Friday, June 10, 2005




A Sacred Place

The title in this painting refers to both a physical and spiritual place. The physical place is in Southern Alberta. Trees can be found in clumps, usually planted by people as windbreaks (the plains were kept naturally treeless by the movement of the buffalo), but single trees can be found dotting the landscape. This is such a tree. I used to go this tree quite often to sit under its windswept branches, listening to the whispering wind that could suddenly become a roar. No matter the strength of that wind, however, there would always be a little peace and calm found at the base of tree, cradled by the roots. I have seen this tree frozen with the winter, blossoming with the first breath of spring, radiant in it's full green glory, and crowned with gold, beautiful and wise.

The spiritual place referred to by the title is found in our relationship with the other life in this world, and our relationship to what many people name God. It is when we stand in the balance that we have found our centre, our own eternal and instant moments of clarity and quiet. I do not doubt that we are known, or that even a tree does not note our passing. In fact, I believe that when we are open, we can see the dance of the cosmos, and the face of nature.

I am not sure how old the tree is, a hundred years...maybe more, and I am not sure if it was there first, but surrounding it is a Medicine Wheel, marked out by stones. There are lines of smaller stones radiating out from the initial circle, pointing to other places of power and healing. I don't know where these other places might be as I never followed the directions laid out on the soil and I'm not sure if anyone else ever came to this place besides me, but I never was compelled to find out.

One Sacred Place was enough for me.

2 comments:

Aaron Paquette said...

lol

no worries.

NO, I've never painted a whale. I think it's a great idea. I'll start thinking about it, I like this challenge.

Aaron Paquette said...

I will.