This painting is part of a series of paintings inspired by some beautiful words by the poet Mary Oliver:
“Today I’m flying low and I’m not saying a word.
I’m letting all the voodoos of ambition sleep.
The world goes on as it must, the bees in the garden rumbling a little,
the fish leaping, the gnats getting eaten. And so forth.
But I’m taking the day off. Quiet as a feather.
I hardly move though really I’m traveling a terrific distance.
Stillness. One of the doors into the temple.”
Mary Oliver, A Thousand Mornings.
I made most of the pieces in this series, during the coronavirus crisis. With so many going through such worrying and difficult times, I tried to keep positive and focus on what there is to be grateful for. Consciously turning the Mary Oliver words over in my mind as I worked in my studio, creating moments of joy and connection which I hope you will enjoy.
These gorgeously textured paintings are about being open to wonder, about stopping and being still, smelling the flowers and listening to the birds singing. In some pieces you’ll see references to the lotus flower, which blooms out of the mud with no sign of dirt on its petals.
