4 minute read
Connect With Your Heart
By Sonal Raje
The relief and childlike awe that we feel as we see the first green shoots of spring bursting forth from the dry land or the snow after a long winter. That joy in our heart as the earth starts a new season of life and hope. The lush green meadows in summer, feeling the grass beneath our feet, and the soothing canopy of a tree as we sit in the shade on a warm afternoon. Oh, the joy that the colour green brings us through spring and summer! All the shades of green get poured on my artists palette: Olive green. sap green, emerald green, viridian green, leaf green…. would I ever be able to capture all the shades of green in nature on my canvas? When I paint with this colour, it is with such an expansive feeling, as if giving birth to life right here on the canvas!
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Green brings to mind the trees, leaves and grass, so full of life and just filled with the nurturing of Mother Earth. Green is a combination of blue and yellow: a cool colour and a warm colour, so it is the perfect balance of energy. The various shades of green from the brilliant emerald green to the earthy sap and olive green fill our heart with the sense that we are nurturing the precious life force within us.
When I began my journey as an artist, I started with painting landscapes. The connection between the scenes that I saw in front of my eyes and what I captured on my canvas was a very personal experience for me. At that point I was not thinking of who will see that painting or want to own it. I just painted because I was inspired to. I think that was the most joyful way that I have ever painted. Then as I studied art and took it as a career, I had to think about where am I going to show my art or who is going to appreciate it? Then came the process of showing and marketing the work. Do I enjoy it? Well, yes and no. I like it because it creates connections, and I get to learn about how I can improve my art. And there is always so much to learn. But I am uncomfortable when the process of marketing does not feel authentic. Looking back, I think I should thank this feeling because it led me to develop strategies that felt are more heart centered. Now I feel that when people learn or buy art from me, I am giving them something of value that is not just a material possession, but a tool or means of joy and empowerment.
Green is about connections. The viewer of your painting perceives it according to his or her imagination. In my experience as an abstract artist, I always leave it up to the viewer to come up with their own interpretation of my creation. The connection from the artist to the art and to the viewer is a very individual process. As I started to teach art, this experience of connection has taken on a new dimension. I like to teach in a way that allows for individual expression. When I see my students create the same paintings in their own individual way, I feel that we are creating our own reality in the way that is relevant to us. Teaching art has always been a two-way street for me. I have learned so much from my students as I teach. This give-andtake is the very basis of connection. This is the green energy of the heart center, from where we send and receive love. As a creator of art, I love to share my creations and teach others to create. This is my way of fostering connections in the community. The smiles on my students as they hold up their paintings proudly is of so much more value to me than displaying my own art in a gallery. I feel grateful to be given this opportunity of sharing my skills and spreading the joy of expressive art and creating joy and connections, within the community.
