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Acrylic on canvas, 1993, 29" x 58"
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"...water signifies rebirth in the archetypes of literature and visual art. To journey through water takes one from mundane to holy and from mortality to potency." --Ellen Holtzblatt
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This painting began with an old woman moving towards a skeleton doing a yoga twist at the bottom of a pool. In the space between them, I decided to put the swimmer's shadow. Just as I was completing the piece, the baby burst forth and light filled the water. For me it is a journey into my own psyche and an entrance into third age spirituality.
Water and pools were prominent in my art from 1985-1991 as I observed and adjusted to a new life in Southern California. My husband (who has so many times seen me doing laps) titled this painting Sharing the Lap Lane. The waters of life belong to all of us and are the essential component of our bodies as well as a symbol of rebirth. I think of life as something we swim through, stroke by stroke; we have to trust that the water will hold us and bring us to what lies ahead.
As a society we must learn to confront the unknown with grace and honesty. As elders, if we can find the courage to face death, perhaps our offspring can find the courage to embrace life.
"What knowing we will come to reveals itself as we go along. In all livingkind, loss brings a full gain... Our work is to interpret this life/death/life cycle." --Clarissa Pinkola Estes
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