Original painting; custom-framed. Watercolor and ink on paper.

Total outer frame dimensions: 14x18”

Domestic orders only please; for international shipping please contact me.

CONCEPT:

In Jewish tradition, the holy of holies is the name for the innermost sanctum of the Tabernacle, where God’s presence was felt. Very few were allowed into this mystical, protected space. In the mandorla, the deep indigo inner space is this holy of holies, where, and the very center, the life-giving magnolia seed is contained within yet another, smaller mandorla.

"Mandorla" means "almond" in Italian. I became interested in this shape while studying early Byzantine art: holy beings were often portrayed with their whole bodies encompassed by an almond-shaped golden halo (called a mandorla in religious art terms). I love this shape in nature, too-- the oblong, egg-like, yonic forms we see all around us. In the Louisiana Plant Mandorla series, native Louisiana plant species are illuminated in and around the mandorla: magnolia seeds, Louisiana Irises, American Beautyberry, Bluebells, Spigelia Marilandica, and Carolina Jessamine.

Protection and guardianship appear frequently in my paintings. Much like a talisman you wear around your neck, I like the idea that a painting can be a protective object for your wall, can act as guardian of your space. The Louisiana Plant Mandorla not only serves as protection for the plants represented, but also acts as a guardian over your space, especially the plants growing in your vicinity.

As our precious Louisiana ecosystem continues to be threatened by climate change, these pieces honor - and remind us to actively protect - our natural world.