Sometimes in life we think that we are headed in one direction only to discover that spirit is leading us to another place far beyond our imagining. This is an account of that kind of a day that set things in motion for what is destined to evolve into an amazing journey. Travel along with us and enjoy!
---With love, Shera & Nila
______________________________________________________
It was the eleventh day of February in 2011 and a beautiful Friday morning in Santa Barbara, California. The sun was warm, the sky, brilliant blue and something in the breeze foretold of the mysteries that were about to unfold on that day. As artists, Nila and I had recently felt called to paint together and that maybe the work should be on the same canvas. So how was that going to work out? We weren't sure but we we're open to the experience. And so with art supplies at the ready and anticipation in our hearts the day began.
The canvas was set up on an easel in Nila’s yard, painted orange and ready to go. The color orange relating to the second chakra, abundance and joy, was the perfect base on which to begin. Interestingly, as we tried to get started, the two little dogs that Nila was watching kept escaping from the yard. Cute as they were, this was definitely a distraction. Maybe in the greater scheme of things, they were there to help, as a distraction from ourselves.
Things calmed down and we began to move into the flow. Our “art studio” was flooded with sunlight, immersed in nature and surrounded by the bounty of trees filled with fragrant, juicy fruits of lemon, orange and tangerine. Color and spirit lead the way as we began to move in a synchronized dance of sacred expression and movement and soul and light. The canvas turned and turned again. There was no preconceived plan as to what was to be painted and all that we knew was that abundance and joy were wanting to be expressed. Joy... what does joy look like.... we continued to move deeper into the moment....
Then, with a bold stroke a woman suddenly started to appear on the canvas. She’s leaning over, she’s kneeling......... she’s praying........ We continued to work in tandem, weaving in and out of the various spaces of color and form. As our brushes moved through space and time more began to be revealed... the sacred fire... an earthen vessel... and the birthing of new growth. A blanket appeared to honor the ancestors and the sun began to shine on her back offering the support of another day.
We continued on until we felt complete and then we stopped, knowing all at once that the work was done. It was then that we stepped back in awe, amazed at what had been created, as if the painting had just appeared out of thin air. The energy coming from the art work was overwhelming. As we sat in communion with “the women” listening and looking for the messages that she wanted to share, we received a blessing from three red-tailed hawks that circled above us for moments on end. It seemed as if they too felt called to linger in the presence of the energy that had been that day created.
We now know that we have come together to channel and share this powerful, sacred work as it is called forth. We will continue to create together from sacred space, allowing spirit to move through us onto canvas to then be shared in service to the world. The journey has begun. As for me, this is my life coming full circle... and for Nila, it is a dream come true.
---- written by Shera Summer
