The world has become unrecognizable.
I am at a loss for words.
I take refuge in brush, to color, to canvas, to paper—
peering through the veil; seeking beauty; revealing connections.
The world has become unrecognizable.
I am beyond words.
Truth be told, plenty of thoughts have been swirling in my mind. However, I have struggled to pull them together regarding the cruel, upside-down reality of Trump-Muskian lawlessness. I want to express my feelings without simply repeating the multiple horrors or resorting to an angry rant. This is the real basis of my current struggle with words.
Yet an idea hatched recently of how to proceed. So I’ll be back in April, after FAR’s much-needed March break, looking at our current-day crisis through a mythological lense.
For now, I leave you with these images—results of my attempts to maintain agency and positivity.
The above painting came about by a combination of a couple of different inspirations. During Imbolc, celebrated on February 1-2, I envisioned a painting depicting Celtic Goddess Brigid as a snake emerging into the growing light, marking the beginning of her reign over the light half of the year. I always love Imboc—the midpoint between the Winter Solstice and the Spring Equinox—with its promise of Spring soon to come.
At the same time, I have been working to establish my new service, Creativity Coaching. This process has involved launching a Substack newsletter focused on unleashing personal creativity, creating affordable downloadable products to support creative expression, and making my one-on-one coaching services and products available online.
Having just completed a four-week thematic journaling prompts document, journaling was fresh on my mind. While revisiting some of my sketch pads and journals from my years as an artist, I discovered a sketch that inspired visions of bright skies and sacred geometry. This sketch intertwined with my reflections on Imbolc, leading to the creation of Awakening to the Light, the painting seen above.
This painting, Mountain Light, is another one I completed during this winter of uncertainty and upheaval. It grew out of a tiny, quick sketch I made while camping in the high mountains of Colorado in the summer of 2023. Despite the crazy, rainy conditions of the trip, one night the skies cleared briefly, revealing stars shining brightly over the mountains below. That moment was filled with awe and wonder.
I hope these images serve as a reminder of the beauty that surrounds us, even in the midst of difficult times. Art has a unique way of capturing moments of light and inspiration, helping us to find solace and hope. May these paintings inspire you to seek out and embrace the beauty in your own life, no matter the challenges we all face today.
View Judith’s art on her website, Judith Shaw Art
Here’s a direct link to Judith’s oracle decks and fairytale. Click here
Subscribe to Judith’s Substack and get her posts on creativity delivered directly into your inbox—it’s free. Click here
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Beautiful paintings!
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Thanks Esther
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You know Judith, because I listen to NO news the particular horrors confronting us remain in the heavy dark cloud that oppresses me even as it hangs over all of our heads. Where do we go with this? You have one answer and so do I. Actually we have the same answer. ART – look at your inspiring paintings -they are beautiful! My favorite is the mountain – I love what you do with the stars….My art is nature – every morning before dawn I listen for the first bird – this morning it was raven whose low croak is such a soothing sound though his flight was hidden by trees…. one jay followed and then the chickadees and I stood outside in 34 degree temps just breathing in the pale pink clouds and the blue dawning standing in rain – sodden snow – a moment of pure grace. My point; nature is art and art is nature and taking refuge in what we love is about the most we can do. First Light is my favorite festival too – though here it heralds not spring but heavy snows and or flooding – my most unfavorite month – male bears emerge if it’s mild for a brief sojourn…yesterday I heard the first mating calls of the titmouse – and watched lone Robin snacking on old berries – there is always something – a FAR contributor wrote me about a novel she was writing where an egalitarian culture emerged…. another creative act -imagining may help – I don’t have any answers but focusing on what is BEAUTIFUL is an antidote to despair – and I am grateful to be living in the place where inspiration comes naturally…. May we all find solace, wonder and meaning in the beauty…
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I don’t have any answers either Sara and I agree with you that focusing on beauty is our only antidote to despair. I always love reading your posts with your deeply connected and beautifully phrased depictions of the natural world you are immersed in.
I believe that the more and more of us who focus on beauty and love that affects not only our own consciousness, but group consciousness as well. It’s not easy to be alive in times of great transformation, that’s for sure, but the world will change for the better only when our cultural consciousness changes to one which respects nature and all its beings and understands that we are all connected. Your wanderings and musings help bring that into the world!
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Judith, Your art does exactly the same thing it reflects a rendering of beauty that is all your own and I look forward to your offerings with the same enthusiasm that your look forward to with mine!… I don’t know that what we do will make a difference in the tortorous mechanized world we live in – but not doing it – well – we might as well be dead.
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by the way I got unhooked from you in FB – how about sending me a friend request?
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I love your art! You have a unique style like no other. I love the celestial sacred geometry. Reminds me of an African painting I always admired, with seven suns in the sky. Your art feels both grounded and transcendent.
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Annelinde, thank you so much for your kind words about my work. Your statement, “Your art feels both grounded and transcendent.” really touches my heart as my intention with all of my work is to express the eternal connection between body, soul and spirit.
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Thank you, Judith. I actually wrote a post on my personal blog expressing similar sentiments — of how the horrors unfolding around us are beyond words and the need to seek refuge and inspiration in beauty. I lack your artistic talents, however, so I very much appreciate your paintings.
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Beth, looks like kindred souls have similar thoughts. Thanks for appreciating my art. I know you have your own talents and creative outlets that I’m sure are a refuge for you in these difficult days.
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Thank you for this post, Judith! Your words and images are medicine for the soul!
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Greetings,
The first image is awesome!! Congratulations..
being a yoga practitioner I interpreted it as we need to come out from human impurities. e.g.
holy bible is full of this wisdom, verses Ecclesiastes 12 7,5 17 Genesis3 15, 1 Cor 6.13 …Isaiah 22.22. etc.
during BIblical times people used to go fasting 40 days ,in mountains..
In modern world we have medical science to help us with this regards.. fasting in present world seems life threatening.
Best Regards,mkyogi
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Hi MK Yogi,
Glad you resonate with Awakening to the Light. I love the way art can be interpreted in so many ways by different viewers, yet with a thread that connects the differences. I am a yoga practitioner also – one of the other things that helps me maintain my center in difficult times.
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OH YES, Judith! They do, “I hope these images serve as a reminder of the beauty that surrounds us, even in the midst of difficult times. Art has a unique way of capturing moments of light and inspiration, helping us to find solace and hope. May these paintings inspire you to seek out and embrace the beauty in your own life, no matter the challenges we all face today.” They do!
Sawbonna,
Margot/Raven Speaks.
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Thanks Margot, As hard as it is to realize that we now live in a country which is in a historical moment of dictatorial control, I know all of us here at FAR will continue seeking beauty, harmony and love.
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