ECLIPSE

ECLIPSE

This painting was done in response to my husband’s passing on the night of the eclipse in August 2017. As an art therapist I knew it was important to express the depth of my loss, and the primal nature of the eclipse seemed to be the perfect metaphor.

The dark circle of swirling blues and purples with touches of red represents the intense emotions of our relationship and suffering, also its wholeness, as the moon passed over the sun darkening the world with an eerie light. But the sun was still there, only temporarily obscured, and painting those bright rays helped me to see that this too will pass.  As I wondered how to complete the dark area around the sun I thought about how my world seemed suddenly fractured so I began making many broken lines in ochre in the darkness.  When I finished and stood back I saw that these broken lines actually had life and personality and decided they must represent angels, friends, thoughts and prayers, everything that was supporting me through this time.  We are not alone.