Nature’s Icons
“I would rather be in the mountains thinking of God,
than in church thinking about the mountains.”
- John Muir
Whether you find yourself in a faith tradition, or are spiritual but not religious, or simply marvel at nature's many wonders, I hope you sense, as I do, that the idea behind Muir’s quote rings true. For so many of us, nature is the place where we encounter and experience the sacred in our lives. We find ourselves drawn to...actively seeking out wild places... and desire grows in us to care for the habitat, and the creatures who dwell there. My impetus for a series based on the symbolism of traditional icons comes from my experiences, along with the urgent imperative calling to each of us, right now, to wake up to our imperiled world.
Icons have been a focal point in prayer and meditation for centuries, depicting figures painted by hand, layer upon layer. Each figure gazes out at you, inviting you to see in and through the figure as a gateway into the sacred beyond. St. Francis is often shown with a bird and squirrel, but I have never seen an icon of an animal figure alone. Still, I know the surprise of watching a bird or meeting a bird’s gaze, and being pulled into a deeper and more real place; awakening to nature's divine beauty. I hope as you view my icon paintings, you might recall your own experiences and be invited to seek out and care for all wild places, and the plants and animals inhabiting them.
“Go out, go out I beg of you
And taste the beauty of the wild.
Behold the miracle of the earth
With all the wonder of a child.”
- Edna Jaques
