, creative process, and symbolism in this Law of Polarity mandala.
The imagery in this reading was so much fun! I couldn’t wait to start painting.
You can listen in here (13 minutes). It starts with a Spirit Calling Card reading and then goes into one of my guided visual journeys – the mini-movies I download from Source / my Guides / The Universe.
These are the Spirit Calling Cards that started the intuitive process. 
I knew it was going to be great!
The Creative Process
In my usual intuitive painting process, I only know where it’s going one layer at a time. But because of all the symbolism given to me in the intuitive reading, I have more of a direction before it starts. Watch it evolve.
More on the Symbolism in the Law of Polarity Mandala
The Circus
Life’s a circus. It’s power to engage, empower, educate, excite and entertain you rests in the kind of circus you choose to attend.
There’s the boring ones where the animals are mistreated and the the staff is disgruntled, unmotivated, greedy, abused, abusive, and angry. Think freak shows, pickpockets, deadly elephants, and debauchery behind the scenes.
Or there’s the one created from a spirit of camaraderie, excellence, skill, balance, stamina, creativity, imagination, artistry, beauty, and daringness. Think Cirque du Soleil.
You’re the acrobat, the unicycle riding juggler, the clown, and the rider in this circus of life.
With focus, training, and motivation you can create the momentum to travel to the side of the continuum you want to live on. You can have the relationships, circumstances, abundance and happiness you want.
The Tower & The Tools
One of the characters in my vision was under the illusion of being trapped in a tower (the outer ring of the mandala). But there were staircases all around that tower! She just wasn’t looking the right way.
The tower symbolizes the mental and physical limitations we create within and around ourselves. It’s our self-limiting beliefs.
At the top of that tower lay tools and symbols of various faiths (mala beads, prayer rug, sacred books, etc.).
It felt like a buffet of resources. There was something there for everyone. It didn’t matter which tools or belief system you picked up, as long it supported you in your desire to live a full and happy life.
This meant using the tools for the Highest Good.
But as history shows, these same tools can be used for the opposite. They’ve led to war and fanaticism. It’s all part of the same continuum. But where war and fanaticism exist, so does the opportunity for peace, harmony, unity, and respect.
Stonehenge
Although Stonehenge was only one of the symbols I saw at the top of the tower, I was moved to give it more prominence in the painting.
When I looked up its symbolism after I finished, I learned that new studies suggest it was built as a symbol of unity and peace between east and west after a time of intense conflict.
According to the same article, it was a centre of balance in a world of polarities.
The solstice-aligned avenue between the stones sits on a series of natural landforms which mark out the midsummer sunrise and midwinter sunset, suggesting people may have seen the spot as the “centre of the world”.
I especially liked the description on another website that describes what you can experience after you enter the symbolic gateway.
From then on, attaining the intermediary zone of the structure meant achieving the fullness of the human nature. That mostly meant surpassing his own contradictions and rediscovering unity beyond oppositions: fear and aggressiveness, sadness and anger, doubts and credo etc. Opposites as doubt and credo are overcome by trust. Similarly, the resolution of the antagonisms like sadness and anger is accomplished by compassion. As for the dilemma between fear and aggressiveness, it can only be solved by love and sharing.
The same author describes the central zone as a reconciliation of opposites – day and night, light and dark, and a world of duality. By becoming One with the centre of the world, you reached “Unity at the source of the manifestation of everything”.
Learning how the Law of Polarity works will help you create a life of balance, gratitude, abundance, unity, and harmony.
It depends on your choices and willingness. With self-awareness, education, experience, and belief, it’s all possible.
The trick is to accept whatever shows up in your life instead of resisting it. Know that your challenges happen for you and not to you. What gifts, what seeds, what opportunities do they hold?
Then turn around and head the other way, shaping the outcomes you desire.
How can the Law of Polarity work in your life today? Please share your examples and reflections in the comments below. Trust that you’ll inspire us all. Thanks.
Enter the Mandala: The Law of Relativity
Here it is! #9 in the Enter the Mandala Project. This is a series of 12 mandala paintings co-created with my Guides to help understand the Universal Laws.
This is “The Law of Relativity”
So what does it mean?
