Lifeline
“Lifeline” was one of my earliest abstracts painted in 1996. I had become obsessed with the idea of the soul, and I desperately wanted to try to picture it, sketch it, and define it. The soul seemed so intangible, something that couldn’t be seen or touched even though it felt like the very essence of who I was. I needed something from my physical surroundings to act as an allegory, so I turned to the landscape and abstract painting to address the intangible in a tangible way. “Lifeline” acts as a snapshot of what I envisioned my soul would look like if it were a landscape.
I chose shades of green to represent my soul in a state of growth, while the spaces in the composition showed that was more room to explore within. Not all elements of the soul are fully realized, some parts remain hidden for a later time. There are aspects that are solid while others are vaporous and ethereal. The soul is in constant flux, the snapshot will never look the same. There is a thin red line that I used to remind the viewer that the soul is tied to the body while here on earth. For me, it also represented the blood of Christ that has brought my soul new life and new growth.
It’s worth noting that I had many influences while creating this painting, art is rarely created in a vacuum. In high school I was exposed to the work of Georgia O’Keeffe and instantly fell in love with her use of flowers. In my own way, I abstracted the iris flower to create the composition. At this time in 1996 I was studying Rococo Art and was influenced by Fragonard’s use of green in his landscapes. In addition, while working on a preliminary watercolor sketch for this painting, I happened to be watching the movie Twister. There is a detail in this painting that resembles a tornado on its side.
“Lifeline”, 24'“x24”, Oil on Canvas, 1996, Private Collection Durham, NC
Paintings Find Their Owners, Even If It Takes Years.
Ironically, this painting of my soul was with me for more than 25 years. It felt like it had become a part of the fabric of who I was. It travelled with me in all of my moves and adorned the walls in multiple homes. “Lifeline” was also included in many of my exhibits and became a conversation piece. So many people were intrigued by it, but it never found a buyer. Finally, in 2022, I was part of a studio called the 1703 Collective in Durham and “Lifeline” was hanging in my studio there. We had a new artist that joined us. One night she told me that this painting really resonated with her and wanted to know the story. Immediately, she connected with it. This artist, Caitlin Schmitt, also addresses the soul in her paintings and does massage and bodywork as a profession. It was a perfect fit. “Lifeline” had finally found its forever home.