IN THE GARDEN
Nature always reminds me that the outer world is utterly connected to the inner world. Because of the pandemic I’ve spent time painting things seen in the garden surrounding my studio. The garden’s transient beauty is always a teacher. Birds and butterflies also appear in these paintings, their fleeting visits and easy flight suggest a boundless freedom of spirit. The Bird Path paintings, refer to a phrase Zen Buddhists use to describe a spiritual journey. A bird’s flight follows no visible path in the air and leaves no evidence of its track behind. Yet, even without a physical trace of its flight, it has offered its share of grace. These works were not conceived as shallow or naïve escapism in the face of existent turmoil and adversity. I hope they are not received as such. They are intended to serve as an entrance to a tender space where compassion, connection, and fortitude can arise. Given challenges on all fronts, we need places of beauty, pause, and renewal more than ever.