You create your misery by comparing yourself and your life to what you judge as better people, circumstances, or times. Everything is relative. But do you use the Law of Relativity to your advantage or disadvantage?
Nothing has meaning except the meaning you give it. Love what is and be happy.
You can break free from your limiting perceptions through the creative transformation of mind and spirit. Use your judgements to teach and guide you out of the darkness and into the Light.
Read on to find out more about the intuitive reading, creative process, and symbolism in this painting.
These guided visual journeys make for great entertainment. But they’re a lot more.
Packed with symbolism, they’re a source for creative inspiration and learning.
While you listen (23 minutes), notice your judgments about events in the story. Let your observer-self help you recognize that nothing has meaning but the meaning you give it.
You’ll notice my painting doesn’t include the whole story … I left out the prisoners being roasted on a skewer at the poolside feast… they didn’t seem to mind their fate, but I definitely put meaning into it.
Here’s the Spirit Calling Card spread from the start of the reading.
The Creative Process
All sorts of comparisons stopped me from being in love with the present:
- I tried painting the animals in relation to the size of the children and they ended up lost on the canvas. I painted over those.
- I kept comparing my representational figures to other artists’ work and to reality – yikes!
- I missed the vibrancy of colours in previous mandalas…
It’s only when I stopped comparing that I could enjoy the process.
But my experience wasn’t a loss. It was part of my Guides’ teachings – a gift. Seeing it that way cleared the path for my 12-hour flow the next day.
The Symbolism
Main Characters
Our main characters in this story created chaos through comparisons. Kids and bluejays arguing about games. Rattlesnakes fighting over a book. Rabbits having a tug-of-war with a carrot.
Instead of enjoying their fun, wisdom, clarity, abundance, creativity, and intelligence, they used the Law of Relativity to their disadvantage.
This isn’t good or bad. It just is. These experiences are what led them to the lessons that came after.
The Well
Once inside the fortress, they met a judge, who acted as both their teacher and their guide.
Everyone had a different reaction when he showed them a well. They related it to their past.
For the kids and dog, it was a good thing. They remembered drinking and splashing around after playing in the heat.
But for the snakes, it was a bad thing. They were afraid because one fell down a well and the other had to pull him up with the bucket.
The rabbits also judged it negatively. They’d lost a baby when machinery arrived to dig up a new well.
The well on the screen had no meaning except the meaning they gave it.
Traditionally, a well symbolizes a womb, birth, rebirth, forgiveness, Divine Love, cleansing, and quenching our thirst for higher knowledge.
By understanding the Law of Relativity, we too are offered a chance at rebirth.
Chess
I’m not a chess player, so I was curious to read why my Guides had chosen this symbol. My first thought was that it had to do with contrast or black & white thinking.
According to vopus.org,
“this game transposes cosmic archetypes, truths about the initiatory road and talks about the ingredients necessary to efficiently fight against the Ego.”
Many who teach the Law of Relativity say that it’s through our tests and initiations that we’re given what we need to strengthen our Light. Mindful effort and step-by-step decision-making will creatively transform our mind & spirit. This is what the game of chess is all about.
Fortress & Firecrackers
A fortress can mean many things:
- the obliteration of something at its roots
- elimination of negativity or troubles
- security / positive power
Firecrackers represent:
- a fresh new outlook on life
- celebration
- beauty blossoming out of darkness
- positive new changes
In my vision, the children and creatures strapped themselves to firecrackers to shoot above the fortress walls and back into a better version of their lives.
They broke free from their limiting beliefs and judgments.
Your Turn
Try this. The next time you have a negative judgment about yourself, someone else, or anything at all, stop.
- Figure out what you’re comparing.
- Congratulate yourself for noticing it.
- Remind yourself that there are no judgments – good or bad, better or worse, until the mind gets involved and compares it to other things.
- Analyze what you’re meant to learn here.
- Love what is, no matter what. (The Work by Byron Katie is a great tool for this).
It’s your responses to the situations in your life that are important for your growth. There will always be people who are richer, happier, thinner, more fit, more productive, more intelligent, more successful, etc. The reverse is also true.
If you’re going to compare your life to others, focus on what’s working for you. Use the Law of Relativity to your advantage, not your disadvantage.
