People travel to wonder at the height of mountains, at the huge waves of the sea, at the long courses of rivers, at the vast compass of the ocean, at the circular motion of the stars; and they pass by themselves without wondering.
–St. Augustine
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This is a new painting, a 12″ by 36″ canvas that is titled Treasure Island. For me, this has nothing to do with the Robert Louis Stevenson book of the same title with Long John Silver and his pirate crew. Oh, there’s an element of treasure in this piece, from the golden tones of the crown of the central figure of the island tree to the rich and regal color of the sky.
But what I see in this piece is really more about introspection and the discovery of an inner wealth. It’s a theme I often see in my work, this idea of finding what we are and are not , celebrating those qualities we possess rather than lamenting our deficiencies. This evaluation of self creates a sovereign realm within us, one that is a safe haven from the intrusion of the outer world, one that lets our strengths flower and grow in an unfettered way.
That sounds like a lot of mumbo-jumbo and maybe it is. But I do see this as a painting that speaks about inner strength and celebrating what we are on our own terms. About controlling those things we value in ourselves and not letting others define us. We are all small islands containing all different sorts of wealth, if only we would take the time to look. Look inward then let your own wealth shine outward, whatever it might be.
Redtree Times 