Finding Serenity

Each circle in this painting is symbolic of being whole and complete, and not being drawn into the turbulence happening all around you. It’s about seeing life clearly, as it truly is. It’s navigating the positive and negative forces surrounding you, while at the same time remaining centered and finding your own inner peace.

I drew the mandala inside one of the circles to represent the meditative state, and how it can reveal your deeper feelings. When I meditate, one of my favorite visualizations is to picture a shower of golden energy that surrounds your body and recharges you. In this painting, the gold leaf and gold paint symbolize healing and revitalization.

They also symbolize the bright shimmering of sunlit leaves. Here in Colorado, the light in fall tends to have a warm glow, and that inspired the sunny yellow and red colors in the painting, set against a sky that grows just a little bit lighter as the weather cools.

Despite the chaotic and organic background, the circles in this painting possess a feeling of calm stillness. They are gentle and peaceful without being completely isolated. They have assimilated the other colors and made them their own, while remaining whole among the turmoil. They have found serenity.