Are you focusing on what’s going well or what’s going wrong in your life.
Are you focusing on the challenges or on the gifts that came from them?
What’s one comparison you’ve made today that led to feeling bad? Turn it around to help you feel better. Tell us about it in the comments below.
New Painting “The Answer’s in the Question”
You’ll get it when you see the close-ups below.
So what’s this painting about?
Guidance and the intuitive process.
Your Higher Council is always ready to answer your questions. All you need to do is ask.
By asking, you open the doors to the answer.
Try this.
- Ask Source, your Spirit Guides, angels, and all those working for your Highest Good a clear question. Give yourself a specific time (a 10-minute walk or 2 week window).
- Notice all that you become aware of (through your senses, dreams, memories, encounters, etc.)
- Interpret those signs in relation to your question.
You don’t have to do it alone. You’ve got an incredible team of helpers that see the big picture and can help you connect the dots.
Speaking of dots, I had a lot of fun painting these ants for 4 hours. Each one has 4 dots, 6 legs and antennae. Very meditative.
Symbolism of the Ant & Spiral
As a totem animal, the ant shows you how to build your dreams over time – how to be the architect of your life.
They symbolize team work, oneness, patience.
The spiral represent holistic growth, awareness of the one within the context, natural progress.
So from the spiral they feed and through the spiral they come home.
The answer is in the question.
By connecting to Source and our Higher Councils, we can tap into the answers we need. But first we must ask the question.
“The Answer’s in the Question”, 15″ x 30″ (acrylics on canvas – no framing required). – SOLD
What else does this painting say to you? Please share in the comments below.
Enter the Mandala: The Law of Perpetual Transmutation of Energy
Here it is! #8 in the Enter the Mandala Project, a series of 12 mandala paintings based on intuitive readings to better understand the Universal Laws.
This is “The Law of Perpetual Transmutation of Energy”. Quite a mouthful eh?
So what does it mean? This is how my Guides explained it.
Turn your face to the sunshine and watch your reality transform itself. Through change comes growth, through growth comes change. It never stops.
Energy is constantly moving in response to your thoughts and emotions. By consciously focusing your attention, you can create the world you want.
The more you understand the Universal Laws, the more power you’ve got to change your life.
Here, I’ll share the intuitive reading, my creative process, and the symbolism I used in the painting – with lots of photos of course.
May something here help you change the conditions of your life that no longer serve you.
This is the shortest recording so far. It’s not because the reading was short. I accidentally deleted it when trying to transfer it from my iPhone to my computer.
But I must be learning. I didn’t overreact! It was still vivid in my mind’s eye, so I recorded what I remembered. That made it even stronger for me.
This is 13 minutes worth listening to. It’s quite the story.
And here’s the Spirit Calling Card reading that I started my reading with.
By choosing to align with your Higher Self, you’ll keep on growing and raising your energetic vibration.
Who wouldn’t want that?!
The Creative Process
Each ring represents a part of the intuitive vision.
- the sunflower constantly turning towards the sun
- the release of negative energy (the foam)
- the transformed energy collected in vials to light the underground hallways
- the students sprouting gardens from their heads
- the constant motion of school buses (learning that leads to freedom)
- the rockets of desire launched from living in a world of contrast
- the creation of paradise
- growth through change and change through growth
More on the Symbolism
The Law of Perpetual Transmutation of Energy
Paradise
There’s no way I could have painted what I saw and felt as paradise in that outer ring.
Instead, you get to see how my Christian background mixes with my universal spirituality and passions. See if you can’t spot these in the photos above.
- harmony and peace between people, animals and nature (look for the lion, lamb & yogi)
- re-creation through nature (look for the canoe)
- contemplation (the other mountain scene)
- abundance and health (No, that’s not Eve eating the forbidden apple… they’re oranges!)
- friendship & fun
- unconditional love
- wisdom & guidance (do you recognize the animals at the top and bottom of the mandala?)
Okapi
I had to Google “brown animal with striped legs” to find out more about the creature I kept seeing in my vision.
It turns out it’s an okapi, part of the giraffe family, but much smaller.
Here’s what I learned from various sites – perfect for this Law and for me too.
