Unfurling with song-sweet delight
Into fragrant heartfelt optimism
The miraculous regeneration that occurs every spring never ceases to astound and enchant me. As the season unfolds, each succeeding leaf and flower opening is a cause for celebration - and an affectionate reunion with dear friends.
Perhaps my all time favorite combination of wildflowers, blooming together in late April to early May, is that of Bluebells, Red Campion and Greater Stichwort, especially alongside unfurling bracken fronds.
This year, a pair of blackbirds nested right outside my studio door, so their comings and goings have also woven into this mandala, along with dear Jenny Wren and an abundance of tadpoles, legacy of a gorgeous grandmother frog who frequented the tiny pond in our polytunnel.
I've been increasingly alarmed by the decline in insect numbers and species over the past ten years, most worryingly the bees, and most noticeably (perhaps because of their size and beauty) the butterflies. Imagine the emptiness of a world without these fairy-like wonders flitting around! An orange tip delighted my eyes just as I sat pondering the top left hand area of this painting. Each tiny thing, intrinsic to the whole.
Extinction Rebellion and Greta Thunberg's inspirational speeches were a background to this work. A groundswell of changing awareness, acknowledging the huge uncertainty about our shared future. An ever keener edge of unknowing creeping in to threaten familiar rhythms. The precipice almost reached.
In 1988 I understood we were in the 59th minute of the 11th hour in terms of ecological disaster. It turns out that minute has lasted a lot longer than I could have imagined, and learning how to live well within the shadow of climate change, with adaptive capacity on full time amber alert, has been a lifetime's work.
Yet a positive, if profoundly poignant, offshoot of 'waking up' to all that we stand to lose, is a sharpened appreciation of all that we truly value, bringing the things that matter in life into clearer focus.
Living as if each day may be the last is a profound practice - with gratitude our most humble prayer - towards deeper mindfulness and attentive presence.
Beneath the plants and animals of this painting, is an infrastructure of hexagonal geometry known as the 'Flower of Life'. This patterning is ancient, arising from nature to describe nature - including ourselves - as an interdependant, inter-connected whole. It's message is simple:
The closer we get to experiencing wholeness, the greater our chances of thriving in Life.