Art: ~ M Y : M O T O N U I ~

Seaglass and ink on driftwood (2020)

This piece is inspired by Norwegian explorer Thor Heyerdahl’s 1947 voyage with the Kon Tiki raft across the Pacific Ocean from South America to Rapa Nui/Easter Island. Thousands of years before Moana, Motu Nui was the home to the world's first great navigators, able to find their way solely by the constellations of the stars and the currents and temperatures of the water. The Polynesian islanders used sophisticated wayfinding techniques and knowledge passed by oral tradition from master to student, often in the form of song.

This is a tribute to all explorers of inner and outer waters, and the adventurous spirit of the child, with the curiosity and determination to find out what lies beyond the vast horizons.. The outer journey also represents the inner search for HOME, our deepest source of love and belonging – as put by Heyerdahl: “You will find paradise in your own heart”.

This piece began appearing in 2006, on a voyage from Madeira to the Canary Islands. The pieces of polished sea glass are collected from all over the world ~ from the shores of Lebanon, Scotland, Fuerteventura, Ula, Brazil, Japan, France, Morocco.. The driftwood was found in Viksfjord, Norway, and has been with me on my travels for many years, functioning as an altar-piece, drawing board and bedside table. The unified image holds the fragmented pieces of my own heroine’s journey and heart, finally coming together in a natural expression of wholeness and ethereal beauty..

Which compass are you navigating your inner waters with?

・。.・゜✭・.・✫・゜・。.

The White Tara

The art below is a traditional Nepali 'thangka', a Tibetan Buddhist scroll painting, often with Buddhas or mandalas. THANG KA is a Tibetan word meaning ‘recorded message’.

This piece is dedicated to the Goddess Tara - an archetype of our own inner wisdom. She guides and protects us as we navigate the depths of our unconscious minds, helping us to transform consciousness, our own personal journeys of freedom. Reminding us of our ‘oneness’ with all of creation and the importance of nurturing the spirit within.

Traditionally, Tibetan monks and lamas used the thangkas to instruct the Buddhist Dharma teachings to the nomadic population. As they are scroll paintings, they were easily transported and unrolled, for example in a village far from the monastery. The villagers would gather in the main square around the lama, who would point (with a stick) at the different parts of the thangka and to illustrate his stories.

Adopted by Buddhism, Tara become the most widely revered deity in the Tibetan pantheon. In Buddhist tradition, Tara is actually much greater than a Goddess — She is a female Buddha, an enlightened one was has attained the highest wisdom, capability and compassion. One who can take human form and who remains in oneness with the every living thing. In the legends of Tibet where the worship of the Goddess Tara is still practiced in the Buddhist tradition, it is told that the Goddess Tara is the feminine counterpart of the Avalokitesvara, the Bodhisattva who is reincarnated as the Dalai Lama.

Tara’s themes are Universal Unity, peace, cooperation, destiny, energy and spirituality. In Hindu mythology, Tara is a star Goddess who encompasses all time and the spark of life. She extends this energy to us, fulfilling our spiritual hunger. In so doing, Tara strengthens our understanding of the Universe and its mysteries and gives us a glimpse of our destiny.

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