- The okapi totem encourages living in alignment with our Higher Self, no matter if that means living outside the norms of society. As we grow, we help others grow.
- Okapi medicine comes with clairvoyant abilities.
- The okapi totem teaches silent truth without fear. Listen, but don’t react.
- Its stripes represent both spirit and form and the polarity of this world.
Growth & Change
I painted 4 sunflower leaves in the corners. From far they look similar. But they’re unique as they stand strong amongst the waves of change.
I glazed the whole outer edge with the same gold as in my first layers. The mica in this paint energizes this mandala with love and compassion.
The final touch was the pyramid of spirals around the leaves. I’m big on spirals. In part, they symbolize progress and evolution. I placed them in the shape of a triangle, the shorthand symbol for change. Together they’re also the shorthand symbol for “therefore”
Growth therefore change. Change therefore Growth.
I may resist change at first, but I’ve thrived from the perpetual movement and change in my life. I’ve lived in over 20 homes on 3 continents, and have grown from everything I’ve experienced along the way. No regrets!
Which symbol speaks to you most right now? Why?
You can bring the shapeless into shape by focusing your consciousness on it. What do you want to create? Inspire us in the comments below. Be specific and have fun with it. Launch those rockets of desire!
Enter the Mandala: The Law of Attraction
Follow your bliss and you’ll attract the keys to unlock your magnific-essence. The Universe will answer your prayers.
When my Guides first asked me to create a dozen mandala paintings based on the Universal Laws, this is the only one I could name. Welcome to mandala #7: The Law of Attraction.
Did you see the movie “The Secret?” That’s what made The Law of Attraction so popular.
My favourite mentor though is Abraham channeled through Esther Hicks.
Painting this mandala while listening to Abraham Hicks on YouTube was pure bliss.
As Joseph Campbell said:
“If you do follow your bliss you put yourself on a kind of track that has been there all the while, waiting for you, and the life that you ought to be living is the one you are living. Follow your bliss and don’t be afraid, and doors will open where you didn’t know they were going to be.”
“Follow your bliss.” That’s what the Law of Attraction is all about.
Today, I give you a new twist on the teachings, this time from my own team of Divine Helpers. You get to listen to the intuitive reading and see how I created this mandala with many of the symbols they provided in my guided visual journey.
May this inspire you to put the Law of Attraction into action.
When I ask Source, my Spirit Guides, and Angels a question and close my eyes, they deliver a mini-movie filled with symbols – it’s like watching a Disney-Pixar film filled with lessons. It’s beautiful and meaningful.
I asked on behalf of you and me, so trust that there’s a message here for you too.
As you listen (30 minutes) and look at the painting, think about what these symbols mean to you. What messages do you get?
This was the Spirit Calling Card reading I got at the beginning. Perfect, don’t you think?
The Creative Process
The Symbols
I offer some insights, but feel free to add yours to the comments below. Let’s learn from each other.
The Planetary Prayer Beads
Prayers beads are common in many spiritual practices. I grew up using the rosary to focus my mind and prayers. Mala beads are now popular with the yoga crowd and those following Buddhist rituals.
Seeing that friendly giant using the planets to pray in my vision was heart-opening! It reminded me of:
- the gravitational attraction of the planets in an expanding universe
- astrology
- something much greater – a higher power
- the universe answering our prayers
Can you add to this list?
The Mountain Slide
In my vision, I saw kids sliding down a huge spiral slide that went from the top of the mountain all the way through the earth.
As they laughed and played, their joy attracted all sorts of goodness to them.
It was like static attracting lint. The happier they were, the more pixy dust they collected on the way down.
When they got to the other side of the planet, they had no trouble running back up to the top to go again.
The soundtrack was great – imagine a busy water park on a hot summer day.
Before going down the slide again, the kids would put what they’d attracted into their locker. These lockers had no doors. I got a real feeling of trust and abundance from that.
If you look closely, you’ll see symbols of love, peace, joy, health, wealth, happiness, and more in those lockers.
The Power of Emotion
If the line-up for the slide got too long, the children held hands at the base of the mountain and sang.
This was all about keeping the emotions high. There was no impatience or frustration.
These kids were still connected enough to Source to know that feeling good is what brings more goodness into their lives.
