A couple of weeks ago, I had a new ceiling fan installed in my apartment, over my painting desk. One of the folks who was working to install my fan, Shamil (photo below), took a liking to the paintings surrounding him and asked if they were mine — he wanted me to paint him! I was delighted that he likes the art so much, but honest with him that I hadn’t done an official portrait of anyone in decades, and never had I attempted to ask Spirit to channel a portrait through me, not of a human being, at least. The rush of excitement I felt at the idea was a clear message to me that we should take our painting partnership to new heights, so I happily agreed to give it my all.
I began the portrait the very next day, using a little snapshot of Shamil as reference for our work. As soon as I got the water and first layers of colors on the paper, I saw the mouth of a fish beginning to form, alongside what looked like a strong eyebrow. While I don’t know Shamil personally, I trust the imagery that Spirit shows me as I take in the shapes and movement of the wet paint. Once it was dry, I saw also the bottom curve of the nose. I began to see that Spirit had created some guides in the paint as to where I would be painting in his facial features, which matched up with the photo we had for reference. What an incredible process!
There is always deep, personal meaning channeled into these pieces, so I knew that the fish eating food painted in his portrait would be meaningful to him, and it is, in more ways than one. When I look at this piece, I see it showing a man who has lived two distinct lives: we see on one side a fading away of the old ways of scarcity, and now living fully, in a life of utmost abundance.
I am so grateful for the opportunity to channel a commissioned portrait through Spirit. It is such a new and exciting level of trust in our partnership as we co-create together, and I feel more weight in the presence of my own role within our partnership. Thank you, Beloved Divine, with every vibration of my being.
Aho. So be it. So it is.