The idea for this painting had been lurking around for a while.
Sometimes it would come up in different forms as I was working on other ideas. I kept pushing it aside, thinking that I might not be able to do it.
When it finally came around again, I figured it would fit into this painting series.
Astral Projection, as defined by wikipedia, “is a term used in esotericism to describe an intentional out-of-body experience (OBE) that assumes the existence of a soul called an “astral body” that is separate from the physical body and capable of travelling outside it throughout the universe.”
The main difference between this and lucid dreaming,
is the ability to leave the body at will consciously.
A practice of the Nada yoga that had been used in meditation.
There were many visual interpretations of this, but I went in without looking at them. I wanted to get away from the approach of being so literal, reinterpret it as something of my own. It gave me a chance to experiment with some colour approaches I don’t normally use. There was this feeling of peace which I could describe as being underwater at the bottom of a swimming pool.
Water had been used in many religions as a spiritual metaphor for cleansing. This was not something I was consciously thinking about as it had been a very hot summer. The lock down in my city had been lifted, and everyone was going outside to the parks and the patio bars. So it was a good season to be thirsty.
This painting came rather smoothly and not so labor intensive as some others have been in the past. It was very relaxed and made me more interested in the subject. The turbulence of 2020 and the recent lock down made me appreciate the quieter moments.
In closing, I am reminded of a quote from Bruce Lee, during an interview in 1971 which resonated with me during this process.
“Be water my friend, be water.”
Victor Ramirez