Abraham Hicks calls that your emotional guidance system. No matter where you are on the scale below, all you need do is start thinking thoughts that make you feel a bit better. It’s not about giant leaps up the ladder. Just head on up.
So if you’re in a state of despair, for example, anger can be very helpful. But if you’re worried, don’t let it turn into anger. Do something or think something that might turn that anger into a less charged frustration.
The Emotional Guidance Scale (From the book “Ask and It is Given”, pg. 114)
- Joy/Appreciation/Empowered/Freedom/Love
- Passion
- Enthusiasm/Eagerness/Happiness
- Positive Expectation/Belief
- Optimism
- Hopefulness
- Contentment
- Boredom
- Pessimism
- Frustration/Irritation/Impatience
- Overwhelment
- Disappointment
- Doubt
- Worry
- Blame
- Discouragement
- Anger
- Revenge
- Hatred/Rage
- Jealousy
- Insecurity/Guilt/Unworthiness
- Fear/Grief/Depression/Despair/Powerlessness
Like attracts like. So what are you feeling today?
The power of emotion was shown to me over and over again in my guided visual journey. I chose to represent this as swirls of colour, both in the circle of singing children and the characters in the outer ring of the mandala.
That’s where you’ll find:
- the meditators who connected to Source by quieting their minds;
- the skater who went from feeling totally neutral to joy through her passion;
- the kids who were playing marbles (their futures were swirling inside those “marbles” – another word for mind and rewards).
- the magnets that were created by those emotions
- the keys (including a USB key, which I thought was funny) to unlock what we desire in this life
Pulsating Shining Rings
There are no accidents in intuitive painting.
I wanted to paint the pulsating heartbeat of the world from my vision. I started with a bright blue pulse around the mountain, but when I stood back, it overpowered the other elements.
So I covered it up. But its energy and texture are still there.
Then, I painted a golden heartbeat ring instead. Love it! It’s about life and the vibration we send out into the world by our very being, both on the surface and below.
We don’t have to be loud about what we want. It’s all about asking and receiving through what Abraham Hicks calls the Art of Allowing.
I was in such bliss painting and listening to Abraham Hicks that I know more good things are on their way. I trust that.
I ALSO know I’ve attracted a slow start to the sales in my online shop because of all the technological stress and near burn-out I experienced while creating it.
I wasn’t always following my emotional guidance system.
But that’s OK. It’s all part of the learning.
I know that doubt, regret, or complaints would only stop the abundance of clients and experiences I’ve asked for. I’ll just stay in my bliss and take action when inspired.
These mandalas have been great teaching tools for me, and I hope they’ve helped you too.
What’s one thing you can do today to follow your bliss?
“Pétales Musicales” Painting from the NL Folk Festival
“Pétales Musicales” – 4′ x 4′ – created live at the NL Folk Festival.
Remember when I wrote that live painting was a stretch of my comfort zones?
Well, I had a great time painting in the Espace Franco at the NL Folk Festival last weekend. Thanks again to the Réseau Culturel Francophone TNL for the invite!
No regrets! That’s usually what happens when I feel the fear and do it anyway. Sure I was nervous, but excited too. I’m so glad I listened to a higher calling.
In this post, you’ll see the layers and read some stories about the creative process behind “Pétales Musicales”. For purchasing details, click here.
Symbolism
“Pétales Musicales” (Musical Petals) is as much about listening to the song of your soul as it is about becoming a part of the music around you.
If you honour your unique voice first, you’ll rock this world …. (I couldn’t say folk it… just didn’t sound right).
Live Painting at the NL Folk Festival
My mission was to get the festival’s energy down on canvas.
If music, summer, fun, variety, and community are what you get from this painting, then I did my job!
My “research” started Friday night, sitting on the lawn of Bannerman Park with hundreds of other folks, filling my soul with the music of Emma Peckford, Allan Ricketts, Katie Baggs, Sean Panting, Kat McLevey, Andrew Laite & Josh Sandu (Rube & Rake) and Steve Maloney.
I could hear Jim Payne and Fergus O’Byrne from the bus stop, but I missed Hey Rosetta. They started at 10:30 and I knew I’d be a wreck the next day if I stayed.
