Heart Chakra (2020)
I made this painting when my husband was healing from a heart attack. I wanted to make a painting as a thank you to the healing energies for saving him through treatment.
I have been practising yoga for the last 11 to 12 years and have benefited enormously from it. While I do all the physical exercises required in yoga, I also do the mental exercises. I came across this heart chakra as part of my studies of yoga and was inspired to make my own version of this vital energy point. I did use the traditional image but added an electro-cardiogram on the right side. I also combined the image with various elements symbolising health. This includes an image of apples and a twelve petaled lotus flower that is traditionally linked to the heart chakra. The heart chakra lotus is often depicted with leaves that are filled in with green shades. Int this artwork I wanted the lotus flower to be brighter. Consequently, I included neon orange and yellow to make the heart chakra pop out more strongly.
When the painting was finished, I hung it in a place in our bedroom where my husband could see it while he was recovering in bed. This painting lit up our room with positive energy and made me feel good as well.
I showed this painting to my husband’s heart specialist who reacted very positively towards the image. I promised him that I will make a smaller version for his tiny consultation room.
My mother, who is a tapestry weaver, really liked this painting. She made a beautiful tapestry based on it that is just the same size as the original. It is included here.