"Seven Streams" (acrylic on 3 panels, 18x54, recently sold) is a reflection on a David Whyte poem of the same name. I try to capture the cool of an Irish rain and the warmth as the sun comes out in each panel as well as the movement of the water, horizontal and vertical as described by white in the poem:
"Come down drenched, at the end of May,
with the cold rain so far into your bones
that nothing will warm you except your
own walking, and let the sun come out
at day's end by Slievenaglusha
with rainbows doubling over Mulloch Mor
and see your clothes steam in the bright air."
Reflecting on the seven streams that emerge from beneath the limestone cliffs, the poet explains, "It is always a place that points to what is essential, what must be uncovered and what must be let rest, to go it's own way." Water itself is a metaphor for life and streams represent the journey in most cultures. I wanted plenty of freedom to explore the present meaning for the viewer in this abstract piece. Event the panels can be rearranged and rotated to make new visits to it new, revealing different aspects of the journey.
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