In bed by 10pm, I was all set to go early on Saturday morning for set-up!
The weather was cold (9°C at times) and damp, but it didn’t rain (amazing since the forecast called for 20mm on Sunday).
The music, the crowd, my lunchtime fish tacos, and all those who stopped to chat inspired this painting. It came to life layer by layer.
I never knew what the next layer would bring. That’s the beauty of intuitive painting!
During the Fred Penner concert, I walked around tracing hands of children in the crowd. Thanks to Catie and Freddie of St. John’s, Sam and Anna of Hollyrood, and Ava of Nova Scotia! You’re at the heart of this festive flower!
On Sunday morning, I woke up raring to go. I started an hour before the festival opened.
I was glad I had my alpaca wool socks, layers of thrift shop fleece (great for paint stains), and my groovy hat! I love NL weather as long as I’m dressed for it!
I couldn’t believe it! The thick strokes I used for the petals on Saturday weren’t dry by the time we left on Sunday! We’re talking acrylic paint that normally dries in a few hours…
If you see a few bugs when you look real close, that’s why!… all part of festival and floral life! Part of me feels bad, but our local black flies have taken a few chunks out of me this week, leaving smears of bright red blood on my face and neck, so part of me doesn’t mind …
The Finishing Touches At Home
Yay for de-humidifiers! The petals dried at home overnight.
I worked on the painting for another 15 hours.
You can’t see all the tangle pattern details in the hands and shading from far, but when you get up close, there’s a whole other world to explore. Click on the photos below to see them larger.
Then there’s the iridescent 3-D paint. Fun! Fun! Fun! Did I say I love my job!
“Pétales Musicales” (48″ x 48″)
I spray varnished it yesterday, covered from head to toe in protective gear. Then I headed to Beachy Cove beach with friends to chill out. Actually, it was sunny and warm. What a contrast!
“Pétales Musicales” is SOLD.
Enter the Mandala: The Law of Compensation
Holy Camoly! Where do I start?
How about with “I love this mandala!”
Welcome to #6 in the Enter the Mandala Project – The Law of Compensation. It’s part of a series of intuitively sourced paintings to better understand the Twelve Universal Laws.
If I had to pick a favourite mandala right now, this would be it. I’m sure it’s not the first time I think that about a new painting, but I’m on a post-painting high right now!
Basically, this law says that you get what you give.
The more you contribute in life, the more you receive from the Universe. Of course the opposite is also true.
It’s another version of “you reap what you sow”, which we also saw in “The Law of Cause and Effect“.
Actually, I’ve just read that some people group these two laws together. But I’m glad I have 2 different paintings for them. The teachings I got from the 2 intuitive readings were unique and worthwhile.
The Intuitive Reading
I’ve just re-listened to the intuitive reading I did almost a month ago for this mandala. That’s where I got all the symbols I used here. I thought I’d done a good job of including the whole reading in the painting, but now I see that I just scratched the surface.
Our Divine Helpers delivered quite the mini-movie for this one – a 23-minute trip I invite you to listen to.
Here’s the Spirit Calling Card spread I got at the beginning of the reading. It’s yet another invitation to reflect on the Universal Laws to create the life you were meant to live.
A Closer Look at the Symbols
I love this gal!
At first I didn’t get why Medusa would show up here.
But she isn’t Medusa. She is the spirit of a being actively giving, receiving, and building in the world.
Her tentacles reach out to take and share the riches of the world. Her hands open to receive, and her mechanical arms work in the fields and cities to create abundance.
I have to say … I look at construction crews and their machinery quite differently since I painted her.
On her forehead, or third eye, I painted the symbol of eternity, or the number 8 (symbol of abundance).
At one point, I entered through her eye and into the depths of her cavernous mind. That’s where I saw some of the symbols that I painted on the outside of the canvas: the treasure chest of riches, the committee meeting, the caveman drawings, plants, and a warm golden light. I also added the cauldron and watermelon field from an earlier part of the reading.
The more you give, the more you receive… Think about it. How do these relate to the Law of Compensation for you?
Then you’ve got Robin Hood and Peter Pan. Why do you think they showed up in my vision? I got a sense of purposeful community when I saw them flicking back and forth in my mind’s eye.
