Painting: ‘Metamorphosis’
Painted for Diana Terrones, 2010 – 2011
This painting was a work in progress for over a year. It mixes Aboriginal & Mayan symbols, with a literal twist.
At the centre of the painting is my spine and pelvis (life size, taken from Xrays), making the focus of the painting about me and all the symbols around it relating to aspects of my life.
Top left is the symbol representing a ‘resting place’. In this painting it signifies the daily life I was leading with all the accumulated past and assumed future that is required to feel you have arrived at a place where you would like to stay.
As this aspect of life begins to melt away into nothing, a tenuous tendril of hope starts to form the Mayan symbol (top right) representing clarity and awareness that leads to enlightenment and divinity.
On the bottom left, a rainbow that represents the circle of light in unity and harmony, in this painting signifies the broad spectrum of facets that make up a person’s health and wellbeing. On the right, the digging sticks represent work and labour and in this painting signify working life.
As both my health and my work started to break down from where they were, they melt into a puddle and drip towards a new state represented by the Mayan symbol for balance and putting things to rest (bottom middle).
The monochrome painting is very me and characteristic of the extreme way I tend to view things and live life. I have captured the very essence of me in the colour choice and of course, I feel very calmed by this painting.
This painting took over a year to complete, as a working progress of my journey towards a new period in my life and a new home.
It hangs near the front door and is the first thing I see when I come in, letting me know that I am welcome here.