You work in acrylics, but your paintings are so cleanly rendered that they appear to be digital. How did you develop such a distinctive style?
There has been a lot of trial and error in my process over the years. In my early days, I was inspired by fantasy and surrealist artists of the late ’60s and early ’70s, such as Salvador Dali, Ernie Barnes, and H.R. Giger. Their work was finely detailed, meticulous, and captivating. It has always been my goal to incorporate these attributes into my own work. I feel that I have made some good progress in my career, but it is only now that I am beginning to truly understand the art of patience.
Your work centers around Black women with wise, serene expressions, who you’ve said are inspired by your ancestors. How does ancestor reverence impact your artwork and your life as a whole?
In 2011, I started working on my first series, which was inspired by Afro-Caribbean folklore. I loved the work that I was doing prior to that, but I had reached a point where I wanted my art to be a part of something much bigger than myself. After many conversations with my family and friends, I began the journey of exploring my ancestry. I was quickly inspired by the folktales, music, and traditions that had been passed down from generation to generation through the ancient art of storytelling.
This story is from the Sep/Oct 2023 edition of Spirituality & Health.
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This story is from the Sep/Oct 2023 edition of Spirituality & Health.
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MY BODY IS A WONDERLAND
If a man is to live, he must be all alive, body, soul, mind, heart, spirit. —Thomas Merton, Thoughts in Solitude
MOMENTS THAT CHANGE THE WORLD
THIS PAST SUNDAY I CRASHED MY BIKE so hard I flew over the handlebars, landed on my head and back, and broke my helmet. Thankfully, my 16-year-old son Patrick was there to make sure I did not try to move my neck or body or let anyone else move me. It felt good that his words were so solid, helpful, and calm with so many people wanting to do something before the ambulance guys took over—and then a CT scan showed nothing broken.
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I recently went to the Art of Living Retreat Center in Boone, North Carolina, a spectacular hilltop retreat in the Blue Ridge Mountains that opened 10 years ago. But I've been curious about the Art of Living and its leader, Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar, for decades. I first encountered followers of Gurudev at the International Spa Association convention in Las Vegas, where I met the creators of Shankara, an Ayurvedic skincare company that is now the heart of the Shankara Spa at the retreat center in Boone. Amidst the bustling Vegas convention, these followers of Gurudev created an island of calm.
HOW TO HOLD OUR ANGER WITH WISDOM
IN UNITY, WE HONOR JESUS AS THE WAY SHOWER. In The Revealing Word: A Dictionary of Metaphysical Terms, Unity cofounder Charles Fillmore expressed that Jesus “came to awaken us to the possibilities of his own nature.” He noted that Jesus “had an insight into those things that are ever mysteries to those immersed in the sense consciousness,” including “judgments based on outer appearances” that “produce discordant thoughts, jealousies, and a host of limiting beliefs.” Fillmore further stated that Jesus was the “representative of a thoroughly organized plan to help humanity into a higher realization of God and its relationship to Him.”So what about that time in the temple when Jesus lost his cool? Was that part of the “thoroughly organized plan” or “a higher realization of God”?
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ANCIENT HEALTH SECRETS
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