Lea

The Sun ft. Elegua

Oil on canvas

I’ve been working on this painting for a bit over a year now. It’s almost done!!

There were some truly beautiful synchronicities along the way.

Last year I went to an art workshop, worked on a small painting but that moment reignited my desire to express myself on a canvas. I used to love painting and I didn’t realize I missed it so much. Acknowledging and reclaiming this as a part of myself has been so healing in terms of my identity and self-perception.

Being a reflection of summer, youth, creativity, self-expression, fun, play, Leo, the Sun has long been my favourite Tarot card. Last year, I would see it as a backdrop tapestry on this one lady’s lives. And I just loved it so much I decided I would paint it.

Then as I started working on it, I discovered Robert J. Gilbert (RIP) who spoke on Rosicrucianism, sacred geometry, the solar logos, and Archangel Michael, who he related to the energy of the Sun and described as cosmopolitan. I use that word to describe myself. He spoke of the Rose and the Lily as sacred geometry symbols. Something here struck a deep chord.

Then he suddenly passed away, just a few days away from my birthday. In the days leading up, I kept seeing his face pop up in my mind, and on my feed, but I just assumed that it was a prompt to explore his work more.

As I worked on it longer, the child represented in the Tarot card revealed himself to be Elegua, the Yoruba deity of paths, roads and destiny, often depicted as a young boy or trickster figure. The red feather on his head emblematic of one of the stories recounted about him. As I detailed the boy, I often thought of my son, his lively, silly, mischievous energy and character. That must have permeated the image because strangely enough he would come up to me and ask if it was him!

My inner child is so happy ☺️☺️

Edit: I realized this painting was a sort of creative initiation process and portal connected to my Sag 5H stellium