lizzy forrester - Rooted Gallery
Painting, Photography
The title or concept of this Competition "Rooted" conjures up in my mind, as I imagine with most people, the perception of ourselves existing on the physical plane, living life sometimes feeling "trapped" in our physical bodies.
Being anchored to the ground is the one thing we all share, and as such, being grounded or rooted, we learn to "navigate" our way through life. Many who have felt trapped in this physical existence throughout history, (mystics or not) have sought to portray their interpretation of it through drawings / paintings - fine art, the written word - poetry, drama, novel - literature in general.
For many the idea of "soaring" captures such frustrations, the soul or our spiritual or life energy, on a very different plane to the physical, seems to always reach up, and yearn to break away, or out of, physical form; I used to feel like this, but learned to overcome it or transcend it through my spirituality, buddhism and meditation: I embrace nature and my surroundings, I love and cherish living in the physical.
Meditation, a quietening of the mind, is learning not to grasp and keep hold of thought: The sensation is that the physical dissolves as the mind's incessant chaotic activity simply slows down, gradually disappearing like a cloud that slowly breaks up and disintigrates to leave only a clear blue sky.
Most I think would agree that the only way to escape from the physical, or this sensation of being trapped, is through setting one's mind free.
So, meditation works for me, but has many names: Prayer, chanting, dance (the spinning of the Dervishes) hypnotism, for some the simple excercise of reading a good book can give enough freedom from an otherwise tedious, mundane existence. For others, drugs provide a risky option.
I consider myself very fortunate. Using Classical Music or meditation as a tool, I have learned to channel my creativity and found in that a freedom;
Here I am able to marry this freedom of spirit with my great love of nature itself; I percieve nature as a living force, a vital energy and this is my source of inspiration in my work and life which at last has found it's way to self manifest.
I began painting in October 2006, fittingly following my 1st spiritual retreat. A self taught artist, I admire above all am influenced enormously by the great Masters the impressionists: