BE STILL MY SOUL

This piece was inspired by the ground beneath a large boulder I saw while hiking the escarpment. It’s one of my favourite places on the trail to stop and take a breath. My eyes love to study this giant boulder, its form and how it balances on the uneven terrain. It sits in a clearing and when the sun is shining - all sorts of unseen planes and forms come alive. Ironically, it (the boulder) looks similar to one I would have recurring dreams about as a kid. It would roll on top of me and my body would fight it, struggle, and eventually, my breath would become laboured as I accept the thought that it would take my breath away completely. Then I would wake up with all the expected manifestations: light headiness, sore chest, and exhaustion. Only a handful of times has this dream returned as an adult. As I started painting this composition my intentions were to stay true to its original earthly colour palette - but as the painting progressed - a more hopeful landscape began to emerge. The quiet place under the rock was revealing itself more as a landscape of renewed vision. The deep crevasse, open to receive the warmth of the glowing embers far into the horizon. I see this landscape as an analogy of my dream. A dream not meant to torment, but to remind me that ultimately, Life wins.