Exploring Breadth and Depth of The Infinite Inner Landscape

I attended a small private Quaker liberal arts college in North Carolina. The school is 187 years old. The Underground Railroad ran through the woods on this spacious campus. Quakers have historically spoken out against War, as pacifist. They offered social work and political support to the mentally ill who were in past generations simply put in jail. An unprogrammed meeting (what they call their religious weekly experience of community) encourages the group to come together in an austere meeting house to meditate. And then as the spirit moves them, to stand and speak the wisdom of what they are reflecting upon.

The teachers and ideas I was exposed to were remarkably progressive at the time. I was reading The Handmaid’s Tale 2 years after it was published. And exposed to the feminist POV of painter Judy Chicago and Miriam Shapiro. Carl Jung, Teilhard de Chardin, James Joyce, William Blake were deeply influential thinkers for me, during these formative years. I enjoyed the act of delving below the surface, in search of meaning. And awaking to new insights, pushing beyond the horizon line.

Now at mid-life, I can see that I have continually pushed my sensitive self beyond the sleepy comfortable place to encounter a wide range of experiences both within and without. Outwardly, I have travelled on many continents and enjoyed exploring undeveloped third world countries, steeped in tradition, spirituality and the extremes of natural beauty. Patagonia is my favorite place on earth. I lived in Homer Alaska. For a decade, I climbed, skied, backpacked all over out West in hard to get to mountain ranges. And sea kayaked through the PNW islands. Mountain biked through the desert. Spent time living in a teepee - well decorated, of course!

At the same time, I also meditated on mesas and have practiced yoga for 25 years. On West coast retreats, I have explored eastern philosophy in search of answers about karma, the role of the Ego and the meaning of suffering. The deeper I have explored meditation on a regular basis the more I would on occasion experience the mystical. Calming of the analytical left brain has opened up a whole other part of the mental landscape through the right side - the feminine, yin energy. Yin is receptive, cool, unfolding, a winding path of allowing. Just as I have explored the globe, I have adventurously opened myself to the inner world. I found talk therapy produced insights for me about family patterns but the intellect blocked allowance for experiencing emotions. Spirituality bypasses the mind for a deeper experience beyond thought. This is how Intuition can be further developed.

And as intuition develops, one learns to access a sense of knowing that bypasses all of the tedious linear steps of exploration to create a mental concept that is wholistic - philosophical and emotional. And here I believe is a source of abstract art. And furthermore, in meditation, I have discovered that moving into with comfort the place called “The Void” beyond ego chatter, one can float freely into underlying Universal energy. And feel connection to all that is. I have witnessed more than once imagery similar to what the Web Telescope produces. I have come to think that the Universe’s energetic flow is a circular fountain that moves from inner to outer and back again. A giant arching circle. Last night, I woke up in a meditative state. And with eyes closed saw moving shapes and colors - mini paintings were presenting themselves. Immersed in Georgia O’Keefe’s visual abstract world yesterday, I’m not surprised. Followed last night by a beautiful fall-like walk through the mountain-desert landscape here. I’ve come to realize that my adventurous open spirit has allowed me to explore the breadth and depth of Universal existence. I’m hoping to merge these two worlds through the Art I create - from starting in the concrete with what I see and moving in to the intuitive by what I sense is true and capturing the movement of energy that I feel. And I would like to represent the form and light and beauty that Nature bestows upon us daily. Art I think with patience can capture it all. (Above an exploratory painting from last Sunday.)