I am an emerging transcendental artist who specialises in surrealist oil paintings and I have spent the last few years studying and practising art as a painter, illustrator, and poet, in Florence, Italy.
For the first four years of my life, I grew up in the countryside of Wilshire, so my earliest memories are of climbing trees and making dens in bushes, in communion with nature. I felt held and whole in the little Eden of Pewsey Vale and longed for nothing but the dirt in my hands or the chaos of creating with crayons.
As I child I always had an affinity towards magic, I role-played as a witch in my “potion corner”, collected miniature fairies and mystical creatures and believed wholeheartedly in the power of my wishes. An affinity I must admit that was crushed in my teenage years, but has remerged in adulthood. At four my family relocated to Cologne, Germany where I went to my first art museum; The Ludwig.
I remember standing in front of a huge painting with bright light and a man falling from the sky, and it was the first time a piece of artwork made an impression on me. I recently tracked down the artwork and found that it was La Gare de Perpignan by Dali. I was struck by the significance of this, as I now consider myself to be a surrealist but I had no conscious knowledge of this connection.
I’ve been drawing my whole life. I used to continually strive after the skill level of my older sister and we spent many hours creating side by side. My art time was a form of escapism, a lifeline of calm amidst an unstable home life. It was this instability and collective pain in my family which inspired me to research psychology, self-help and healing methods while I was in my late teens.
When COVID hit, I read The Power of Now and started practising walking meditations and mindfulness. This gave me a new understanding of the nature of suffering and a compassionate lens through which to view the world, though there was and still is a lot to face within myself. So I began to read into Jungian psychology and internal Family Systems Therapy and started practicing EFT tapping.
I had fallen out of love with my creative practice at school as my artworks had lost their authenticity and were produced to please a board of examiners rather than myself.
However, I still went to study Art, Design and Media practice at Kingston School of Art, where I explored the archetype of the ‘wild woman’ and the concept of surrender through sculptural fashion garments, which reignited my creative spark.
At this time I started reading more spiritual literature, from Be Here Now by Ram Dass to the Tao Te Ching and using tarot cards as a method for self-reflection. It was in the research of my fashion projects that I started to produce energetic paintings, as illustrations of the experience of dissolving the ‘pain body’ or ‘psychic residue’ through conscious awareness.
Through this, I reawakened my desire to paint and longed to develop my skill as an artist, but I had applied for fashion design degrees and in my state of confusion I turned to my tarot deck. The answer came in the three of wands, guiding me to look for opportunities abroad, in turn inspiring my move to Florence to pursue traditional training in master oil painting techniques at Charles Cecil Studio.
Alongside my portrait studies, I began to practice Bhakti Yoga and most significantly mantra meditation, a method which I found completely transformative. I started spending time at Villa Vrindavana, an ISKON temple in the hills of Tuscany, with an impressive sacred art museum, and I knew then that my path was not a portrait painter but a sacred artist, so I left Charles Cecil to experiment with my painting practice.
Now the impact of classical training combines with dynamic expressionism in my surrealist oil paintings as I constantly play with the balance between controlled and intuitive mark-making, of maintaining and dissolving form, to explore the tension of duality.
I use my canvas as an energetic mirror to the process of transmutation through returning to a state of oneness. That is why I like to work on a life-sized scale, so the viewer can relate to the image as a reflection of their self. I recognise my practice as a form of Alchemy, hoping to both express and invoke transmutation through my flowing brushstrokes, a technique I developed to imitate water's meditative qualities.
My paintings are informed by an array of spiritual practices and esoteric sources, from fire purification ceremonies and Bhakti yoga to Sufi poetry and Alchemical tarot decks. My practice involves a process of clarifying my personal experiences through poetry, experimenting with collage and preliminary sketches, and materialising these ideas through paint. In July of 2023, I completed a solo art exhibition in Florence at Il Conventino, showcasing a collection of my figurative oil paintings through which I aimed to create an energetic mirror to the experience of returning to a state of oneness.
I was part of an artist collective in Florence and in September 2023 we hosted a multidisciplinary event at the art residency hotel Numeroventi where I painted Deciduous Live, a painting which explored how karmic attachments naturally fall away during the process of spiritual evolution.
In January, I exposed two life-sized energetic mirrors as part of a group exhibition titled Wundakammer, held at Aquaflor Firenze and curated by artist Polina Stepanova. This pair of paintings investigates the greatest challenge for the Alchemist: the amalgamation of Fire and Water, reaching a state of unity through the assimilation of equal and opposite elements.
Inspired by the Etruscan Lunar Goddesses, Catha, the ruler of the tides, finds her greatest strength in harmony with her consort Suri, who reigns over mighty volcanoes, the sun, and fire. I also collaborated with crochet artist Nisha Kapitzki on Stream of Yarn, a capsule collection blending art with fashion, inspired by my painting collection titled When The Stream Walks On The Shore.
From February to April of 2024, I worked in my studio in Wiltshire and experienced disenchantment with my painting practice for the first time, so I took a break from painting in May and June when I returned to Florence. I was reading and writing a lot of poetry, visiting art museums and churches around Italy, sketching from life to maintain my observational skills, and making sense of it all by curating my creations into a digital journal on Instagram.
I saw the value of a break from my painting practice, shifting to other creative outlets and absorbing inspiration to replenish my creativity well. In hindsight, I can attribute this disconnection to the lack of a creative community and a general burnout. I now truly recognise how important feedback from people experiencing my work first-hand is, especially due to the scale of my paintings.
In May, over 50 of my illustrations were featured in an exhibition of 60 collectable art books produced by a large community of artists titled At The Kitchen Table held at Spazio Sasseti in Florence. I also had the joy of collaborating on and featuring in the first edition of Cura Cura magazine whose mission is to provide an approachable path to healing through the transformative power of art.
In June, I hosted a final exhibition of my painting collection in Florence as well as a sketch sale to raise money for aid in Gaza. Having an audience who responded to and genuinely connected with my pieces reaffirmed their value in a wider context, and I have returned to Wiltshire full of painting ideas.
I have always remained a diligent and enthusiastic scholar. Inspired by the intersection of Spiritual Literature, Science, and Eastern Mysticism, my desire to further my understanding of the divine has driven both my creative and academic pursuits, which inform and sustain one another.
I am very grateful to have been offered a place to study Theology and Religion at Oxford University in October, where I plan to specialise in Buddhism and Hinduism and learn Sanskrit. Ultimately, my goal is to unite my spiritually guided creative practice, with a strong foundation of theological knowledge, and to use that wisdom to engage in journalism and social activism, while inspiring the contemplation of the divine through my artwork.
Louisa Love is a singer and healer whose music journey began with a deep commitment to creating meaningful and authentic songs. Her debut album, "The Glow," is a powerful expression of decades of life experience and holistic healing.
I was born in Cape Town, South Africa where I grew up in the national botanical gardens called Kirstenbosch, nestled in the backyard of the beautiful Table Mountain. I was a wild child, and a tomboy, and spent most of my time roaming free, climbing trees and giant rocks, and exploring the mountain paths.
My idyllic sounding childhood also had a very dark side. Unfortunately I was the victim of childhood sexual abuse from my maternal grandfather, but even worse than this was the daily emotional abuse I suffered at home. Aged fifteen I became so desperate to escape and felt so estranged that I tried to end my life.
Growing up, I knew my voice was a gift, as when I sang I was almost instantly transported into a world of what I can only describe now as a deep sense of safety, a healthy means to escape, true love and reverie. I also noticed that when I sang, that it would effect others very deeply. Age twelve, I won a singing cup at the Western Cape Eisteddfod, which spurred me on. I devoured music and even worked at our local CD shop aged 18 just so I could listen to music each day, (and for the discounts!). At this stage music was my only healing. I was a huge fan of Tori Amos, Sarah Mclachlan, Heather Nova and Portishead, to name but a few.
In my 20’s after moving to London, I became very ill with chronic fatigue and autoimmune disorder (often thought to be linked to childhood trauma). It was at this stage that I was forced to change my life, and I stopped drinking alcohol and overhauled my diet. A Kinesiologist was pivotal in my healing journey and I was so blown away I decided to train in it myself. As my physical body healed I was shown the immense amounts of childhood trauma I needed to heal, and so the real deep holistic healing journey began.
After 10 years of this in-depth healing work I began to assist and support others on their paths of healing. I’ve had a fully booked clinic for over a decade, helping hundreds of clients working as a Kinesiologist, whilst also incorporating modalities such as Emotional Freedom Technique, Australian Bushflower Essences, and recently I also became an Internal Family Systems practitioner.
What I have noticed, is that as the true path of healing begins to unfold, it unleashes a process where we are called to confront, feel and heal all of our trauma, our hidden shame and pain, our fears, limiting beliefs and negative patterns. This is why the healing path can feel so relentless and challenging at times. It is not an easy journey to take. I had to go through nearly 20 years of this deep inner healing process before I was able to create these songs (this album), and I believe this is why these songs are true healers in their own right.
However, before I was able to create my up and coming album, ‘The Glow’, I had to overcome a few hurdles along the way. After meeting with a certain producer, I was ‘lured’ with promises of US success and high-end connections. Feeling the excitement, a verbal agreement was put into place, and I paid a significant payment upfront. However I soon experienced lies, control and manipulation, and without warning, a change to our agreement. I was faced with a spiritual test: stay and continue my work with this person, but walk on eggshells and feel disempowered; or leave, pray and trust the right producer will be brought to me. Of course I chose the latter.
I walked away, grieved the dream of fame and connections, and then synchronistically was guided to a young and very talented producer who wants none of my royalties, and who is deeply in tune with my music. ‘He just gets you, your voice and songs’ one of my friends commented, and it is true. And as for fame and connections, who cares when I know Spirit is with me always, guiding me. I know I’m exactly where I am meant to be. I now see, with the wisdom of age and experience, that for me to birth this album, I needed all those years of inner healing so that I would be able to translate the magic of this alchemy authentically into this creative work.
Each and every one of these songs carry a seed of healing, and all I can do is trust that they’ll find their way to the ears and hearts of those who need to hear and feel them. I have now finished recording the first album, and have started the process of releasing singles. Not only this, but I have already begun recording the second album. I feel a fire has been lit, and there is no stopping me now.
It has been a long journey until I came to accept that my personal input, my own sight, is relevant in this world. This realisation has surfaced repeatedly, especially when I am navigating self-doubt about my talent.
To be honest it has always been there, manifesting in different ways, with different mediums… art has always been and will be through me.
My fascination with colour started from a very early age, as a young student, the art classes fed my spirit and passion. In retrospect, I realise they gave me a sense of freedom that other subjects did not. I was taught to sew by hand and to embroider in my native city in Colombia.
There, hand embroidery has been a long tradition which has passed from generation to generation being part of the socio-economic gear of the region. During my early teens, I taught myself to draw, inspired by illustrations of characters in my school textbooks. My main focus at that time was the human figure and soon I was experimenting by adding clothing designs to my characters. This led to a passion to study fashion and to expressing myself with the use of textiles and the embellishment of fabrics.
Many paths and choices, like pieces of an enigmatic puzzle called life, have collaborated to enrich my design and textile skill set, serving what I consider the search for joy through making. Now, I thank the exuberant beauty of Devon surroundings because it has been here in the UK when I finally made peace with my inner self accepting this continuing learning path and sharing my perspective as an artist.
I consider myself a channel through which the infinite source flows.
My art strives to connect with other people's souls through the vibration of colour. Although beauty is in the eye of the beholder, if my work can be considered a container of that quality, my aim is to inspire and bring positive vibes. We are all thirsty for beauty in a negativity-polluted environment. Just as listening to a thoughtful piece of music can raise your frequency and lift your mood, observing a piece of art can have a similar effect on your well-being.
Furthermore, I am eager to orient my work towards art therapy. Integrating principles of neuroaesthetics with therapeutic practices could offer profound benefits, helping individuals find solace, healing, and empowerment through art. I believe that by exploring these scientific and therapeutic dimensions, I can enhance my ability to connect with others and contribute to their well-being in meaningful ways.
This desire to deepen my practice is also intertwined with my profound spiritual experiences. My contact with the spiritual world has been through the oneiric realm; encountering vivid images in my dreams and visiting places which I call other realities. I have experienced lucid dreams where I have been able to contact loved ones who have passed away, receiving messages and even being able to feel the energy in my physical body like the touch of a hand, or seeing benevolent beings whom I identify as spiritual guides.
In some way, I believe that science will converge in the knowledge of God and that art can be a vessel navigating the immensity of an energy sea. By blending the insights of neuroaesthetics with the spiritual dimensions of my experiences, I aim to create something that resonates on many levels, offering a holistic approach to healing and connection.
Creating became a form of meditation, a way to process emotions and link with something greater than myself. It is fascinating how an idea nests in the mind and within my own resources it is unveiled layer by layer on the canvas. That has been part of my process of my recent creations which conveys my love for the depiction of the human figure in conjunction with nature.
Some of my artwork contains elements of fantasy; the images are picturesque windows to look at just for enjoyment or if the viewers want, mechanisms to encourage the imagination of some other worlds that can coexist in peace with our tumultuous one.
By making these colourful representations, I don’t try to question any belief. I like feeling the freedom and leaving the image just being; through the illustration of winged beings in utopian gardens in blossom for example, it elevated me beyond the concern of the moment that as humanity we were living. Few years ago in times of pandemic and confinement, if something gave me peace was being able to go out in the morning for a walk and breathe the fresh air.
Those walks that sometimes became monologues led me to reflect on the things I saw along; for example, I still remember the felicity of having found Long Timbers Wood years ago, the trail that runs parallel to the river Erme in Ivybridge. What a wonder when I saw the small doors at the base of the trees, and then when able to look out to find small gifts that hopeful children had left for their elusive winged inhabitants. I could also observe this in Filham Park, one of my favourite places close from home.
That fascination, part of the compendium of folklore and mythology, is still alive in these areas of the English countryside. Although I do not remember so much literature about fairies in my early age, at least in my native country, many stories were told about goblins, ‘la madremonte’ (mother of the forest) and some mischievous witches, for whom there were methods to catch them red-handed!
In my last collection “Pachamama,” the depiction of nature in my art honours the feminine principle of mother earth by presenting serene figures seated in serene contemplation, symbolising the nurturing aspect of nature. The surrounding foliage, with intricate patterns and vibrant colours, evokes a sense of growth and vitality. This artwork captures the intimate connection between the feminine form and the flourishing environment, suggesting a harmonious balance and mutual respect and reflects the cyclical power of creation and regeneration.
The figure’s meditative pose and the organic forms that envelop her serve as a metaphor for the symbiotic relationship between all living things and the earth. The artwork invites viewers to contemplate the delicate interplay of life and the natural world, encouraging a deeper appreciation for the sustaining force that is the feminine principle. Through this visual narrative, I aim to inspire a reverence towards nature and cherish our shared home.
Gary Samdaliri’s artistic prowess has been recognized on the prestigious stage of the American Arts Awards 2024.
His evocative portrait “Chief Sitting Bull” captured the judges’ attention, securing the second-place position in the fiercely competitive “Famous Portrait” section.
Additionally, his painting “Chief Running Antelope,” a testament to his skill in capturing the dynamism of the human form, earned a commendable fifth place in the “Figure” category. These accolades underscore Samdaliri’s growing reputation as an artist capable of creating works that resonate deeply with both critics and the public alike. His ability to breathe life into historical figures and imbue his paintings with a sense of movement and power marks him as a rising star in the contemporary art world.
"For me, being an artist is a spiritual path whereby I seek to capture the spiritual, ethereal and timeless elements of the subject. Being empathic and developing clairsentients has helped to fuel my creative impulse. The painting process has evolved over the years to allow the experience of joy, freedom of expression and, crucially, the ability to "tune into" spirit.
My goal is to create paintings that hold spiritual power and light, and therefore the image becomes instrumental in shifting the viewer to experience art from a higher perspective. The journey as an artist is constantly evolving and reaching new potential, and I feel blessed by allowing this process to unravel. Over the years I have painted landscape, fantasy, spirit guides, and abstract themes, however I have discovered my main passion is spiritually themed portraiture and sacred design."
Gary views painting as a Spiritual path, a process that generates great joy in creating unique works of art that can take many months to complete. He is driven to create art that inspires and uplifts – art which has the ability to shift the viewers’ awareness into inner realms, where power and beauty touches the soul.
"Interest in Native American wisdom was the inspiration in undertaking this portrait. By using an old historical photo of the great warrior chief, who was an iconic figure in American history, the goal throughout the painting process was to capture his fascinating life and what native Indians would term their "medicine" (spiritual power).
The love with portraiture is the ability of the artist to "psyche into" the portrait subject on a deep and penetrating level. At times, I could tune into the love Chief Sitting Bull had for great spirit.
There was also a sense of the anger and sadness he felt for the plight of his people in the face of encroachment by the white man.
Portraiture is a very demanding skill to master and can be mentally and emotionally draining, however the final results are exhilarating and immensely rewarding.
My personal technique in portraiture is to achieve high realism in depicting skin tones that hold the life force and the emanation of spirit. Clothing tends to be loose and abstract, but capturing the facial details, especially Chief Sitting Bull who had such a weathered and rugged look, was a timely but most rewarding process .
Completed in 2020, this painting has really transformed me and my approach ever since."
Now that Gary has firmly established himself as a professional artist, his works have been on display in several galleries, most notably the Hayloft Gallery, in Christchurch, Dorset. For portraiture and life painting commissions, please contact him directly for more details.
Gary Samdaliri’s life as an artist began in 2008 when he started to master the skills of Persian marquetry. Gary specialised in themes based on sacred art and mythology, inspired by both western and eastern traditions.
After many years of creating marquetry artwork, Gary felt an inner calling to explore art in other Media, and in 2015 he embarked on various courses and training programmes to develop his skills.
After experimenting with pastels, acrylics, and other mediums, Gary began to discover the radiant beauty of painting in oils, and has developed a unique artistic style that captivates the viewer.
Gary has a particular love of classical portraiture, having undergone intense art training with several respected art teachers. He also paints fantasy themes inspired by ancient mythology and, more recently, has started to develop new skills in the form of abstract themes.
Gary feels his artistic skills, as well as his empathic nature, are best suited to Portraiture. He is continuing to refine and perfect his skills since he paints from the heart, and each portrait painting he undertakes is, for him, an artistic and spiritual journey that nourishes his soul.
Portraiture involves a step by step process to achieve the best results. Gary begins each portrait painting with a detailed drawing of the portrait subject. Once the drawing has been completed, the first layer of colour can be applied. He uses a classical painting method called scumbling, where each subsequent layer of colour application is carefully designed to refine and bring together all the elements of the painting.
Gary invests most of his time in slowly building up the skin tone, whereby often five or six layers of colour are applied. This process really helps to highlight the radiant qualities of the facial features in particular. Finally, after three to six months drying, a final gloss varnish is applied to bring out the radiance of the painting.
"Rudolf Steiner was a philosopher - an esoteric, spiritual educator and one of the most enigmatic western thinkers of his generation, and his spiritual teachings have had a major influence on my spiritual outlook.
With the experience and skills gained from painting Chief Sitting Bull, I felt ready and compelled to challenge myself with this project.
For Rudolf Steiner, the Christ impulse was the core emphasis in his messages, therefore throughout the painting process my main goal was to tap into the Christ Monad that so deeply influenced Steiner's personal awakening, and which fuelled his super human qualities and immense capacity for lecturing on a huge range of spiritual topics.
Completing this painting was another milestone and has further fuelled my love of portraiture. The colours used on the palette are carefully selected at each stage to achieve the desired outcome.
Over the years, I have deeply immersed myself in trying to gain mastery over each colour within the visible spectrum. Every colour is totally unique, holding its own power, beauty and spiritual component."
The foundation of Gary’s abstract paintings are based on sacred geometry design principles. Abstract painting has helped him to further develop his skills as an Artist, allowing him to gain a much deeper understanding of colour and shape.
Firstly, the principles of sacred geometry to create a grid. This grid also known as the Armature allows the freedom for Gary to formulate his own compositions that are governed by structure, harmony, and mathematical principles.
Since undertaking abstract painting in 2018, Gary has undergone a major transformation as an artist, leading him to a greater understanding of the complex interplay of colour relationships, shapes, and form.
For Gary, his deeper interest in painting abstract is to create unique pieces that allow the viewer to shift into a more fluid, dreamlike, and spiritual state of being.
"Medicine Wheel was commissioned by a sound therapist, for the healing space that is used for clients, and in the last year I have been focused on undertaking sacred design commissions.
This painting was based on the Native American medicine wheel, however this was adapted to also include elements from other spiritual traditions that the client resonated with. Carefully calculating the composition of the painting by creating an inner & outer circle, the inner circle contains the heart sutra, infinity symbol, angel wings, a whale, and a heron, which are all very important elements for the client.
For the outer circle, the four cardinal directions are a crucial element within the medicine wheel, and each direction represents a season with spiritual significance, and also a distinctive colour.
With exact direction in mind, all of the totem animals and sacred flowers and plants were carefully arranged on the medicine wheel.
This painting needed a lot of focus and having a clear mind was an important element to energize and give life to the composition.
There comes a point within the process that the painting itself begins to communicate its will to me. Difficult to describe in words, it is a really incredible experience to merge with the painting and allow it to guide itself to completion."
"This, the most recent painting, for a local Light Workers' Pagan Group based in the New Forest.
This painting is dedicated to the lady who runs the group, as she deeply follows the old pagan religious path.
Taking time to meditate on this project, soon came the ability to tap into the ancient Celtic essences that helped to produce the complex layout.
The Celtic Year is divided into eight quarters of Yule, Imbolc, Ostara, Beltane, Litha, Lammas, Mabon, and Samhain, with each phase holding a personal spiritual significance and deeply linked to the solstices and equinoxes, accompanied with the midpoints between them.
As the client has a strong affinity with the Green Man, it was decided to place him into the centre of the design. The Green Man represents the cycle of life, death and rebirth. He awakens spring after a long winter with the renewal of vegetation. The Celtic knot design also represents the endless cycle of life and death, and interconnecting life itself.
Painting both the Green Man and the Celtic knots was truly a very mesmerising and captivating experience, and I began to appreciate how the ancients viewed reality, incorporating the cosmic process into their lives. Calculating the colour selection of the animals and flowers made this project one of the most challenging to date . Completing this painting has been hugely influential in further perfecting my skills as a spirit artist."
Gary is also a musician, having learnt to play the Indian Tabla at Art Asia Southampton with Surjeet Singh. Also, Persian Tombak Goblet Drum and Daf Frame, where he was trained in Iran by a superb Iranian Drum Master named Hadi Footohy. Gary runs a Trance Drumming Circle for the Tipi Kota New Forest Group, and also occasionally in the wider area. He is also active in the Performance Drama and Acting Lamba course, which runs for several seasons each year.
“You do what?” is usually the response I get when someone asks what I do. When friends ask my family what I do, it ranges from business consultant to teacher. No one seems to know exactly. I guess it fits well with the twenty-two-hour window of possibility as to the time I was born. My Mum has one version, my Dad another, and my Grandmother a different one too. I was born a mystery so why not choose a vocation which no one can define too. I guess the question might be is, did I choose the vocation or did colour choose me?
To understand that we need to go back to near the beginning, and like all good stories, let’s start with once upon a time…
One Sunday morning, when I was about six, we were visiting my grandmother, I remember very clearly being absolutely mesmerised by a magical rainbow shining brightly on the ceiling. It was caused by sunlight shining brightly through a string of glass beads on the windowsill.
For me these colours on the ceiling were incredibly exciting, they seemed alive and full of stories and endless adventures. Little knowing this was my first encounter with my future life’s calling.
The beads were there because my grandmother wanted me to give the beads to the little girl next door. Somehow those beads never did quite make it to next door. Instead, they were carefully unstrung in order to create many rainbows.
Jump forward in time to my early twenties and you find me in London at Richmond Theatre, training in special effects make-up with George Frost, an amazing man full of stories of working on films such as African Queen, James Bond, and “doing make-up” for Marilyn Monroe. It was a blessing to have met George, and although I didn’t pursue a career in make-up, being in the film and theatre industry had an unknowingly familiar feel to it.
I met Jan around the same time and when she started talking to me about colour healing it was as though she was talking a language that my Soul understood. It was much like tuning in an analogue radio and from that moment on colour radio has been broadcasting on full service ever since.
Soon after Jan became my teacher at the Colour Harmonic Foundation, I excelled in colour psychology and had an aptitude for translating the language of colour into human behaviour. The follow-on training was to learn how to treat the body with coloured light, however, I knew by then I was on a different colour journey. Thereafter I started helping people to bring colour to life through dreams, drama, and story.
My mission, if you like, was and continues to be, helping people become more conscious of the colours they surround themselves with. Part of that conscious awareness is learning to perceive colour as a living energy. One of the best ways I help people with that is to suggest to someone that as much as they may dislike a colour, maybe, just maybe, the colour feels the same way about you too! This is where the drama and story comes into its own. If you were a colour, how would you feel, act, and show up in the world?
In the 90’s I gave regular talks and consultations at some of the leading health spas and resorts around the UK. It seemed I had a natural gift and ability for speaking on behalf of colour and being able to help people know themselves more through colour.
During that time, I was a regular guest on many TV shows, which included working for Manchester United Television presenting on the history and psychology of the Man Utd football strip. I did dating shows for couples to explore their compatibility purely through the colours they had in their wardrobes and the colours they had in their environment. Wherever we place colour, it always has a story to tell, and it seems that I just happen to have the gift to tell it.
A few years before that in 1991 I was in a book shop in Norwich. It was one of those ordinary kinds of days where I was browsing through the Mind Body Spirit section. I had picked up two books wondering which of the two to buy as I could only afford one. “They look interesting books” said the lady now standing in front of me. I hadn’t noticed her come upstairs into the quiet corner where the Mind Body Spirit section was situated. At a guess, she was mid to late sixties, kindly looking, with an interest in the books I had chosen.
Before I had the chance to reply to her about each book, she boldly stepped forward and assertively tapped her right index finger two or three times on the cover of “Other Lives, Other Selves” by Roger Woolger. Again, before I could say anything she said, “I would buy this one if I were you. You never know it might just change your life one day.” With that she turned around and walked off.
When I went downstairs to pay for Other Lives, Other Selves, she was nowhere to be seen. To this day I strongly believe she was an angel in disguise. Nine years later I trained with Roger Woolger in his method of Deep Memory Process. DMP is a way to explore the many lives of the Soul and all of its unfinished business. It just so happens that colour is an amazing time traveller. It can take us into the past, the future and the present too, all at the speed of light. Choose a colour and let the storybook of your Soul do the rest.
As well as a practitioner I also became a trainer of the method. Roger was not only my teacher, but we also became very good friends too. The lady was absolutely right, both the book and Roger did change my life.
By now you might have guessed I love stories, and that love spreads across into film too. My passion for film started very young. Somewhere around the age of 9 or 10 I wrote a film script in purple ink on a school typewriter, knowing exactly how to lay it out and where to include director comments. I remember feeling upset and frustrated when no-one believed that I just knew what to do. I now know, through my studies of archetypes, colour, drama, psychodrama, and past lives, that they are all tools to access the many different stories we tell to and about ourselves.
If I hadn’t followed this path I would have loved to work with film, directing probably. During a coaching session some years ago, my coach suggested I had in a way woven film directing into my work anyway. It was only when he pointed out how I create and bring scenes to life for clients and groups, directing them in ways to bring healing and transformation.
In lockdown I got the wonderful opportunity to teach Masterclasses to animation and film students around the world about colour as a visual narrative in film. We brought colours to life through character building and colour scene setting. Have you ever watched a film without sound, and just paid attention to the colour?
Somewhere in the middle of all of this there was the dream in 2011. Well, more like that in-between state of sleeping and waking. I was living in Lisbon at the time. A male voice simply said, “Of course, you are the colour ambassador you know” I woke up with such a start, looking around the room and then the apartment to see where this speaking person was. Needless to say, there was no one there, physically there wasn’t anyway.
It was one of those experiences that stays with you, the kind that won’t leave you alone until you’ve gotten the message. I mentioned to a few trusted friends, they responded by rolling their eyes, followed by something along the lines of, “Duh, yea, of course you are”
I tried it on for size. When someone asked me my title I would half mumble “Colour Ambassador”, I’d come to realise that maybe my friends were right and maybe I was a kind of spokesperson on behalf of colour. I often talked about and described my work as giving colour a voice. But still…
I worked with a coach to help me to feel comfortable or feel worthy of such a title. It helped, at least I was able to say “Colour Ambassador” without swallowing the words. Then one day whilst giving a talk in Dubai, the host of the event introduced me by saying, “We are very pleased to welcome Global Colour Ambassador Mark Wentworth…” Global seemed to be the magic word that made it feel real, and that it finally was a truth belonging to and referring to me. Every day feels like an honour to serve and speak on behalf of something so magnificent.
I work with individuals and groups using colour, dreams, drama and story, as a way of exploring creative projects, stuck points, team building, confidence and general wellbeing. I’ve brought colour to life in numerous settings and in many creative and different ways, from sitting in front of the lion’s enclosure at London Zoo dressed as a Roman “Colour Expert” Soothsayer at a corporate event, to working with creative teams setting new goals in the skyscrapers of the Middle East, teaching colour healing to nurses at New York’s Bellevue Psychiatric Hospital ER department and helping final year students in NYU Steinhardt’s Performing Arts Department explore their creative potential through a ColourDrama Masterclass.
Over time I have carefully woven these different threads together to create what is now called Colour PsychoDynamics. Its purpose is simple, to help people live their own best life.
I have to date worked professionally with colour for thirty-six years, my journey has been exactly as my 6-year-old self experienced it, full of stories and endless adventures all around the world. I help people to develop a deeper relationship with themselves through this amazing thing called colour.
It is often said that children are some of our best teachers. One Saturday morning when teaching a group of children in downtown Beirut, 12-year-old Kareem politely raised his hand and declared that this had been his best Saturday morning ever, and if I promised to do colour work forever, he would attend every class. I am deeply grateful to Kareem; my answer was, and remains, a most definite, Yes! I promise to do this colour work forever!
This colour radio station remains well and truly tuned in.
It was with great honour that in 2023, I was awarded the Zerka T. Moreno Award from the American Society of Group Psychotherapy and Psychodrama (ASGPP). The award is given to an individual for distinguished work in psychodrama, sociometry and group psychotherapy, and for professional activities leading to the utilisation and awareness of psychodrama around the world. My training and supervision in psychodrama is ongoing.
A journalist once wrote; “Mark Wentworth is to colour what hearing is to music. He observes, he notes, he delves, and he emerges with answers, which can be as astounding as the realisation that comes from the understanding of a symphony in all its glory. By sharing his deeply personal love for, and joy of colour, he invites us to join him in seeing rainbows of hope and understanding where many of us just see cloudy grey skies” As my life story has unfolded, it has become clearer that I chose colour as much as it chose me. It is something that lives with me and through me on a daily basis. Being born at a mysterious time seems fitting to work in the place of betwixt and between, the place where the rainbow ends, and the colour stories begin. I’ll meet you there.
From just about as far back as I can remember my life has been marked by an interminable series of esoteric experiences - a kind of battle on the spiritual plane running in the background of my personal software programme - informing and influencing events in the tangible. I soon stopped sharing with family what appeared normal to me, as my stories would inevitably be met with rolled eyes and enquiries of ‘more tea?’
As a young man with three chords at my disposal I cheekily dared to call myself a musician and ran around half the planet making an unholy din. A botched spinal operation at the age of thirty two soon put a stop to that, however, and with no ready knowledge of natural health at the time I succumbed to the NHS-offered cocktail of pharmaceuticals as all quality of life slipped away and I morphed into two years of immobility and pain.
Searching high and low and inbetween for solutions, embracing Harley Street, a Bolivian Shaman and Chinese medicine I ended up spending six weeks in Andalucia with an ex-patriot Russian Bio-energetic healer who, for all intents and purposes, gave me my life back. This was the steepest learning curve I’d ever encountered as I learned about healing energy, diet, exercise, meditation, fakirs’ beds, malignant entities and Russian magic. I returned to the UK healed and with a head full of new ideas and fresh dreams.
After two years of living with no quality of life whatsoever, watching season follow season from my Wimbledon window I decided that I wanted to live as intensely as possible! And that is how I went to live in the most intense city on the planet - Rio de Janeiro.
I’d long been a fan of Latin American ‘magic realism’ and coming to live in South America I soon realized how that literary genre had come into being. Working as an English teacher I’d be teaching classrooms full of oil company executives and other businessmen – pragmatic people, to whom talking about spirits walking through the room was second nature. I found the acceptance of different planes of existence, the frequencies of the spiritual plane and the physical, co-existing in everyday parlance both intoxicating and stimulating. Brazil was filled with spirituality – the syncretic Afro-religion of Candomblé with its Orixá deities such as the goddess of the ocean Iemanjá who engendered such devotion and gratitude to the ocean and the elements, the practice of Santo Daime, involving the ingestion of yagé, and a pantheon of other elemental practices.
A brief sojourn turned into a love affair with Brazil, which lasted for five years until the tragic death, in a car crash, of my mother in Bavaria which saw me unexpectedly, and under sad circumstances, return to Europe to help sort out her affairs.
A couple of months later I was back in Brazil, before finding employment in Colombia, another destination whose spiritual influence had weaved itself into my psyche through the magic realism of the works of Gabriel García Marquez. More magic, of both the black and white variety, was to be experienced there. I encountered some incredible healers and spiritual practitioners and finally got to have the ultimate ayahuasca experience in a clearing on the top of a hill in the Colombian jungle south of Cali, under the stars, presided over by Taita Angel Chinmoy from Putamayo. A beautiful, life-changing ritual during which I met everyone I had ever met in my life, floating up to me in a place that I, and others, call ‘the dazzling darkness.’ I was also healed of the mourning I had been going through since the tragic death of my mother in the crash, and finally found peace, laying her soul to rest on a Colombian mountainside.
I spent a total of ten years in South America between Brazil, Colombia, Bolivia and Cuba, another year and a half in California, and a further ten years in Thailand. I returned to the UK finally, after twenty-two years in exile, at the beginning of 2022. Twenty two years in countries with deep spiritual roots gave me the feeling I’d been constructing a temple within. I certainly returned to the UK a much changed man. I also returned with a burning desire to create – create what I didn’t know, but the desire to somehow contribute in some small way to the New Earth humanity was surely rising up through the frequencies towards.
And so it was that in around April 2023 poetry chose me! Spiritual poetry! Poetry for New Earth as I have since christened it!
My first poem ‘The Time Before The Moon’ was turned into a beautiful song by the wonderful Canadian singer-songwriter Lynda Szabo. This was most touching and encouraging. I began to pour all that I had been assimilating on both my inner and outer journeying during the past two decades into poems. One a week, one every three days, then more frequently. As I write, some eighteen months later I’m putting the finishing touches to my first volume of verse.
During the last nine months, with the encouragement of my sister Jackie, I’ve been reciting my poems at poetry evenings around London, Oxford and as far north as Glasgow. Naturally quite shy, with a low, soft voice it wasn’t easy for me at first, but I’m becoming more comfortable now and have enjoyed being touched by the incredible poetry I’m hearing from other poets at these events, as well as making new friends along the way. In May this year Jackie and I held the first event of our own in the wonderful Baroque-Edwardian environs of The Bedford in Balham, South London called New Earth. We’ve featured many of the uplifting spirits reciting poetry we’ve met on our journey this year. We’ve just held our third event and our ‘family’ grows each month.
Growing up as the youngest of eight children in the suburbs of London, I often felt lost in the crowd, searching for a way to express my own unique voice and individuality. Life was busy and chaotic in our modest family home in Hainault, and I sometimes struggled to find my place amidst all the hustle and bustle. It was a constant challenge to stand out and be recognized, when I was just one of many siblings vying for attention.
Then, on my 16th birthday, everything changed. My father, in a rare moment of thoughtfulness and insight, gifted me a set of oil paints, brushes, and a stack of canvas paper. I remember being utterly transfixed by this simple but incredibly meaningful present. Little did he know that this gesture would unlock a whole new world of creativity and self-discovery for me.
I spent countless hours out in our old garage, experimenting with colours, shapes, and textures. Painting quickly became a true sanctuary, a way to find my voice and express all the feelings and thoughts I didn't quite know how to put into words. The elongated, almost spiritual figures in the work of Joan Miró really resonated with me in those early days. There was something so captivating about the ethereal quality of his paintings, like the mesmerizing "Circle Around the Sun" which depicted these graceful women dancing together in a circle. I became completely absorbed in trying to capture that same sense of movement, energy, and transcendent essence on my own canvases.
As I grew older and made my way through my 20s and 30s, I encountered some real personal challenges that threatened to derail my artistic path. Things like social anxiety and struggles with substance abuse weighed heavily on me, making it difficult to stay focused and inspired. But it was actually through discovering the practice of meditation that I found a way to work through those issues. The meditative process helped me manage my anxieties and, eventually, overcome the problematic habits I had developed. It was a true lifeline that allowed me to re-center, refocus, and keep developing as an artist.
My spiritual journey and my artistic one started to become deeply intertwined during this period. The more I delved into meditation and deeper self-reflection, the more my paintings began to mirror that inner exploration and evolution. I found myself drawing profound inspiration from the naïve, honest style of artists like Alfred Wallis and Christopher Wood - their simple but powerfully evocative depictions of fishing villages and the sea resonated with me on a primal level. There was something so pure and authentic about their work that really spoke to me. And it was at a time where I worked and lived near Tenby inside the charming Tenby fishing village working for the council painting park benches and cast iron dustbins, I would often take in the scenery and energy that would then inspire my art journey further. And looking back over my shoulder to that time, I still have quite a large selection on my older Instagram account's of my fishing naïve paintings, as I do my abstract experimental art. It's old work of course, and experiments along the way that's what counts. But I feel it is infused with its own soulfulness and honesty that still resonates and as an overall narrative of my collective works both past and within the present.
Seeking out kindred creative spirits, I ended up joining a group of likeminded artists in St. Ives, Cornwall, where I was able to really hone my craft and refine my unique visual voice. And exhibit on several occasions, It was an incredibly enriching experience, surrounded by others who understood the drive to express oneself through paint and form. Together, we pushed each other to experiment, take risks, and find new ways of seeing the world.
In more recent years, the work of contemporary painters like Andrew Cranston, Peter Doig, and Bridget More has become a huge source of inspiration and fascination for me. There's just something so intriguing and soulful about their art - a quality that goes beyond just technical mastery. I feel like they each somehow infuse their paintings with a bit of their own energetic essence, giving the work a sort of kinetic, almost mystical life that I find absolutely captivating. It's that transcendent, ineffable quality that I strive to capture in my own artistic practice.
A few years back, I had this really fortuitous encounter that ended up being a pivotal moment in my creative journey. It happened at Hyde Park Corner, where I would often go to display and sell my paintings on Sundays. I was chatting with a fellow artist and lecturer who saw something special in my work and encouraged me to pursue formal art education, despite being in my 50s at the time. It was a big leap of faith, but I felt a renewed sense of purpose and possibility as I dove into a foundation course in London and then secured a scholarship to study at Norwich University of the Arts.
That formal training was invaluable - it deepened my understanding of art history and theory, and gave me the technical skills and confidence to really explore the full breadth of my creative vision. The exposure to different mediums, concepts, and approaches challenged me to step outside my comfort zone and experiment in new ways. It was a transformative experience that lit a fire within me, reigniting my passion and sense of artistic purpose.
Upon graduating in 2016, my partner and I decided to embark on a new adventure, relocating to Thailand where I became completely immersed in the rich cultural tapestry of the country. It was there, in the vibrant city of Bangkok, that I had my first major solo exhibition, showcasing a series of spiritual assemblages crafted from found objects.
Working with these recycled materials in a more physical, sculptural way was a revelation for me. Unlike the solitary, introspective act of painting, assembling these assemblages required a different kind of energy and application. I loved the process of shaping, layering, and fixing the various elements together, building something that could capture those same ethereal, interconnected themes I was so drawn to in my two-dimensional work. Each assemblage felt like a little totem or talisman, a physical manifestation of my own inner journey of self-discovery and spiritual exploration.
As I continued to evolve as an artist, I found myself venturing into even newer territories, experimenting with video, mixed media, and even some iPad digital techniques I've homed in on. It was all part of an ongoing quest to find fresh ways to express my artistic vision and connect with my audience on a deeper level. I remained steadfastly committed to that path of creative and spiritual exploration, constantly challenging myself and allowing my work to be shaped by emerging themes and concepts that inspired me.
Throughout this incredible journey, I've had the honour of exhibiting my art in galleries and art fairs, both locally and internationally. It's been so humbling to receive positive feedback and see my work resonate with others who are moved by the depth of feeling and transcendent quality that I pour into each piece. At the end of the day, that's what it's all about for me - using my art as a vehicle for self-discovery, growth, and shared human experience.
My paintings, assemblages, and other works are windows into my inner world, reflections of my ongoing quest to understand myself and the world around me more fully. There's an element of the ineffable, the mystical, that I strive to capture - that sublime, interconnected energy that I've come to revere through my spiritual practices. It's a never-ending journey of exploration and discovery, to be sure, but one that fills me with an incredible sense of purpose and fulfilment.
As I continue to evolve as an artist, I remain steadfastly committed to that path of creative and spiritual inquiry. I hope that by sharing my story, I can inspire others to embrace their own unique artistic voices and to find solace, meaning, and purpose in the act of creation. The journey isn't always easy, but the rewards of self-discovery and the chance to connect with others on a deeper level make it all so worthwhile. This is my art, my life, and I wouldn't have it any other way.
As I sit here writing this article, I wonder now if the stars themselves guided me to write. As the calling to write was like an echo through time, and I can't recall when I first heard it calling to me. It feels like it has always been there. I entered my first poetry competition when I was in the infants and took part in the school's Inter-House poetry writing competition when I was in Year 5. My Primary School had Houses, similar to Hogwarts but instead the Houses were named after places in the Lake District. I composed a poem about the things that occurred when the wind blew and the poem almost felt like a song in my head as I wrote it. Despite there being over one hundred entries, my poem was one of the ones chosen and my House ended up winning first place! I still have the little paper book now, and I enjoy reading it on occasion to reignite feelings of nostalgia.
I entered another poetry competition when I was in Year Eleven. I had finished doing the work that had been set out for the class to do, so my English teacher brought over an advertisement for the school poetry competition to give me something else to do. I wrote a poem about nature and earth. I took inspiration from a Don Bluth film called A Troll in Central Park that my family picked up from a car boot sale. This poem felt even more like a song, a melody from the film rose in my mind as I wrote the words. The classroom and the lesson became background noise as I wrote. I felt like I was sharing my own interpretation of the film story as I handed in my entry. When I was told that my entry was the winning entry, I was delighted. My win was announced in the school paper, along with my poem. I won a stack of Michael Morpurgo books worth approximately sixty pounds. I had already read Why the Whales came in English, so winning more of his books was great for me.
I read the Michael Morpurgo books and enjoyed them, one of my favourites among them being My Friend Walter. Reading those books added to my love of reading and writing. In 2015 I enrolled in a writing course that was being taught by a published author so that i could get feedback on my work and learn more. We had different categories to write about for each week of the course. Romance week was a bit out of my comfort zone, but I ended up writing a somewhat tragic short love story titled Finding Albert, taking inspiration from the film title Finding Nemo. I feel like I got great feedback from the course and I enjoyed writing different pieces for each week and I enjoyed hearing about the other student's writing journeys.
It was not until 2019 that I started writing my first book, Starlight Life. Earlier in the year, I partook in a "Write your own Daily Flame" contest that an inspirational quotes email that I was subscribed to sent out. I didn't win, but I was one of the runner ups and my quote was promoted with credit to me as the writer on their Facebook page. This was a nice little boost ton my confidence and may have been one of the things that helped spark me into writing a book of my own. I used to have a Facebook group called Starlight Life (which is now titled Living in the Starlight) which had quotes about positivity and spirituality. I created the group to help myself through the grief of losing my Grannie, and I liked to imagine her somehow watching me from the stars.
After a few years of writing posts on the group, I decided that Starlight Life would become a book. I would either write a poem on my computer, or in my notebook if a creative idea came to me whilst I was out and about. Every composition was like crafting a thought, a feeling, an idea into something I was previously unable to explain. Some of these thoughts and feelings, I had felt for some time. Others came to me sporadically, as though they had been waiting for me to put pen to paper to surface into my consciousness.
The emotion and thoughts that welled up inside me as I looked at the stars on a clear night. The calmness and simplicity of sitting with a cup of tea. An imagining of a message that I feel that your spirit guide would wish to pass onto you. So many thoughts and feelings that brought about the creation of Starlight Life, the interweaving of starlight. One of these sporadic creations came when I was trying to sleep during a thunderstorm. That lead to me writing a poem about thunderstorms, which was also a metaphor for anxiety and racing thoughts keeping us awake at night. You could say that inspiration hit me like lightning that night. And my poem about seeing rainbows was very much inspired by my dear Grannie. When I look at that poem I think of her as a beautiful celestial messenger of light, mysteriously bringing dashes of hope to people and mysteriously disappearing. I think of her and spiritual messengers with that poem.
I self published Starlight Life through a company called Book Baby and it was released on the 17th December of 2021. After around two years of writing, editing, finding a company to self publish, finding an illustrator and designing the cover, I felt liberated to have completed my book. To have interweaved starlight from my being where others could see it too. If you ask me what my hopes are now in regards to this journey, it is for more people to find and read Starlight Life and be inspired by it themselves, to live their own starlight life. Also, I hope that I can once again, create something else that is beautiful. Another interweaving of starlight, with a different title name. Starlight Life is a poetry book that may get people thinking about their philosophy of life, nature and spirituality and what these things mean to them.
My own philosophy on spirituality is that I believe that the spiritual world is like a mirror. That people are likely to see an image of the god or goddess that they believe in and worship. I also believe that we travel out of our bodies in astral projection whilst our physical bodies are sleeping, but our limited minds cannot translate what we do on our astral journeys most of the time. So our dreams are our mind's jumbled interpretations of our nightly travels. I feel like the unexpected spiritual experiences I have had have further solidified my faith that there is something more. I have seen faces and heard unfamiliar voices saying my name in meditation, and seen an orb on more than one occasion. I have also had distinct memories of astral projecting and flying on more than one occasion, and these experiences were amazing. I don't feel like I have all the answers but I do think that whatever happens after this life is beyond our comprehension. I feel like it is as bright and brilliant as the interweaving of starlight - which is why most of us have no memory of our lives before birth as I feel like it would be too much for us What we can do now is to write our own stories, whether you are a writer or not. I believe that there is a book somewhere in the library of the universe that has a story of each of our lives. I hope that we all make it a good one!
As a young child I used to pray every night. No-one taught me to pray, my parents did not attend any church or follow any spiritual path. I remember asking my mother to buy me a bible that I saw when shopping one day. I loved the illustrations and still have it. Animals, nature and our wonderful garden were my solace in those early years. I spent many hours trying to draw, especially horses. I kept a scrapbook of illustrations and was fascinated by alphabets and collected decorative letters and words from magazines.
During my early teens I suffered from severe anxiety and agoraphobia which continued through to my 30’s. I gradually learnt how to cope but it began in the 60’s and I experienced very little understanding or help other than prescribed medication with the disadvantages of side effects. Life was very challenging!
I was unhappy at school, and couldn’t wait to leave. I left at 16 and applied for two art colleges. In spite of the art teacher telling me “It is a waste of time you applying you will never get in!” I was accepted by both! My first choice was for fine art, unfortunately that college was out of my area for a grant. I settled for second best, a course in shop and store display. I learnt a wide range of practical skills, including all kinds of decorative lettering, taught by a Fellow of the Society of Scribes and Illuminators. Many years later I was also elected for Fellowship of this prestigious society.
On completing the course I managed to get work in a large department store, joining a small team of display artists. We made all the props for the windows. It was hard work at peak times but great fun. Eventually I left to work freelance.
In my early twenties I gave up all medication after my mother took me to a homeopath. I became increasingly interested in natural methods of healing, inspired by the homeopath and a biography of Dr Edward Bach who had turned to the healing properties of flowers. I joined a practical philosophy group and learnt to meditate. We studied the Bhagavad Gita, Sanskrit and the Upanishads. In my spare time I began to write out Shakespeare Sonnets and passages from the Gita in calligraphy.
At a weekend calligraphy course, I was recommended to visit Roehampton Institute of Higher Education where they held a diploma course in calligraphy and bookbinding. The evening before the arranged visit, I was casually asked to bring some of my work. When I arrived I was surprised to find it was a formal interview for a place! Six months later I received a letter of acceptance. The course was taught by some of the top artists and craftsmen in their field. It was a wonderful opportunity, no longer available. We studied all aspects of lettering and design, bookbinding, the use of vellum, quills, gilding and colour.
At the end of three intense years, I began teaching the craft and working freelance with a colleague. At first the work was repetitive, names on endless certificates, copying out grants of arms into the record books at the Royal College of Arms, addressing envelopes for grand parties. I gradually broadened and improved my drawing and painting my skills to include heraldic design, botanical painting and animal portraits. I completed commissions for BBCTV, The British Museum, Livery Companies, Clarence House, St Paul’s Cathedral, for publishers and private commissions, each with an interesting story to tell. Presentation addresses, Memorial and Benefactor’s books, decorative maps, family trees, wedding stationery, and greeting card designs are some examples.
Meditation has remained a daily practice since my early 20’s. In 1999 I was led to a Sufi teacher, Llewellyn Vaughan Lee; that path has been a very important way of life for me since.
Reflecting on my work, I felt the need for less precision. I decided to book a painting and walking holiday. I contacted an artist I found online who invited me to stay in her beautiful log cabin on the edge of Dartmoor and use her studio. She introduced me to a method of free watercolour painting and left me to experiment. It was exciting to return home with a collection of very satisfying paintings.
I was managing the anxiety well with the homeopathy, herbs and in 2003 I decided to do a training in homeopathy. I thoroughly enjoyed the course and thought I might take it up as my main profession. I went on to do courses in flower essences, shamanic work, Reiki and various methods of emotional healing. Still my main income was through my art. Homeopathy has suffered much opposition and constant attempts to discredit it which made it more difficult to set up a practice at that time.
One of my tutors on the homeopathic course noticed my paintings and asked if I could design a logo for her practice. We talked about her favourite colours, flower essences and what was important to her. Afterwards I asked inwardly to be able to make a painting that reflected her practice. She was thrilled with the result and I went on to design for other practitioners.
Through a friend I discovered a system of numerology called Soul Plan and had a reading with Blue Marsden who has provided new interpretations to modernise the current system which is based on ancient Hebrew Gematria. I found it a healing experience and went on to do several courses with Blue, inspired to help people see their challenges, talents, goals and life purpose. I have been fascinated with the accuracy of the system and find it a privilege to share it and moving to share the deep insights that it brings.
A long journey but the soul plan work alongside the paintings with the aim to capture the essence bring together perfectly my passion for healing and creativity and hopefully helping others to clarify meaning and purpose of their life.
Rev. Clare Hinsley earned her Doctor of Philosophy, Ph.D. specialising in Metaphysical Counselling, from the University of Sedona. She offers Consultations, Oracle Readings, runs Higher-Self Groups as well as creating Art and Orgone Healing Devices.
Living the benefits of a Metaphysical existence, Rev. Clare’s personal journey soon became Divinely guided. It was quickly realised how individuals, when living in lower vibrations, find it a challenge to tap into Divine energies. A low vibrational existence is draining and it becomes a struggle to break away from an auto-pilot lifestyle. In order to help others find their own abundant, pure energy sources Rev. Clare decided to share much of her wisdom gained and enlighten as many others as possible to their own abilities. Her book, The Happiness Warrior: Finding Your Instinctive-Self Within Western Civilization, was formed and self-published in 2021.
As Rev. Clare continued to allow the Divine energies to expand within her, they pulled her away from an engineering career and returned her to creating art, to the degree of which she has been termed ‘The Quantum Artist’. This term was gifted by others, as they themselves, felt and benefited from the healing and inspiring energies emitted from her Orgone.
Her latest Orgone, named ‘The Beginning,’ is a truly stunning piece. When One looks at it, the healing frequencies can be felt. This piece contains powerful crystals such as Turquoise, Ethiopian Opal, Selenite, Tigers Eye and more.
Metaphysical Minister Clare Hinsley, was Divinely guided to combine the power of Orgone, the memory of Sacred Geometry and Scalar Wave technology to create healing jewellery, charging units and energetically emitting pieces of Quantum Art. Her Orgone Devices combine natural crystals and metal, joined together in resin. A year of spiritually guided training created a unique programming ceremony of which each Orgone Device undergoes.
The initial programming is done by Rev. Clare, via a Scalar Wave machine which contains Tesla bifilar coils, Lakhovsky’s MWO’s (Multi Wave Oscillators) and more. Each ceremony is a combination of Sanjeevini healing, I-Ching, and Alchemy which gives the Orgone the highest vibration. One may experience their powers from the photo, as these pieces can be felt consciously (by those who are energy sensitive) or sub-consciously. At the end of each ceremony, Scalar Waves enable a reactivation of all Orgone Devices previously created and programmed by Rev. Clare. In this way, these Orgone Devices are being re-energised as more pieces are being created.
The power of Scalar Wave healing was made clear to Rev. Clare when she was gifted her first MWO. As this was placed under her pillow and she shut her eyes, she saw a vision which is graphically shown below. Rev. Clare received a spiritual message to create ‘The Vision’ graphically as others would sub-consciously recognise it as a healing light language.
Researching Lakhovsky, it was found that he was Nikola Tesla's teacher. Lakhovsky conducted numerous, successful, treatments using his Multi Wave Oscillator. Lakhovsky compared the living cell to an electrical oscillating circuit. He says within the cells nucleus are tubular filaments or minute oscillating circuits, endowed with a capacity to oscillate at a specific frequency. Health is oscillatory equilibrium of cells, disease is oscillatory disequilibrium.
Lakhovsky discovered that concentric oscillating circuits could harmonise individual cells frequency when given the wave length range of ten cm to 400 m, corresponding to frequencies of 750,000 to three milliards per second. Rev. Clare’s programmed Orgone Devices restore cellular health and combat against negative and harmful frequencies within our environment.
If One is looking for a more personal healing session, Rev. Clare offers Metaphysical Consultations, Higher-Self Groups and Talks. Metaphysical Consultations aim to realign One with their Soul Purpose. Individuals who stray from their own Divine path will feel out of sync and may experience symptoms of anxiety, depression, stress, and unhappiness.
Metaphysical Consultations unblock stagnant, negative energy and allow the energy to flow freely within the body bringing a new sense of inner peace. By highlighting areas where individuals need to focus on, it is possible to make small changes in order to enjoy the flow of life. Rev. Hinsley is an approachable, heartwarming, Metaphysical Minister with the ability to heal individuals and instil them with the confidence to deal with everyday life situations as they occur.
When one comprehends how to adapt to new experiences, the greatness of an inquisitive perspective towards the future begins. Working with positive spiritual energies, Rev. Hinsley achieves a pure, non-medicated, approach to healing while addressing the root cause of the issue.
Rev. Hinsley focuses on philosophies and practices from Eastern, Native American, Shamanic, ancient Egyptian, and Western origins. This knowledge is adapted and verbalised in a way which allows any individual to find the benefit within their own lives.
Upon examining one’s own existence it is possible to increase one’s connection with their instinctive side, while teaching how to overcome and avoid negative external influences. Consultations can be done in person or on Zoom. Currently residing in Wiltshire, United Kingdom, Rev. Hinsley is eager to promote the incredible benefits of Metaphysics on mental and physical health.
As a member of the International Metaphysical Ministry, all consultations are without bias or judgement as well as fully confidential. From a child, Dr. Hinsley had undeniable mystical abilities. During her teenage years, she followed a socially acceptable path which led her into engineering. She worked for a main stream automotive manufacturer, designing engines, until her late 20’s when she became a full time mother of two boys.
Once the boys were of school age she returned to the engineering field, which she enjoyed. Throughout her life she contained a deep felt need to focus on her mystical abilities in order to help others. It was then that she found herself drawn to studying Metaphysics and her abilities really started to shine.
Dr. Hinsley received her Bachelor of Metaphysical Science, B.Msc., and her Master of Metaphysical Science, M.Msc., from the University of Metaphysics. Her book The Happiness Warrior – Finding Your Instinctive-Self within Western Civilization has now sold in the United Kingdom, the United States and Canada.
Be it Metaphysical Consultations, paper, canvas, wood, commission work, or Orgone, Rev. Clare aims to instil the highest vibrations into all her creations and work.
As a self-taught artist, my journey into art began in 2013, guided by intuition, meditation, and a profound connection with nature and the cosmos. In this lifetime, I have not followed the traditional path of formal art education, nor have I had role models to emulate. This absence of external influence has empowered me to cultivate my own unique style and technique—one that merges the ethereal with the tangible.
My creations are reflections of cosmic energies, ancient symbolism, and universal truths that transcend time and space. Each piece of artwork serves as a visual portal, offering viewers an opportunity to connect with the deeper layers of existence. Through sacred geometry, celestial events, and symbolic representations, my art explores themes that invite personal and spiritual transformation.
The process of creating my artwork is alchemical—each canvas is not just a space for expression, but a mirror of my own inner transformation. Often, I take older works and breathe new life into them, symbolizing the continuous evolution we all undergo. The transformation of a painting is a metaphor for the transformation of the self, from old to new, from illusion to truth.
I use a variety of mediums, including oil, acrylic, and various structuring materials, blending them in layers to capture complex forms and energetic flows. The creation of my work is never a predictable journey—I begin without a fixed idea of the outcome. Instead, I rely on my connection to the timeless dimension of inspiration, allowing the artwork to reveal itself through my hands, step by step.
Every brushstroke is guided by an inner knowing, and each completed work carries a message meant to inspire, uplift, and heal. My art is more than a visual experience; it is a tool for transformation and self-discovery.
My greatest hope is that my work serves as a source of light in a world where many are searching for meaning and direction. It is my offering to those who seek to align with their highest potential, to connect with the sacred, and to walk a path of creative self-expression.
ART BEYOND THE ORDINARY
When there is a WILL, there is a way. Everything starts from inside as a surge of inspiration to create something that needs to emerge in the physical world and be seen.
Each painting I create is a snapshot of the cosmos and cosmic events . it reflects my inner self and the message I want to convey to the outside world. During the creative process, I receive the name and the message for each artwork. It is a form of channelling through colours, shapes, structures, and symbols, all in complete harmony and balance.
The Creative Journey:
What matters is using my full creativity and love to create something that serves as a source of positive inspiration in a world turned upside down. These artworks are flames of hope and prosperity.
The Process:
This process, which I call "art beyond the ordinary," demands a disciplined lifestyle. It requires persistence, patience, continuous alignment with the inner self, and gratitude for the opportunity to be a conduit of visionary messages.
Supporting the Creative Process:
These elements are essential pieces of the puzzle that support my creative process, allowing me to produce artworks that transcend the ordinary.
Creating visionary artworks involves integrating complex formulas related to colors, shapes, and structures. Each new step in this process feels like standing at a crossroads of unlimited possibilities. With sometimes hundreds of steps, each requiring special attention and discernment to ensure it fits into the big picture, the journey is intricate and demanding.
The Journey of Creation:
Persistence and Intuition:
This process reflects my belief that persistence and inner guidance lead to the desired results. It’s a testament to the dedication required to bring visionary art to life.
ARTISTIC ALCHEMY
In my artistic journey, it’s not uncommon for me to revisit a painting that has been with me for a long time.
These pieces often carry a deep significance and reflect a specific period of my life. Taking such a painting and transforming it is an alchemical process - turning something old into something new.
This transformation showcases how far my inner journey has progressed because each artwork is a reflection of the artist's soul.
While some might say it’s easier to begin with a blank canvas and create a new story, there is profound magic in transforming the old. This process is akin to addressing parts of one’s life that need intervention—taking the "old you" and bringing forth a "shining you."
And came a day when I decided to transform the WHEEL OF LIFE, a painting from 2016 which was made of four canvases joined together. I felt a deep urge for this transformation which was a deeper urge for my inner transformation.
I invested 4 months , during the last winter/spring season of 2024 in completing this artworks. During the works I received the new name “ALPHA CENTAURY” and then one day a young lady in her late years (80’s) came in my atelier and asking me what is the name of the painting.
I told her the name and she was pondering on that and as a comment she said this sounds to me like the “King Of Gods”. So I said , let it be “Alpha Centauri, The King Of Gods”.
While creating “THE GREAT PROMISE” which was also a task of transformation, a white point just fell from the colour bottle on the canvas in the place where there was not intended to be. My first thought was to remove it, because it does not fit the formula but then I said to myself, lets leave it there, there is always time for that. Instead lets see the perfect imperfection. And then I understood why I gave the name for this artwork “THE GREAT PROMISE” because that white point was the smaller me while the great circle, the complete artwork represented the “Whole I”, my Mighty I, My Powerful and blessed I“. The I of my deepest desires, the I which I promised again to remember and Be. Some of us, before coming to this planet made a promise to our selves, a GREAT PROMISE that we will be born again as a true self and remember why we came here and what is the purpose of our coming, our mission.
J. Udayabhaskara Sastry, 69, is a documentary and short-film maker, accredited independent journalist, Vedic astrology researcher and associate member of the Telugu Cine Writers’ Association based at Hyderabad, Telangana State, India.
His latest project, documentary on Arunachalam Hill, titled Antipode of Arunachalam Hill, deals with the unexplored part of the spiritual teachings of Bhagavan Ramana Maharshi who most of the Indians consider as an incarnation of Lord Shiva.
Sastry’s first documentary film, made in vernacular language Telugu, deals with Sri Ramanujacharya, Indian spiritual Guru and philosopher of the 11th and 12th centuries, who tried hard to drive away the stigma of untouchability from the then Indian society.
Born in a traditional agricultural family at Itikampadu village in the Guntur district of undivided Andhra Pradesh, Sastry cultivated the habit of exploring things of the spiritual world and of the most fascinating subject of Vedic Astrology, while continuing his career as a journalist.
Sastry’s other varied interests include exploring spiritual personalities of the globe and their teachings, script writing for documentaries in English and Telugu, besides providing scripts for short and feature films and creating consciousness among people about the oceanic Indian astrology.
Known as J U B Sastry in journalistic circles, he worked as sub-editor for various vernacular dailies including those belonging to the widely known Indian Express Group.
He also worked as content developer for more than two decades for English news portals besides taking up the most coveted job of Media Coordinator in the national media section in the Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister’s Office between October 2022 and May 2024.
With India’s most venerable spiritual teacher Sri Ramana Maharshi being a household name across the length and breadth of the country since 1950s, Sastry used to think of the spiritual Guru akin to his family elders who had high regards for the master.
During his days as columnist to the Chennai-based astrology magazine The Express Star Teller, Sastry was fascinated to read articles about Ramana Maharshi contributed by his co-columnists off and on. His urge to probe the teachings of the spiritual Guru grew wider and he left no stone unturned in unearthing the hidden.
A few months ago, while browsing for information about Ramana Maharshi’s teachings, the journalist-turned documentary film maker fumbled on the scantly-appreciated point, as elucidated by the Maharshi, of the existence of a possible antipode for the Arunachalam Hill.
Before Ramana Maharshi, no other spiritual teacher of the world ever thought of the spiritual angle that has been binding the mankind together in one form or the other since time immemorial.
Ramana Maharshi has several disciples across the world. Major AW Chadwick, the first European disciple of the internationally acclaimed spiritual teacher, spent the rest of his life as Sadhu Arunachala at the Ramana Maharshi Asram at Arunachalam, after retiring as a Major from the British Army.
During his spiritual interactions with Major Chadwick and others, the Maharshi spoke of the antipode of the Arunachalam Hill on the other side of the Earth.
The Guru was of firm opinion that both the hills, the Arunachalam Hill in India and its antipode in the West, are holding the world together spiritually like the North and South Pole holding the globe together physically.
This had prompted the documentary maker to probe the issue further and he got what he wanted. Sadhu Arunachala’s Book A Sadhu’s Reminiscences of Ramana Maharshi, talked of the subject in detail.
In his book, Sadhu Arunachala describes the greatness of the hill saying that it gives inspiration for all seeking spiritual strength. He talks of the Giri Pradakshinams (circumambulations around the sacred hill) extending to a distance of nearly 14 km from which the devotees draw the strength.
He also further says Ramana Maharshi used to stress on the fact that Lord Shiva pervades the Arunachalam Hill as Arunagiri Yogi and its antipode exists in the hill ranges, at a place somewhere near to its equivalent geographical coordinates, in the West.
Before reading Sadhu Arunachala’s book, I visited Arunachalam in Tamil Nadu and went round the hill in a moving vehicle, like many others who are perhaps ignorant of the strength of the barefoot walking.
Sincerely speaking, I failed to experience any spiritual flavor mentioned by Sadhu Arunachala. However, after reading the book, I visited the temple town once again along with my journalist-friend P. Pawan Kunar.
After having Darshan of the temple deity, we trekked up the hill under the guidance of the guide Mountain Mani in the morning hours and went round the hill on the same evening barefoot thinking of Lord Shiva, Arunachalam Hill and its antipode. There were no symptoms of fatigue on either of us.
Rather, the experience was amazing and I was thrilled to feel the spiritual vibrations through my body and soul. My friend also had similar experience. The feeling was something that I couldn’t explain here in words. One has to experience it to feel it.
That was the moment I made up my mind on making the documentary on the subject. But I knew very well that I couldn’t do it in a single day. I waited for the right time and acted on it when I got the opportunity.
Antipode of Arunachalam Hill, with a bearable length of 15 minute plus, talks about the spiritual strength of the pilgrim town Arunachalam, Arunachalam Hill and its antipode Machu Picchu Hill in Peru in the West.
I strongly feel that the spiritual strength of any person on this Earth lies in his / her emotional thinking and films like Antipode of Arunachalam Hill only serve the purpose of educating about the existence of the sources that consolidate such emotions.
As Ramana Maharshi says, it is true that thoughts come and go and feelings too come and go but we have to find out what it is that remains with us. Is there any doubt that it is only the spiritual strength that we draw in our lives that remains with us even if our physical bodies perish at the will of destiny?