Peter Pan’s gang also brought magic and mischievous playfulness while Robin Hood’s band of Merry Men brought moral fairness or justice.
After that, you’ve got the caterpillars inching their way up the leaves, eating and defecating as they go. They later grew wings in my reading. I believe they represent fuelling up with enough energy for transformation. I also got a sense of our abundance being used and recycled as fertilizer for future growth.
Take a look between the stems. You’ll see a reflective pool of water. It not only provides a mirror for our main character, but life-giving droplets dripping from the roots. That’s where they became ballet-dancing feet in my vision.
So are the drops feeding the plant or coming from the plant and nourishing the earth? I got the sense that things are multidirectional in the Law of Compensation.
And what about those endless doors opening to the depths of the Universe? That’s where Earth, as a bouncing ball, came to rest. It’s also where its growth was being measured against the door frame, just like when parents mark the heights of their kids at various ages. The more doors you open with your generosity and kindness, the bigger your world becomes.
How do you like what’s happening on the outside ring of our planet? In my vision, the entire surface was covered in a highly textured network of richness and community. Everyone’s tentacles were wrapped around the planet, linking to each other in a spirit of friendship. Together they created the flow of giving and receiving.
There were cities and forests, fields and livestock. Don’t you just love how the sheep is wearing a sweater made of its wool?
I’m not sure if Tinker Bell is flying around the canvas adding sparkle everywhere, or if it’s being generated by the giving and receiving happening there, but the whole Universe sparkled from an abundance of love and beauty. I used 3-D sparkle paint to outline the beings and mica chips around the outside of the planet (for love and compassion).
I tell ya, when our Guides get together to deliver these mini-movies, it’s fantastic! You can get your own personalized symbol-filled Guided Visual Journey to find answers for questions in your life – click here for more information.
More on the Law of Compensation
Ralph Waldo Emerson wrote that each person is compensated in an identical manner for what he or she has equally contributed.
That can be a lot or a little.
He called this the Law of Compensation – the law of all laws.
Bob Proctor, who you might recognize from the movie “The Secret” explains it more in this video.
So if today is a reflection of what you’ve given in the past, how can your choices today attract what you’d like to receive in the future?
The Law of Compensation in Action
Last Friday, my 16 students graduated from their intensive 5-week English as a Second Language Explore program at Memorial University of Newfoundland. It’s my fifth summer in a row teaching it.
Once again, it’s been such a rewarding summer! I’m not just talking about the very appreciated income. I’m also talking about the fulfillment that comes from fully dedicating myself to my class for 5 weeks.
As anyone who has ever taught will know, the more you give, the more the students will give back. It just warmed my heart to see them embrace what I had to offer and flourish in the environment we created together. That’s not all. The more the students gave, the more they got out of it, and the easier it was for me to teach them.
These super motivated students, mostly from Quebec, won government scholarships to improve their English and experience a different part of Canada. They g0t 16 hours of class a week, plus afternoon and evening activities, workshops, presentations, outings and weekend day-trips. And, of course… homework.
In addition to class prep, I spent much of my free time during the past 5 weeks correcting journals and essays. I know before I start that I won’t be getting much painting or socializing in for 5 weeks. That’s partly my choice. Teaching takes a lot of energy for an introvert like me.
But as I said, it’s so rewarding! I designed a program that’s as much about personal growth as it is about language. I love what I can offer here and the students do too.
My employer has also been very appreciative of my work. She’s offered me special curriculum development projects in the past that tapped into my creativity at times when I needed the income. For example, I got to develop a whole series of listening skills lessons based on inspiring TED Talks. I also developed 3 thematic units that were fun and educational to develop and great to teach this year.
I’m coming to accept that I’m a multipassionate being. I don’t know if I’ll ever be a full-time artist year-round. This year, I only taught ESL for 5 weeks, and it was nice to get out of my hermit cave and explore and express my love of beauty and the beauty of love (my mission) in the classroom.
I’m grateful for it!
I’d love to hear what you think some of these symbols might mean. Pick one (or more) and leave a comment below.
Do you resonate with this Law? Feel free to share your stories. Thanks.
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